Transfer to Another U.S. Institution

Admission to a new school does not by itself authorize an international student in F-1 status to begin studying full-time at the new school.

You must request that your current school release and transfer your SEVIS record to your new school before you can begin full-time studies at the new school. The U.S. government calls this process a "SEVIS transfer." It is different from an "academic transfer."

There are several benefits to a SEVIS transfer:

• You do not pay the $200 SEVIS fee again
• You can remain in the U.S. in between programs
• You maintain the same current SEVIS ID number (which may make you eligible for certain benefits at your new school earlier)

Transfer out eligibility requirements:

• You must currently be maintaining F-1 status
• You must have an offer of admission from a new school
• If you already graduated or completed OPT, you must still be within your 60-day grace period
• The start of classes at your new school must be within 5 months of one of the following:
  • academic program completion
  • last day of enrollment
  • OPT authorization end date

If the period of time between F-1 activities is longer than 5 months, your SEVIS record is not eligible for transfer. Your new school must issue a new initial I-20 with a new SEVIS number.

Request Transfer to Another University

Note: If you have already started a request, do not start a new request. Please go to your User Home Page to continue working on your request.