Transferring Out

1. Complete the SEVIS Transfer Out Request Form.

2. Submit the SEVIS Transfer Out Request Form to International Student Services Department with an admission letter from the school you plan to transfer to (note: an official admission letter is preferred, but electronic admission letters may be accepted in circumstances in which the admitting school does not issue paper acceptance letters).

3. Many schools require transfer-in documents to be completed by SFBC. An International Student Services Department advisor will complete the Transfer-In Form from your new school after you provide the admission letter from your new school.

4. SFBC will then release your record to the school you plan to attend.

a. SFBC must enter into SEVIS the name of the new school and the “release” date from SFBC. The release date will be the end of the semester you are currently enrolled. You may not work on campus at SFBC after your Release Date. In addition, the “transfer-in” school must open your SEVIS record to update the transfer completion requirements. Once the transfer-in school does this, your immigration records will no longer be associated with SFBC.

b. F-1 Students must be released from SFBC within 60 days of your program end date. If you are on OPT, you must be released within 60 days of your completion of OPT at the latest.

c. You must begin classes at the new school in the next available session but no later than within 5 months of your program end date or the Release Date, whichever is earlier. If you are on OPT, you must begin studying at the new school within 5 months of transferring out of SFBC or the date the OPT ends, whichever is earlier.

d. If you are in the middle of your F-1 program (e.g. have not completed your degree and reached the end-date on your I-20), to be eligible for transfer, you must be otherwise maintaining your F-1 status.  This means that you can transfer your F-1 record between semesters  and up to the last day to register of a semester.  Additionally, you can request a transfer of your SEVIS record after the start of semester only if you are enrolled full-time and actively attending classes at SFBC and if the new institution can still accept your transferred SEVIS record to begin classes.

If you request a transfer after the last date to register for classes in a semester at SFBC and you are not registered and actively attending classes, your record will be transferred in a terminated status for “Failure to Enroll”, and you will have to seek F-1 Reinstatement or through the new institution.

If the new institution will not accept a terminated SEVIS record, you will have to seek a new SEVIS I-20 for initial attendance from that institution and travel abroad and re-enter the U.S. on a valid visa to obtain F-1 status. Please consult the international services office at your new institution about your options for travel and re-entry on a new, initial SEVIS I-20.

Please remember that a request to transfer your SEVIS record only affects your immigration status; you must still withdraw from the College to ensure that you are not billed for classes that may be on a current or future semester registration: SFBC Withdrawal Request Form.