All international students who plan to study in-person at the Harvard Chan School will be required to have a visa for any portion of the program that is held on-campus. Harvard sponsored student visa options include a F-1 student visa and J-1 student visa (Canadian citizens require an F-1-20 document or J-1 DS-2019 document). All students who are requesting a Harvard sponsored visa document must complete the financial certification process with the Admissions Office. Financial certification instructions are provided below and an overview of the process for obtaining a visa may be found on the Harvard International Office website. Any questions about visa types, immigration, or embassies can be directed to the Harvard International Office (HIO).
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU PLAN TO ARRIVE IN THE U.S. USING A B-1/B-2 VISITOR VISA OR ESTA IN LIEU OF AN F-1 VISA.
The VWP and the B-1/B-2 visa do not permit full-time or part-time study. To enter the U.S. using either the VWP or the B-1/B-2 visa, the purpose of your trip must be tourism. If you intend to pursue full-time or part-time study at the Harvard Chan School, entering the U.S. using the VWP or the B-1/B-2 visa is not appropriate. Attempting to enter the U.S. using the VWP or a B-1/B-2 visa for the purpose of studying is a violation of U.S. visa regulations and you may be denied entry to the U.S. This is true for both non-degree and degree students.
Please also note that there is no visa status expressly dedicated to part-time study in the U.S. The HIO recommends the following enrollment and visa options:
- Enrolling full-time to qualify for an I-20 and F-1 status; or
- Enrolling part-time because you are in the U.S. and are maintaining an immigration status for part-time study incident to that status (such as H-1B, TN, J-1, etc.)
Financial Certification Process to Request an I-20 or DS-2019
All students requesting a visa document (I-20 or DS-2019) from Harvard University are required to submit the following items. Please review the detailed requirements in the section below and wait to submit your FCIS form until all of your documents are complete.
1. Financial Certification for International Students (FCIS) form.
2. Funding documents to cover all costs. Please use this financial certification tool to determine your certification amount.
3. Copy of your passport biographic page, as well as any dependents
If you need to submit a Transfer In form, please click here to access the form. Please scan and email the form along with a copy of your current visa to the Admissions Office at admissions@hsph.harvard.edu and complete the steps below.
The deadlines to submit all completed documents:
June start: April 1
July start: May 1
Fall start: June 1
January start: October 1
We require a minimum of 3-4 weeks from the time we receive complete documentation until the time the I-20/DS-2019 is issued.
Full details of the steps can be found below. Our Financial Certification process is stringent. Documents that do not meet our requirements will be rejected and result in delays. For this reason, please ensure that all personal funds are held in a bank account:
-in the student’s name
-in U.S. Dollars
-in a U.S. bank or a bank with a branch in the U.S.
Financial Certification Requirements:
1. FCIS Form
Complete the Financial Certification (FCIS) form online. Instructions are also included on the form. The form requests biographic and citizenship information, the type of visa for which you are applying, dependent information (if applicable), and sources of funding. Please wait to submit the FCIS form until your documents are complete.
2. Funding Documents
How Much You Need to Show
Students must certify that they have adequate funds to cover the expenses to study in the U.S. Please refer to the Financial Certification Tool to determine the amount you need to certify for a visa document request.
Certification amounts reflect the estimated cost of attendance (tuition, fees, and living expenses) for one year of study:
- Master’s degree candidates (MPH 45, MPH 65, SM 42.5, SM60, and SM80 students) must certify the full amount of money for 9 months of residence.
- DrPH degree candidates must certify the full amount of money for 11 months of residence.
- MPH Epi students, please refer to the MPH Epi Visa Certification page for certification requirements
For students requesting a DS-2019 (for a J-1 visa): DS-2019 documents may only be issued for the duration of time for which a student certifies funding. If a student is in a multi-year program and certifies funding for one year, then the HIO issued DS-2019 document will be for only one year, and the student will have to re-certify funding to extend their visa document for the remainder of the program. Students requesting a DS-2019 who wish to certify for the duration of their program, please click here for certification amounts.
Acceptable sources of funding and required supporting documentation are included below:
Personal Funds: Please submit a recent monthly bank statement (within the past three months) that meets the following criteria:
- The student’s name must be listed as the account holder or joint account holder. We will not accept funds submitted in support of a student.
- The funds must be held in cash accounts. We cannot accept funds held in retirement investment accounts, as stock, CDs, or as mutual funds. Any funding presented for financial certification must be immediately available to the student without restrictions, penalties or requirements for withdrawal.
- The account(s) must be in U.S. dollar currency. U.S. dollar equivalent is not acceptable.
- The account(s) must be held in a bank that has a branch in the United States. Non-U.S. banks with a branch in the U.S. or overseas branches of U.S. banks will satisfy this requirement. We have two Boston-area banks listed at the bottom of this page that we know will allow students to open accounts from abroad. Please note that this may not be an exhaustive list.
Please note all funds submitted must remain available towards cost of attendance expenses.
Fellowship, grant or scholarship: Please provide a copy of the official award letter to the Office of Financial Aid (financialaid@hsph.harvard.edu) if the award is from a non-Harvard source.
Loans: Once you have contacted a lender and received pre-approval for a loan*, please complete the Preliminary Private Loan Request Form. This step is crucial in securing and finalizing your funding for the academic year. After the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) reviews your response to the Preliminary Private Loan Request Form, you will receive an email notification indicating that your [hsph.me/myfinaid]MyFinaid portal has been updated.
*If you plan to borrow from the Harvard University Employees Credit Union (HUECU), we’ll record your request without pre-approval. However, once the official loan application process is accessible, it’s necessary for you to proceed with it to ensure that your loan information is properly maintained in your record.
This process is applicable to both U.S.-based and foreign loans. For any questions, please contact OFA at financialaid@hsph.harvard.edu.
Employer or agency sponsorship: Please provide a letter from your employer or agency on letterhead to the Office of Financial Aid (financialaid@hsph.harvard.edu). It should also include the following:
- Name and full address of the sponsoring agency
- Your full name as the person designated to receive the funds
- Exact amount that has been awarded to you
- The period of time for which it is valid
- Any restrictions on the use of money
- If the funds will be sent directly to you or to the University
Please note: DS-2019 (for J-1 visa) documents can only be issued for the duration of time for which a student certifies funding. If a student is in a multi-year program and certifies funding for only one year, the HIO issued DS-2019 document will be for only one year and the student will have to certify funding in order to extend their document for the remainder of their program.
3. Passport Biographic Page
Upload your passport biographic page, along with your financial documents for personal funds through the FCIS form. Please wait to submit the FCIS form until your documents are complete. Please also include the passport biographic pages of all dependents.
Questions?
Any questions regarding these four steps should be directed to the Admissions Office.
Any questions regarding immigration, visa types, or the embassy can be directed to the HIO. Please also see the Summer FAQs from the HIO if you are a summer-only or summer-starting student.
Boston-area banks that will open accounts for students prior to arrival
Additional resources and materials
