---
title: "Check a recruiter's handling of a Form I-20"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/education-law/check-an-education-agent-s-written-agreement-and-record/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A59-PU20261022-15-US"
practice_area: "Education Law"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Check a recruiter's handling of a Form I-20

> From the agency file and the issuance record, list who received the Form I-20, whether a recruiter is holding it, and whether the file shows a commission paid to a designated school official for recruitment.…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/education-law/check-an-education-agent-s-written-agreement-and-record/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Education Law](https://ailawframework.com/practice/education-law.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | From the agency file and the issuance record, list who received the Form I-20, whether a recruiter is holding it, and whether the file shows a commission paid to a designated school official for recruitment. Do not decide that the arrangement is permitted, and do not write a demand for the form. |
| What the lawyer must review | You decide whether the issuance complies. SEVP policy guidance of 4 June 2019, citing 8 CFR 214.3(k) as its primary regulation, says that for privacy, security, and fraud prevention the Form I-20 must be issued directly by a designated school official at an SEVP-certified school to the nonimmigrant student, the student's dependents, or, for a minor, the parent or guardian. A recruiter is not given the form. The regulation text itself was not opened, so it is not restated beyond what the guidance says. Study in the States, kindergarten to grade 12, last updated 27 April 2026, says a prospective student does not need a recruiter, the official issues the Form I-20 directly to the student, a recruiter has no role in issuing or handling the form and cannot hold it, and designated school officials cannot receive compensation from commissions for the recruitment of foreign students. The student page on commission-based recruiters, last updated 25 May 2023, says a student does not need a recruiter to obtain a student visa, a recruiter has no proper role in handling the Form I-20, the official issues it directly to the student, and the application address should be the student's own address. It also says a recruiter must not make or supply the documents used for the visa, and must not tell the student what to say at the visa interview. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Check an education agent's written agreement and record](https://ailawframework.com/practice/education-law/check-an-education-agent-s-written-agreement-and-record.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: From the agency file and the issuance record, list who received the Form I-20, whether a recruiter is holding it, and whether the file shows a commission paid to a designated school official for recruitment. Do not decide that the arrangement is permitted, and do not write a demand for the form.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- 8 CFR 214.3(k) is named in the guidance and was not opened as its own page.
- A commission paid to the designated school official is the prohibition on the K-12 page. A fee the student pays a recruiter is a different fact.
- The form goes to the student, a dependent, or, for a minor, the parent or guardian. It does not go to the recruiter.

## Sources

- [SEVP Policy Guidance, Form I-20 Issuance and School Use of Recruiters, 4 June 2019](https://www.ice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Document/2019/Guidance-FormI-20.pdf) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [Kindergarten to Grade 12 Schools, Study in the States, last updated 27 April 2026](https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/schools/get-started/kindergarten-to-grade-12-schools) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [What is a Commission-Based Recruiter, Study in the States, last updated 25 May 2023](https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/get-started/what-is-a-commission-based-recruiter) (checked 2026-10-22)

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*