IUPUI

Services for New Students

Guidelines for Transferring your I-20 between Schools

When transferring your I-20 between schools, it is important for you to be aware of the USCIS rules and regulations related to transfers. To help you understand these rules, we will discuss “School A” and “School B”. School A is the institution you are studying at now, and School B is the institution you wish to transfer to.

Your SEVIS record

Every F-1 student has a record in the SEVIS system. This record can be held by only one school at a time. Transferring your I-20 involves transferring your SEVIS record from one school to another. Once this is done, it is hard to change it back. Therefore, it is very important that you be certain you will attend School B before you have your SEVIS record transferred there.

>>Read more about your SEVIS record...

Timing

If you have finished (or will finish) your program at School A, then you will have a 60-day “grace period” after your completion date. If you have decided to transfer, your International Student Advisor at School A must transfer your SEVIS record to School B before the end of the 60-day grace period. After the 60 days has passed, you are no longer eligible to transfer your I-20. If you are on OPT, your 60-day grace period begins after the expiration of your EAD card.
If you are in mid-program at School A and will continue your program at School B, then you have more flexibility. The International Student Advisor at School A should transfer your SEVIS record to School B before they are next required to report on your enrollment in SEVIS for that semester.

It is very important to understand that the space between your enrollment at School A and School B cannot exceed 5 months.Calculate the time between your last day of classes at School A and your first day of classes at School B. If it exceeds 5 months, you are not eligible for a transfer.

If the Gap between Schools Exceeds 5 Months

You may find that the gap between your enrollment at School A and School B exceeds 5 months. If this happens, you are not eligible to transfer. School B would issue a new I-20 for you to take when you leave the United States. You can then return to the U.S. within the 30-day period before your new I-20 start date.
However, some students really do not want to leave the U.S and want to find a way to stay during the gap. If this is your situation, first talk with your advisor at School A to see if you can study there longer. If you are in an intensive English language program, it may be possible to extend your studies there. If you are in a college or university with a semester schedule, this may be more difficult.

Second, contact School B and see if you can begin your program there sooner. For example, if you originally applied for Fall Semester admission, perhaps you can begin your studies in the Summer instead. (Make sure to check School B’s Summer enrollment requirements if you will begin a program during their summer session!)
If neither of these options work, contact your International Student Advisor to see if any further options are available to you. You may want to talk to advisors at both School A and School B since they may have different ideas. If you can’t come up with a solution, you will need to leave the United States or else you will be in violation of your F-1 status once the 5 month period has ended.

Getting your New I-20

Once your SEVIS record is transferred to School B, they will be able to make a new I-20 for you. Different schools have different policies on when they issue the new I-20. At IUPUI, this is done within the first two weeks of the start of classes. However, if you are traveling outside of the U.S. before starting at IUPUI, you can request that your I-20 be issued to you earlier for travel purposes.

Transfer Procedures

If you are transferring from IUPUI to another school, complete your Transfer Out Request in iStart.

If you are transferring from another school to IUPUI, please click here.