Transferring Between US Universities on an F-1 Visa: the SEVIS School Transfer Procedure

What a SEVIS transfer actually changes

Your F-1 status is tracked in SEVIS, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, through a specific school's Designated School Official (DSO). A SEVIS transfer moves responsibility for your record from your current school's DSO to your new school's DSO. It does not require a new visa stamp in most cases, since your existing F-1 visa stays valid for entry as long as it has not expired. It does require a new Form I-20 from your new school.

Step by step

1. Apply to and get accepted at your new SEVP-certified school. Confirm certification through the official SEVP School Search .

2. Tell your current DSO you intend to transfer, in writing, before your planned release date.

3. Give your current DSO the new school's SEVIS ID once you have an admission decision.

4. Agree on a transfer release date with both DSOs. According to Study in the States , this is the date your current school's access to your SEVIS record ends and your new school's DSO takes over.

5. Once the release date arrives, your new DSO creates a new Form I-20 for you to sign.

6. Register for classes and meet with your new DSO within 15 days of the program start date listed on your new Form I-20.

Choosing your release date

You must intend to enroll in a full course of study at the new school by the next available term, or within 5 months of the release date, whichever comes first, according to Study in the States ' transfer instructions. Many students set the release date close to the end of their current term, so they stay enrolled and maintain status right up to the transfer, then start the new program on schedule without a gap.

Setting the release date too early, before admission and a start date at the new school are confirmed, leaves you without a school actively maintaining your SEVIS record. Setting it too late delays your new I-20 and registration. Coordinate the exact date with both DSOs rather than picking one on your own.

Do you pay the SEVIS fee again

As long as your SEVIS record transfers rather than restarts, you generally do not pay the I-901 SEVIS fee again for a school transfer, since the fee is tied to your SEVIS ID rather than to any one school, according to Study in the States . A new SEVIS ID, and a new fee, applies only if your situation requires an entirely new record rather than a transfer of your existing one. Confirm your specific case with your new DSO if you are unsure which applies to you.

Documents to bring to your new DSO

• Your passport and current visa page

• Your signed current Form I-20 and the new Form I-20 once issued

• Proof of funds covering tuition and living costs at the new school

• Your admission letter from the new school

A typical timeline

A common pattern: your current term ends in May, your new university's fall term starts in August, and you set your release date for the last week of your spring finals. Your new DSO issues your fall Form I-20 over the summer, and you register and check in with that DSO within 15 days of the program start date on it. Build in extra time around the release date for document delays, since both DSOs need to coordinate the same date.

Can you transfer mid-term

Yes, though most students prefer to align the release date with a natural break between terms rather than disrupt an active semester. Transferring mid-term is possible if your current DSO agrees, but you still need continuous full-time enrollment during the transition unless your DSO authorizes an exception.

Where students make mistakes

• Missing the 15-day registration and DSO check-in window after the new I-20's program start date

• Requesting a release date before admission to the new school is confirmed

• Assuming credits transfer automatically, when transfer credit is a separate academic decision from the SEVIS transfer, handled by the new school's registrar

• Traveling internationally during the transfer window without checking whether the current I-20 travel signature is still valid for re-entry

Fixed admission periods starting September 15, 2026

As of August 2026, F-1 students are admitted for duration of status, so a transfer mainly involves a change of I-20 and DSO rather than a new admission deadline. Under a final DHS rule effective September 15, 2026, new and continuing F-1 students instead get a fixed admission period tied to the program length on their current Form I-20, up to 4 years. After that date, transferring schools sets a new admit-until date on your new I-20, and tracking that date becomes as important as tracking your enrollment status. Check Study in the States for current guidance before you plan a transfer near or after that date.