IUPUI is Indiana's premier urban research university. The campus enrolls more than 30,000 students in 21 schools and academic units.
Services for New Students
What F-1 Students Need to Know about Transferring to IUPUI
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) requires that all F-1 students follow specific procedures to change schools in the U.S., even those who have graduated from your previous school.
How can I complete the school transfer procedure?
- Complete Section A of the IUPUI “F-1 STUDENT TRANSFER form” sent to you with your admissions materials.
- Ask the international student advisor at your current school fill out Section B and return it to the Office of International Affairs (OIA).
- You can complete the school transfer procedure either by traveling outside the U.S. prior to enrolling at IUPUI or through OIA once you are at IUPUI. Completing the transfer through travel requires you to have an I-20 issued by IUPUI. Completing the transfer through OIA requires you to take action to complete the process no later than 15 days after classes begin.
If you plan to complete the school transfer through travel, please read Option 1 below very carefully.
If you plan to complete the school transfer through OIA, please read Option 2on the reverse side for details. - All students must report for the New International Student Orientation Program before classes begin. (Details and a registration form for orientation are included in your admission materials.) During this program, we will verify processing of your transfer. Be sure to bring your passport with you to the orientation. Students unable to attend orientation must report to OIA within two weeks of the start of classes.
This step is very important. We cannot prepare your I-20 until your current international student advisor fills out this form and returns it to us. We need to know your transfer release date to know when we can prepare your IUPUI I-20.
OPTION 1: Completing the school transfer procedure through travel.
If the F-1 visa stamp in your passport is expired…you must obtain a new F-1 visa to reenter the U.S. You can only obtain a new visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside the U.S. Visas are not issued inside the U.S. Check with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country of destination for details on obtaining a new visa. To complete the school transfer, present your passport with your new visa stamp and your
I-20 from IUPUI to the immigration official at the U.S. port of entry.
Students traveling to Canada, Mexico or any Caribbean country…do not need a valid F-1 visa stamp in your passport if you are visiting for less than 30 days and you are not applying for a new F-1 visa during this trip. To complete the school transfer, be sure to present your new IUPUI I-20 and make sure that the immigration official at the U.S. port of entry stamps your new I-20 from IUPUI.
Students who are Canadian citizens…do not need a passport or visa. To complete the school transfer, be sure to ask the immigration official at the U.S. port of entry to process your new I-20 from IUPUI.
If you do have a valid F-1 visa stamp in your passport…to complete the school transfer, present your passport with your visa stamp and your I-20 from IUPUI to the immigration official at the port of entry. It does not matter if your F-1 visa stamp shows the name of a U.S. school you previously attended.
In ALL cases…the immigration official at the port of entry should record your entry in SEVIS and stamp your new I-20 with the date of entry. If this does not occur, your school transfer may not be complete, and you must discuss your situation with an advisor at OIA during New International Student Orientation.
OPTION 2: Completing the school transfer through the Office of International Affairs (OIA).
Your new IUPUI I-20 will be held at the Office of International Affairs. During the orientation check-in with an International Student Advisor, we will begin the process for your transfer to IUPUI. Students unable to attend the orientation must report to OIA no later than 15 days after classes begin. Failure to process the school transfer within this 15 day period will result in automatic termination of your SEVIS record—and legal F-1 status. If you cannot show that this failure occurred due to circumstances outside your control, you could be required to travel outside the US, and your studies may be interrupted.
What if I wasn’t maintaining lawful F-1 status at my previous school?
Please contact us immediately at (317) 274-7000 or oia@iupui.edu in order to schedule an appointment or telephone consultation with an international student advisor.
After I have completed my transfer to IUPUI and have my I-20, can I throw away my old I-20s?
No--Your I-20s are an important legal record of your history as an F-1 student in the U.S. and may be needed in the future if you request any benefits from the USCIS. Keep all your old I-20s in a safe place.
