iStart E-form Processing Times

OIE provides important e-form services to more than 10,000 F and J visa holders sponsored by the institution utilizing Sunapsis software. Visa holders and academic departments submit e-form service requests through the Sunapsis iStart portal. OIE prioritizes e-form service requests based on the timing of submission and order of processing priority for the office.  

Processing times refer to response times for adviser review and response to an e-form submission. Processing times are updated as needed based on the volume of requests. Please find below the estimated processing times measured in business days for OIE e-forms. Please note the 1st business day is the first full day immediately following the submission of the e-form. Business days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Institute holidays are not considered business days. The Institute holidays can be found in the following link: https://calendar.gatech.edu/institute-holidays. If you find that your request is outside of processing time, you can submit a report to our office online. Our team will review this information and follow up with you to provide an updated timeline for the request or guidance on the next steps.

We appreciate your patience with adjusted processing times as we work diligently to balance student and recent graduate needs with the high quality of care required to ensure accuracy in SEVIS reporting. 
 

E-Form Name

Estimated processing time in business days

F-1 Graduate I-20/DS-2019 Request, I-20 requests received after July 1 are considered late and a deferral to the next available academic term may be recommended.

Spring 2025 Requests: 7

Example: 

E-form submitted on Friday, July 1- Day 0
Saturday, July 2- not a business day remove from count

Sunday, July 3- not a business day remove from count

Monday, July 4th- holiday remove from count

Tuesday, July 5- Day 1

Wednesday, July 6- Day 2

Thursday, July 7- Day 3

Friday, July 8- Day 4

Saturday, July 9- not a business day remove from count

Sunday, July 10- not a business day remove from count

Monday, July 11- Day 5

Tuesday, July 12- Day 6

Wednesday, July 13 - Day 7

F-1 Graduate I-20 Deferral Request

on or before the 30th day after the start date of the term for the original I-20

F-1 Undergraduate Initial I-20/DS-2019 Request

7

F-1 Change of Status to F-1

10

F-1 Student OIE Check-In: Arrival Confirmation

4

F-1 Student OIE Check-In: Immigration Regulations Acknowledgement

Automatic/Same-Day

F-1 Student OIE Check-In: Immigration Document Upload

4

F-1 I-20 Request for Returning Students

15

F-1 Academic Reduced Course Load

4

F-1 Medical Reduced Course Load

4

F-1 Graduate Change of Major

10

F-1 Graduate Program Extension

10

F-1 Change of Level

10

F-1 COL Check-in

4

F-1 Undergrad Change of Major

10

F-1 Undergraduate Program Extension

10

F-1 CPT request

Spring 2025 CPT Requests: 4

F-1 Approved CPT Update Request

10

F-1 Travel Signature Request

4

F-1 Student Administrative Processing Visa Delay

10

F-1 I-515A

4

F-1 I-515A Resolution

4

F-1 Request New Dependent SEVIS Document

10

F-1 ITIN Letter Request for Primary Visa Holders

10

F-1 & J-1 OIE On-Campus Employment Letter Request

10

F-1 Transfer Out Request

4

F-1 I-20 Responsibility Form Request 

5

F-1 F Student Immigration Document Update

10

F-1 Intent to Depart the U.S./End I-20 Status

5

F-1 Change of Status from F-1/F-2

10

F-1 Post Completion OPT I-20

8

Note, requests submitted earlier than 90 days before the program end date 

will be processed within 8 business days of the 90-day filing window opening. 

The 90-day filing window for fall 2024 begins Friday, September 13, 2024. This means that any requests 

submitted before September 13 will be processed within 8 business days of September 13.

ITIN Letter Request

5

J-1 Academic Training 

5

F-1 OPT Cap-Gap I-20

10

F-1 OPT Travel Signature

4

F-1 Pre-Completion OPT

5

F-1 OPT Employment/Contact Update

10

F-1 OPT I-797 confirmation

15

F-1 Post-OPT EAD

15

F-1 End Post-Completion OPT

10

F-1 STEM Extension request

10

F-1 Report OPT Issue

10

F-1 STEM 6 Month Verification #1

10

F-1 STEM 6 month #2 and 12 month evaluation

10

F-1 STEM 6 Month Verification #3

10

F-1 STEM Final Evaluation

10

F-1 STEM Minor Information Update

10

F-1 Material Change to STEM Employment

10

F-1 STEM Cap-Gap I-20 request

10

F-1 Department iStart Access

4

J-1 Scholar Dependent DS-2019

15

J-1 Scholar Travel

4

J-1 Scholar and Student Intern DS-2019 Form Request

15

J-1 Scholar Extension Request

10

J-1 Scholar Occasional Lectures or Consultations

10

J-1 Scholar Update to DS-2019

10

J-1 Scholar Hiring & Hosting Eligibility

10

J-1 Scholar Address Update

10

J-1 Scholar Administrative Processing Delay

10

J-1 Scholar Check In

5

J-1 Scholar Dependent (J-2) Arrival/Check-in

5

J-1 Scholar Immigration Document Update 

10

J-1 Scholar Initial Status Exchange Visitor Program Changes

10

J-1 Scholar Transfer Out

4

J-1 Scholar and Student Intern DS-2019 Form Reprint

4