SEVIS Transfer Out

• You must currently be maintaining F-1 status
• You must have an offer of admission from a new SEVP-certified school
• If you graduated and did not apply for OPT, you must still be within your 60-day grace period
• If you completed OPT, you must still be within your 60-day grace period
• The start of classes at your new school must be within 5 months of one of the following:

                a) academic program completion at Northwestern

                b) last day of enrollment at Northwestern (if not graduating from Northwestern)

                c) OPT authorization end date

If the period of time between F-1 activities is longer than 5 months, your SEVIS record is not eligible for transfer. Your new school must issue a new initial I-20 with a new SEVIS number.

• You must currently be maintaining J-1 status
• You must have an offer of admission from a new SEVP-certified school
• Your J-1 record must be active and your program end date must not have passed
• The start of classes at your new school must be immediately (if mid-term) or at the next available term

To transfer your SEVIS immigration record to another institution when you are a current Northwestern student, or after Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Academic Training (AT), you need to:

1. Gain admission to the new SEVP-certified institution.
2. Check what is needed by the new school to obtain a new I-20 or DS-2019. Some institutions require a form signed by an international student advisor to verify current status.
3. Complete the “Transfer Out” request in the OISS Portal. You will need to provide:

       4.  Complete the new institution’s requirements to obtain a new I-20 or DS-2019.

The “Transfer Out” request will ask you for a “Transfer out release date”. Only one school at a time can access your SEVIS record. On the transfer/release date, SEVIS access “transfers” from Northwestern University to your new school.

On the SEVIS transfer/release date, Northwestern University OISS staff no longer have access to your SEVIS record. Your new school gains access to your electronic SEVIS record; your new school can create your new I-20 or DS-2019.

You should consider the following when choosing your SEVIS transfer/release date:

• You cannot continue to work on the Northwestern campus beyond the release date.
• If you are a currently enrolled Northwestern student, the date should be AFTER the end date of the last semester of enrollment at Northwestern.
• If you are currently authorized for Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Academic Training (AT), the employment authorization automatically terminates when the “transfer-out release date” passes. Choose a release date that is AFTER the last day you intend to work on OPT or AT.
• If you are traveling internationally between the end of your last term at Northwestern and the first semester at the new institution, you cannot re-enter the U.S. on your Northwestern I-20 or DS-2019 after your transfer release date. You must obtain a Transfer Pending I-20 or new DS-2019 from the new school and enter using that document if you are re-entering after the release date.
• The transfer-in school may have deadlines to meet regarding transfer procedures and issuance of your new I-20 or DS-2019. Check with the appropriate office at the new school.

If you have entered the U.S. with an I-20 or DS-2019 from Northwestern but have decided to attend a different institution, you must complete the immigration transfer process to release your immigration record to the new institution. Follow these steps:

1. Complete and submit the online “check in” request via the OISS Portal. This step verifies you have arrived in the U.S.
2. Complete and submit the “Transfer Out” request via the OISS Portal.

You must re-enter the U.S. on the I-20 or DS-2019 from the new school. It is important to discuss your travel plans with your international student advisor at the new school so that an appropriate “transfer out” date and new I-20 or DS-2019 issuance can be coordinated to facilitate your travel.

If you have followed the proper transfer procedures, you can use your current, unexpired F-1 or J-1 visa to re-enter the U.S. Please be aware that CBP has the authority to make decisions on entry for all U.S. visitors.

If your F-1 or J-1 visa will expire in the time between institutions, remember you can stay in the U.S. on an expired visa as long as you are following the correct SEVIS transfer procedures. You must apply for a new F-1 or J-1 visa if you travel internationally and wish to re-enter the U.S.

If you are currently authorized for OPT or AT, choose your SEVIS transfer/release date carefully. AT or OPT authorization ends on the “transfer out” date, even if the OPT EAD card is not yet expired. If you plan to work between programs while on OPT or AT, coordinate with your advisers at both schools to determine an appropriate “transfer out” date.

You may stay in the U.S. between programs if the SEVIS record transfer procedures are correctly followed. If the period between programs is longer than 5 months (F-1 students) or longer than one academic term (J-1 students), your new school must issue a new initial I-20 or DS-2019 with a new SEVIS number. You must leave the U.S. within your 60-day grace period (F-1 students) or 30-day grace period (J-1 students) and re-enter no earlier than 30 days before your new program start date.