Additional information for F-1 Canadian applicants
All Canadian citizens entering the U.S. by air or sea will be required to show a passport to enter the United States. Effective December 31, 2007, a passport will be required for ALL entries to the U.S., including land borders. Your passport may be required for other purposes in the U.S., such as completing a form for employment on campus, or applying for a Social Security number.
All F-1 Visa applicants require an I-20. Please visit this link for information on the I-20 form and to see how to apply for a F-1 Visa.
At the port of entry, Canadian students must present the Form I-20 and supporting financial documentation to the immigration inspector to be admitted into the U.S. on F-1 status. You will be given an I-94 Admission/Departure card to complete. Be sure to look at your I-94 card before you leave the inspection area to ensure that it has the notation “F-1, D/S” written on it. Canadian students must have an I-94 card to confirm current F-1 status. If not, you are considered to be on Visitor (B-2) status, a status which does not permit study in the U.S.
Some Canadians have mistakenly assumed that regulations that apply to international students do not apply to them. Students from Canada are subject to the same regulations regarding employment in the United States, requirement for full-time study and all other provisions for maintaining status. It is especially important for Canadian students to be vigilant about entering the United States in proper student status, as immigration inspectors are accustomed to admitting Canadian citizens as visitors.