In addition to following the school's academic
and administrative procedures for transferring to another school, F-1
students must complete the transfer procedure established by the United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Definition - According to the USCIS
a "transfer" occurs when an F-1 student moves from:
- one ESL program to another
- an ESL program to an academic program
- an undergraduate program to a graduate
program
- full-time Optional Practical Training
to another academic program
Eligibility - To be eligible for
a transfer you must:
- be a bona fide non-immigrant student
- have been maintaining status at the previous
school
- intend to pursue a full course of study
at the new school
- provide documentation showing that you
are able to meet all anticipated financial obligations associated
with attending the transfer institution
- have completed the application and acceptance
process for the school you wish to transfer to
Transfer Procedure
To transfer to another institution you
must complete the following steps:
Step 1 - Make an appointment with the coordinator for international student services/DSO to discuss your eligibility for a school transfer. Since
a recommendation from the coordinator for international student services/DSO is required,
you should make an appointment well in advance of the completion of your
degree or the date you wish to transfer out. Please bring with you the
following documentation:
- Your current Form I-20
- Your old Form I-20s and/or Form I-20IDs
- Your passport
- Your I-94
- Proof of acceptance at the school you wish to transfer to
- A completed SEVIS Release Form
Step 2 - After
reviewing your documentation, if the coordinator for international student services/DSO
determines that you are eligible for a transfer, CIS will be notified
of the pending transfer by initiating a student record transfer in
SEVIS. At this time the coordinator for international student services/DSO will
enter a release date into SEVIS. The release date used will
be based upon the date indicated by the student on the SEVIS Release
Form. This date should be the date the student completes their
educational program, the date the last semester the student plans
on attending their current institution ends, or the date the student's
Post-Completion OPT ends, whichever is appropriate.
Step 3 - When you have "academically" transferred
to a new school, it is your responsibility to notify the International
Student Advisor/DSO. If you have not done this prior to the start of
classes, make an appointment to meet with the International Student
Advisor/DSO as soon as you register for classes or arrive on campus.
When you meet
with the coordinator for international student services/DSO, please bring with you:
- Your old and new form I-20s
- Your passport
- Your I-94
- Proof of registration
After verifying that you meet the eligibility
requirements for a transfer (list above), the International Student
Advisor/DSO will issue you a new SEVIS form I-20. The International
Student Advisor/DSO will then complete the transfer via SEVIS and
endorse the form I-20 as such.
Step 4 - When the semester has started,
it is your responsibility to notify the International Student
Advisor/DSO that you are registered for classes and on campus. This
must be done "within 15 days of the program start date listed
on the SEVIS form I-20." (8 CFR 214.2) Once the International
Student Advisor/DSO has been notified that you are registered for classes
and in attendance, (s)he will update SEVIS to indicate your registration
and current address, which will indicate that you have completed the
transfer process. The coordinator for international student services/DSO will note in
the "remarks" section of your SEVIS form I-20 that the transfer
has been completed (including the date) and return the form I-20 to
you.
Points to Consider
- When transferring between schools, "the
student may not remain in the U.S. between programs if the
student will not resume classes within five months of transferring
out of
the current school, or within five months of the program completion
date as indicated on the form I-20 issued by the current school,
whichever date is earlier." (8 CFR 214.2) The five-month
countdown begins on the date that the academic program at the
current institution
was completed.
- In order to qualify for a form I-20,
it is necessary for you to provide the coordinator for international student services/DSO
(at the institution you are transferring to) with financial documentation
that demonstrates that you have the ability to meet all financial
obligations associated with attendance at your new school.
- The USCIS must be notified within the
first 45 days of beginning your studies at your new school. This
means that you MUST have been issued a form I-20 by the institution
you transferred to by the 45th day after the first
day of classes. If you miss this deadline, you must apply to
the USCIS
for reinstatement. This is a lengthy and expensive procedure.
- If you plan to travel outside the United
States and reenter with your new transfer I-20 but your plans change,
make an appointment to see the coordinator for international student services/DSO.
- Once the release date is reached, the
coordinator for international student services/DSO at the current school will no
longer be able to access your records in SEVIS for any reason (including
canceling your request to transfer). If you decide not to transfer
after the release date is reached you will need to contact the "transfer
institution" and request a transfer back to your current institution.
Therefore, it is important to carefully consider and plan your
school transfer.
- If the USCIS authorizes you to work under
the provisions of Optional Practical Training and for whatever
reason you do not use some or all of the time you have been authorized
to
work, you will lose the "unused" time you have been authorized
to work. For example, if you have been authorized to work full-time
for eight months after you complete your degree, and choose to
transfer to another school to after working for only three months,
you will
lose five months of OPT. Your employment authorization ends when
you transfer
from the school that recommended it and the unused time is lost.
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