OBTAINING VERIFICATION DOCUMENTS
International students who would like to verify their visa status as students at UC San Diego for various reasons can request various types of verification documents/letters from the International Students & Programs Office (ISPO). Furthermore, other types of verification documents are provided by other UC San Diego offices. Review all information below to learn about the types of verification letters.
Visa Status or Enrollment Verification
You can order transcripts and customizable enrollment verification documents that are generally issued within 24 hours directly by the Registrar's Office. You can request a secure electronic version of the documents, or you can pick them up at the Registrar's Office or have them mailed to you. Use the following TritonLink pages to order your documents:
Purpose:
- A Visa Status Verification (VSV) letter is a standardized general verification document verifying your student visa status, major, program start and estimated program end date at UC San Diego.
Submit Your Request:
- Log in to iportal.ucsd.edu .
- Go to "Services" tab.
- Select "Letter Request".
- Choose the "I am requesting a letter to for Visa Status Verification" letter request type.
- Fill out your request.
- "Submit" your request.
Receive Your Letter:
- Your document will be issued within 5 business days.
- You can check the status of your request anytime by logging in to iPortal and clicking on "My Requests" tab.
- A notification email will be sent to you when your document is ready.
Purpose:
- A Letter of Eligibility to Enroll at another School is a standardized verification document verifying students' eligibility to enroll at another school.
- You can request this letter if:
- You enroll in full course load (12 units per quarter) at UC San Diego, OR
- You enroll at another school in the Summer term and are
- either enrolled in at least 1 unit at UC San Diego,
- or will continue your enrollment at UC San Diego in the following Fall quater, OR
- You are in the final quarter of your program and have an approved final quarter reduced course load (RCL) for that quarter, and are enrolled in at least 1 unit at UC San Diego in that quarter, OR
- You are on post-completion OPT (F-1 students) or Academic Training (J-1 students).
- If neither of the situations outlined above applies to you, then submit a Concurrent Enrollment Authorization request in iPortal instead.
Submit Your Request:
- Log in to iportal.ucsd.edu .
- Go to "Services" tab.
- Select "Letter Request".
- Choose the "I am requesting a letter of Eligibility to Enroll at Another Institution" letter request type.
- Fill out your request.
- "Submit" your request.
Receive Your Letter:
- Your document will be issued within 5 business days.
- You can check the status of your request anytime by logging in to iPortal and clicking on "My Requests" tab.
- A notification email will be sent to you when your document is ready.
Purpose:
- An Education Abroad Program (EAP) Reciprocity Student verification letter is a standardized verification document verifying international EAP reciprocity student's enrollment at UC San Diego.
Submit Your Request:
- Log in to iportal.ucsd.edu .
- Go to "Services" tab.
- Select "Letter Request".
- Choose the "I am requesting a letter to verify my EAP reciprocity student enrollment for home unviersity" letter request type.
- Fill out your request.
- Upload a PDF copy of a verification form if your home institution requires our office to complete a particular form.
- "Submit" your request.
Receive Your Letter:
- Your document will be issued within 5 business days.
- You can check the status of your request anytime by logging in to iPortal and clicking on "My Requests" tab.
- A notification email will be sent to you when your document is ready.
Purpose
- For students who are planning to transfer their SEVIS record from UC San Diego to another school, and the other school needs ISPO to verify certain information about their visa status
- You can request such verification by following instructions outlined on our Transfer Out page.
Visa Applications and Travel Verification
Purpose
- ISPO provides a general support letter for new students applying for F-1 or J-1 visas and/or traveling to the U.S. for the upcoming academic term.
- Visit our Travel page for more information.
Purpose
- If you have already applied for an F-1 or J-1 visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, and are experiencing issues with your application, ISPO can issue a support letter for you for following situations:
- Visa delays due to administrative processing - visit our Visa page for more information.
- Visa denials - visit our Visa page for more information.
Work Authorization Verification
Purpose:
- A Social Security Administration (SSA) application support letter is a standardized verification document verifying an international student's eligibility to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) with the SSA.
- For more information on the SSN, visit the following page: Social Security Number.
Submit Your Request:
- F-1 students log in to iportal.ucsd.edu.
- Go to "Services" tab.
- Select "Letter Request".
- Choose the "I am requesting a letter to submit to the Social Security Administration" letter request type.
- Fill out your request.
- Upload a PDF copy of your Job Offer Letter (for an SSN based on on-campus employment), or OPT EAD card (for an SSN based on OPT).
- "Submit" your request.
- J-1 students should review how to apply for one of the following work authorizations first.
- An SSA letter will be prepared as part of your:
Receive Your Letter:
- Your document will be issued within 5 business days.
- You can check the status of your request anytime by logging in to iPortal and clicking on "My Requests" tab.
- A notification email will be sent to you when your document is ready.
- When you receive the letter, follow instructions on our Social Security Number page to apply for your SSN with the SSA Office.
Purpose:
- An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a tax processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). ITIN is for federal tax reporting only, and is not intended to serve any other purpose.
- F-1/J-1 students who are otherwise ineligible for a Social Security Number (SSN), and have received scholarship/fellowship income from their academic departments at UC San Diego can request an ITIN from the IRS. One of the steps in this process is to get a support letter from ISPO.
- Visit our ITIN page for more information on this process.
Purpose:
- This letter is a letter of authorization for work at an off campus location considered as on campus employment. Student must provide a letter from the employing entity and the UC San Diego faculty advisor explaining the nature of the employment and how the entity is educationally affiliated with UC San Diego.
- For F-1 graduate students only. J-1 students request On-Campus Employment Authorization for J-1 Students OR Academic Training Employment authorization.
- Student may also request an SSN letter through this authorization type as well.
Submit Your Request:
- F-1 graduate students log in to iportal.ucsd.edu .
- Go to “Services” tab.
- Select “Letter Request”.
- Choose the "I am requesting a letter of authorization for work at an off campus location considered as on-campus employment" letter request type.
- Fill out your request.
- Upload a PDF copy of job offer and letter from faculty advisor verifying the relationship between the employer, student, and UC San Diego.
- If you are also requesting an SSN letter, the job offer letter must have the following information: Job title, employment start date, number of hours per week working, Employer Identification Number (EIN), and supervisor contact information.
- "Submit" your request.
Receive Your Letter:
- Your document will be issued within 5 business days.
- You can check the status of your request anytime by logging into iPortal and clicking on “My Requests” tab.
- A notification email will be sent to you when your document is ready.
Other Situations
Purpose:
- If your family members or friends are planning to apply for a U.S. visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate in order to visit you in the U.S., they may ask you to supply them with an invitation letter.
- Since U.S. embassies and consulates do not require invitation letters issued by the school, ISPO does not provide any kind of invitation letters, including ones for graduation/commencement ceremony.
- However, you are encouraged to write your own invitation letter. You can use this sample invitation letter, or search for another template online.
- Keep in mind that such a letter does not guarantee a visa will be granted during your friend's or family member’s visa interview, nor is it required for the interview.
- You might also want to supplement your invitation letter with proof of your current or previous attendance at UC San Diego. The following are the most common options:
- Furthermore, when you register for the commencement ceremony, you will receive a confirmation email about it, so you could include that confirmation as evidence of your commencement participation.
Purpose:
- The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) requires verification of residency as part of the driver license application.
- ISPO is not authorized to issue residency verification documents for students' driver license applications. For a full list of what verification documents are accepted, please visit the California DMV website.
Purpose:
- A Request for Evidence (RFE) is issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) if they determine that more information is needed to finish processing your application. USCIS sends out Form I-797e, also called a notice of action, when it issues an RFE.
- Not all RFEs require ISPO's response. ISPO's response may be required if an RFE requests documentation or additional information specifically from a Designated School Official (DSO).
- Each request will be considered on a case-by-case basis within 5-10 business days.
Submit Your Request:
- Log in to iportal.ucsd.edu .
- Go to "Services" tab.
- Select "Letter Request".
- Choose the "I received a Request for Evidence or Notice from USCIS Requesting further information to support my application" letter request type.
- Fill out your request.
- Upload a copy of your USCIS Request for Evidence.
- "Submit" your request.
Receive Your Letter:
- Once reviewed and if necessitating a response from a Designated School Official (DSO), your document will be issued within 5-10 business days.
- You can check the status of your request anytime by logging in to iPortal and clicking on "My Requests" tab.
- You will be notified by email when your document is ready.
Purpose:
- An "Other" letter is a non-standardized verification document, that is issued to - or completed for an international student at UC San Diego to assist with the student's special case or circumstance.
- A clear explanation of the student's circumstances must accompany the request for this letter.
- Each request will be considered on a case-by-case basis within 5-10 business days.
Submit Your Request:
- Log in to iportal.ucsd.edu .
- Go to "Services" tab.
- Select "Letter Request".
- Choose the "I am requesting another letter type not listed here" letter request type.
- Fill out your request.
- If you need our office to complete a document/form for you, or if you have additional documents supporting/explaining your case, then select the option in the request form to upload the document/form to your request.
- "Submit" your request.
Receive Your Letter:
- If approved, your document will be issued within 5-10 business days.
- You can check the status of your request anytime by logging in to iPortal and clicking on "My Requests" tab.
- You will be notified by email when your document is ready.