Transferring schools on F-1 (SEVIS transfer)
Steps
- Get admitted to the new SEVP-certified school.
- Tell your current DSO you intend to transfer and name the new school.
- The current DSO marks the record 'transfer out' with a release date (usually the end of the current term).
- On the release date, the new school gains access to your SEVIS record.
- Get the new I-20 from the new school and report to its DSO by the start date.
Who can transfer
You must be maintaining F-1 status and have been in a full course of study (or completed your program or OPT). You must not be on academic probation or suspension, and you must start at the new school within 5 months.
The first-year rule (since Sept. 15, 2026)
A final DHS rule changed the transfer rules. Students below the graduate level may not transfer or change educational level within the first academic year at the school that first issued their I-20, unless SEVP authorizes an exception for extenuating circumstances. The rule's examples include a school closure, a disaster that stops in-person classes, or a student who needs to change schools to complete elementary or secondary education. Ask both DSOs before you plan a mid-year move.
How the SEVIS transfer works
- Notify the current school and name the new one.
- The current DSO records the transfer-out and a release date and keeps control of the record until then (and can cancel the transfer at your request before that date).
- From the release date the new school is responsible for you and issues the new I-20.
Common mistakes
- Stopping classes before the release date.
- Leaving more than 5 months between the transfer-out and the new start.
- Transferring in the first academic year without an SEVP-authorized exception (new rule since Sept. 15, 2026).
- Moving from a private school to a public school without meeting the 12-month and reimbursement rule.
Questions
Can my child change boarding schools after one semester?
Since September 15, 2026, an F-1 student below graduate level generally may not transfer within the first academic year unless SEVP authorizes an exception, which can include needing to change schools to complete secondary education. Talk to the current DSO before anything else.
Do I need a new visa to transfer?
The SEVIS transfer gives you a new I-20. Whether you need a new visa for future travel depends on your situation — ask the new school's DSO.
Official sources
- 8 CFR 214.2(f)(8) — School transfer and change of educational objectives — eCFR · checked 2026-10-10
- 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(ii) — Transfers in the first academic year — eCFR · checked 2026-10-10
- Final rule: Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission … (91 FR 44976, effective Sept. 15, 2026) — Federal Register (U.S. DHS) · checked 2026-10-10
Cite as: USAnaru™ — https://usanaru.com/documents/f1-school-transfer