Can I Use My Current Visa Even Though I Am Changing Schools?

Transferring Your SEVIS Record

The data on this page is for F-ane condition students only. To transfer your J-1 DS-2019, please submit your request via the Contact ISS class.

Overview

Admission to a new school does not by itself qualify an international student in F-ane status to begin studying total-time at the new school.

You must request your current schoolhouse (UW) to transfer/release your F-1 U.South. government SEVIS I-20 tape to your new schoolhouse before yous can brainstorm full-time studies there. The U.S. government calls this procedure a "SEVIS transfer." (It is different from an "academic transfer.")

There are several benefits to a SEVIS transfer:

You practise not pay the $350 SEVIS fee again
Yous can remain in the U.S. in between programs
You lot maintain the same current SEVIS ID number (which may make yous eligible for certain benefits at your new schoolhouse earlier, such as CPT eligibility)

The U.Due south. government considers all the following examples to exist possible "SEVIS transfer" situations:

Completing a plan at ane school and starting a new plan at a different school Examples:
- A student graduates with a bachelor's degree and will begin graduate study
- A student graduates from high school in the U.S. and will begin study at a customs college or university
- A pupil completes an intensive English program and volition offset a university degree
Currently studying at ane school and deciding (earlier completing program) to change to a new school
Example: A educatee is studying for a bachelor's degree. The student decides after but two quarters at their current school that they want to modify to a unlike school.
Currently doing OPT and starting a new program of study at a different school Examples:
- A student graduated with a bachelor's caste and started 12-calendar month standard OPT. During their OPT they as well apply to graduate schools. They are admitted and decide to commencement a Master's caste that will begin before or after completion of the 12-month standard OPT.
- A student graduated with a Chief's degree and started 12-month standard OPT. So they started a Stem OPT extension period. They receive admission to a new program of written report that will begin before or after the Stem extension OPT finishes.

Eligibility for a SEVIS Tape Transfer

You must currently be maintaining F-1 status
You must accept an offer of admission from a new schoolhouse
If you already graduated or completed OPT, you must still be inside your lx-day grace period
The showtime of classes at your new school must be within 5 months of one of the following:
- academic program completion at UW
- last 24-hour interval of enrollment at UW (if non graduating from UW)
- OPT authority end date
- For students non completing OPT period, the requested SEVIS I-20 transfer/release date

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

What is the SEVIS I-20 Transfer/Release Date?

Just one school at a fourth dimension can admission your F-1 SEVIS record. On the SEVIS I-xx transfer/release date, SEVIS access "transfers" from UW to your new school.

The SEVIS transfer affects your F-ane benefits, including employment, travel, and I-20 validity.

On the SEVIS transfer/release appointment:

The UW ISS office loses access to your electronic SEVIS record
Your new school gains access to your electronic SEVIS tape; your new school can create your new I-20 just after the SEVIS transfer/release appointment
OPT authorization is cancelled (regardless of cease appointment printed on EAD)
On-campus work authorization is cancelled
The UW I-twenty is no longer valid for travel to the U.S.

How to choose a SEVIS I-20 Transfer/Release Date

The nautical chart below provides guidance for choosing your SEVIS I-20 transfer/release date. Also, remember:

ISS will take time to process after you submit your completed SEVIS I-20 transfer/release request.
ISS cannot set a past date as the SEVIS I-twenty transfer/release date. If ISS receives/processes your SEVIS I-xx transfer/release asking after your requested transfer/release date, ISS volition transfer/release the SEVIS record on the day of ISS processing.
You cannot cancel a SEVIS I-xx transfer/release on or after the transfer/release engagement; you tin can merely request to cancel the SEVIS transfer/release prior to the transfer/release date.

If you. . .	Recommended Transfer Appointment:
Are discontinuing studies at UW without completing a degree	One 24-hour interval after the end of finals week in your last quarter at UW, per the academic calendar UW cannot transfer your SEVIS tape before the end of the quarter. If y'all work on campus and want to continue working on campus temporarily after your final quarter at UW, consult your primary ISS adviser about an appropriate SEVIS transfer date.
Are temporarily leaving UW to study full-time at another school (like a community college) and plan to return to UW in the future	Ane day after the cease of finals week in your last quarter at UW, per the academic calendar UW cannot transfer your SEVIS record before the finish of the quarter.
Are graduating this electric current quarter and volition non apply for or use OPT	One day after last day of finals in your graduation quarter at UW, per the academic calendar. UW cannot transfer your SEVIS record before the end of the quarter.
Recently graduated and are in your 60-solar day grace menses (did not utilize for OPT)	As soon as possible, and at least ten business twenty-four hours earlier the end of your 60-day grace period
Recently graduated; Have a pending OPT awarding; simply You Exercise Not program to apply any OPT	As soon as possible
Have OPT approval but you Exercise NOT programme to showtime a job/practical training position.	Equally soon equally possible Asking the transfer at least 10 business days before your 90-day-limit of unemployment ends. If you exceed xc days of unemployment, your F-ane status is considered invalid.
Have a pending or approved OPT application and plan to practise some OPT before starting your new caste program	One twenty-four hour period after your concluding date of employment: Discuss your final employment date with your supervisor Remember, OPT authorization is cancelled on the transfer/release date (regardless of end date printed on EAD)
Take approved OPT authority merely you exercise non plan to first a job/practical grooming position	As shortly as possible; request the transfer at least ten business days before your ninety-mean solar day-limit of unemployment ends. If y'all exceed 90 days of unemployment, your F-1 status is considered invalid.

Instructions: Request Your SEVIS I-20 Transfer/Release From ISS

Get together the necessary data/documents to complete the online ISS SEVIS I-20 Transfer/Release Request Webform:
1. Offer of admission (scan or photograph of admission letter or email with offer of admission)
2. New school's SEVIS code (contact your new schoolhouse if you do not know what this is)
3. Decide your requested SEVIS transfer/release appointment (review the chart in a higher place)
Consummate the online ISS SEVIS I-20 Transfer/Release Request.
Complete SEVIS I-20 Transfer/Release Request
Permit fourth dimension for ISS processing. Please annotation that later the transfer out appointment the UW will no longer have access to your SEVIS record, so request a transfer only after your plans are certain.
You volition receive an email confirmation of your SEVIS transfer/release from ISS. If yous are registered for a time to come quarter at UW, don't forget to withdraw and fulfill whatever fiscal obligations with the University earlier you transfer to your new school or leave the U.Southward. Note the tuition forfeiture and refund policies posted by Student Fiscal Services.
Contact the new schoolhouse's International Admissions office to arrange when and how to receive your new I-20.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most schools make admission decisions independent from immigration condition. They offer access start. Then, as part of the I-20 request process, they may request a transfer verification form (it might have a different name).

However, if your schoolhouse requests a transfer verification class before they will brand the admission decision, delight email ISS at uwiss@uw.edu. We volition email you a confirmation of your transfer information; yous can share the email with your new school.

Delight notify your new schoolhouse that ISS does not complete transfer verification forms.
We will electronic mail you a confirmation of your transfer information; you can share the email with your new school.

You may stay in the U.S. in betwixt programs/F-1 activities if the SEVIS record transfer procedures are correctly followed. If the flow between programs is longer than 5 months, your new school must event a new initial I-20 with a new SEVIS number. You must leave the U.S. within your lx-day grace period and re-enter no earlier than 30 days before your new program offset date.

You lot must enter the U.Southward. on the I-20 from the new schoolhouse. It is important to discuss your travel plans with your international student adviser at the new school and then that an appropriate "transfer out" date and new I-twenty issuance tin can exist coordinated to facilitate your travel.

As long equally you have followed the proper transfer procedures, you will be able to utilise your current, unexpired F-i visa to reenter the U.Due south. even though it has your previous school name printed on it.

If your F-1 visa will expire in between degree programs, recall you tin can stay in the U.South. with an expired F-one visa as long as you are post-obit the correct SEVIS transfer procedures. You must apply for a new F-1 visa if you travel internationally. For more than information review Visas information.

Graduating Students:
Your UW on-campus work permission ends the last twenty-four hour period of your concluding quarter.

While the UW allows educatee hourly workers to proceed employment for i quarter following graduation, students in F-one status cannot piece of work on campus after graduation because of U.S. government rules.

Students Transferring Schools to Complete Current Degree Level:
Yous may only work on campus at the school that has access to your SEVIS tape. Contact the international pupil adviser at your new school to verify employment eligibility. Your UW on-campus work say-so ends on the SEVIS transfer release engagement.

Y'all are eligible to request a SEVIS tape transfer during the 60-day grace menstruum post-obit your program completion. However, call up to allow for 10 business organisation days for ISS processing; contact ISS at to the lowest degree ten days before the end of your 60-solar day grace period to request the SEVIS transfer. If you are authorized for OPT y'all can request a SEVIS record transfer during your OPT menstruum and inside the lx-day grace period following your OPT expiration date.

If you lot are currently authorized for OPT, choose advisedly when deciding what date you would like your SEVIS tape transferred to your new school. OPT authorization ends on the "transfer out" appointment, fifty-fifty if the EAD carte du jour is not notwithstanding expired. If you plan to work between programs while on OPT, coordinate with your international student adviser at both schools to determine an advisable "transfer out" date.

Yes. Yous must report to your new school's International Part within fifteen days of the program kickoff date listed on your I-twenty.

Your new school will effect you a new I-20 to show you have completed the school-to-school SEVIS tape transfer procedure correctly. This update changes the issuance reason from "transfer pending" to "continued attendance" (check the instance).

Image of I-20 showing transfer complete