F-1 regulations allow students to transfer their SEVIS record from one SEVIS-approved school to another. To do this, both schools must update your record in SEVIS.
After you are accepted to St. Edward’s University, you must notify ISS about your plan to transfer. Please speak with your Success Coach and ISS first. If you plan to start another full-time program soon after your last enrollment (such as after graduation or after OPT ends), you may be able to transfer your SEVIS record to the new school.
Please note: This process affects only your F-1 or J-1 immigration record, not your academic transcript.
Transferring your SEVIS record has a number of advantages after completing your degree. If you are eligible for the transfer, advantages include:
You keep your current SEVIS ID number and F-1 record
You do not have to pay the SEVIS fee again
If your F-1 visa is still valid, you can continue to use it until its expiration date. It is OK if your old school's name is on your visa.
You will be allowed to remain in the U.S. or travel in and out of the U.S. in between programs
You are not subject to the 30-day entry restriction (entering no earlier than 30 days before your program starts) and can enter the U.S. at any point before your program
If you are eligible and enrolled in an approved program, you may be able to apply for off-campus work through OPT or CPT at your new school. To qualify, you usually need to have completed one full academic year of full-time study on your SEVIS record. Each school has its own policies for CPT, OPT, and other types of work authorization. Be sure to check with your new school’s international office for details about their employment rules.
To be eligible for a SEVIS transfer, you must meet all of the following criteria:
Maintain valid F-1 status and be accepted into a full-time program at another SEVP-certified school.
Request the transfer before the applicable deadline. If you are completing your degree or OPT, your SEVIS record must be released to the new school before the end of your 60-day grace period.
Begin your new program on time. You must generally begin classes at the next available term, and the gap between programs cannot exceed five months.
Contact ISS as early as possible if you are considering transferring. We must review your timeline and schedule a SEVIS transfer release date before the deadline.
If you are a current student at St. Edward’s and you plan to transfer schools before graduation, we strongly recommend that you talk to your Success Coach first about your plans. Then, please contact ISS.
Work with your current school to choose a Transfer Release Date, which is the date we will release your SEVISrecord to your new school.
Submit ISS’s SEVIS Transfer Out Request Form along with your admission letter to your new school to ISS via email at iss@stedwards.edu.
ISS will set up your SEVIS record to automatically transfer to the new school on your transfer release date
You will receive an email when your transfer has been set up
Your SEVIS record will be automatically transferred to your new school on the release date you chose. The transfer is instantaneous, and your new school will have access to your record immediately. After this date, all immigration advice must come from your new school.
You will work with your new school to have your new "Transfer Pending" I-20 issued