Questions from Designated School Officials is a blog series on Study in the States for designated school officials (DSOs). Each month, we will answer a question that will help you advise your F and/or M students. If you are a DSO and would like to submit a question, you can email us or ask us via social media, your Field Representative or the SEVP Response Center. We may edit questions for clarity and consistency and may not feature all submissions on Study in the States.

Question: May DSOs send scanned copies of the Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” to students via e-mail?

Answer: Given the potential for fraud, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program asks that DSOs do not send copies of the Form I-20 to students via e-mail. Additionally, a scanned and re-printed Form I-20 would not be valid for entry into the United States, benefit applications, etc.