Admission Deferral

International students need to request to defer their admission and I-20 by completing the following steps:

1. Notify Admissions (Academic Record)


You must notify Admissions:

It may take up to 8 weeks to receive a decision on your admission deferral request.

If you already registered for classes, you need to “drop” all of your courses during the drop/add period. If you do not drop your classes, you are responsible for any fees incurred.

In addition, you need to contact the Student Health Insurance Office at insure@gmu.edu to cancel your health insurance. If you fail to do so, you are responsible for any fees incurred (including late fees).

2: I-20 (F-1) GRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY: Notify International Admissions (Immigration Record)

  • Complete Step 1 above.
  • Request an I-20 deferral by sending an email to gradi20@gmu.edu (include your full name and G number).

If you were admitted to start in the Fall semester, you must submit your I-20 deferral request by September 1st.

If you were admitted to start in the Spring semester, you must submit your I-20 deferral request by January 31st.

You will not receive an updated I-20 until all criteria are met:

  • You are officially admitted to a future semester.
  • Your documents, including proof of funding, are valid or updated and meet requirements. NOTE: George Mason University regularly updates funding requirements and policies to reflect actual economic conditions and to ensure best practices.
  • We have begun issuing I-20s for your new program start date (February 15th for Fall and October 1st for Spring start dates).