SEVIS Transfer Process for F-1 Students: Step by Step

Switching US colleges on F-1? Here's the complete SEVIS transfer process: 15-day enrollment rule, 5-month gap, and the new Sept. 15 DHS deadline.

By Jorbi TeamAugust 8, 2026

On September 15, 2026, the window F-1 students have to transfer schools after completing a program gets cut in half, dropping from 60 days to 30. If you're reading this in August, standing in a dorm room at a school that doesn't feel right or staring at a financial aid package that doesn't add up, that deadline is closer than you think.

The SEVIS transfer process is where most international students run into serious trouble. Domestic students can transfer with a few admissions forms. For F-1 students, the process involves government databases, regulatory deadlines measured in single-digit days, and consequences that show up in every future immigration filing you ever make. A clean transfer is completely doable. A botched one is genuinely hard to recover from.

Here's how to do it right.

Why the New DHS Rule Changes Your Transfer Timeline

On July 17, 2026, DHS published a final rule in the Federal Register eliminating "Duration of Status" for F-1 visa holders and replacing it with fixed admission periods. The DHS press release explicitly states the new rule shortens the window available to transfer schools after graduation.

Here's how the two regimes compare before and after September 15.

SituationBefore Sept. 15, 2026After Sept. 15, 2026F-1 post-completion grace period60 days30 daysWindow to transfer schools after graduating60 days30 daysJ-1 grace period30 days30 days (no change)

Purdue University ISS confirms the 30-day grace period covers your entire window to "change education level, transfer schools, or apply for a change of immigration status." The old rule gave you 60 days to sort all of that out. Now you have 30.

There's one important nuance worth flagging. If your program ends before September 15, 2026, and you stay in the U.S. without traveling internationally, you keep the 60-day grace period even after the rule takes effect. But if you travel outside the country and re-enter after September 15, your I-94 will reflect the new fixed admission period and you lose that protection. If you're mid-transfer right now, don't book an international trip until your new SEVIS record is fully active.

The rule is technically subject to congressional review under the Congressional Review Act, so a delay or injunction is possible. That said, plan for it as published. You don't want to bet your immigration status on a legislative outcome.

Who Is Eligible for a SEVIS Transfer

Before you do anything else, confirm you actually qualify. The USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part F, Chapter 4 is unambiguous: a student who failed to maintain a full course of study without DSO authorization is ineligible for a SEVIS transfer. Full stop. That student must either apply for reinstatement or leave the U.S. and re-enter on a new initial-attendance I-20.

To qualify for a SEVIS transfer, you need to meet all four of these conditions:

Your F-1 status is currently valid (enrolled full-time with no unauthorized lapses)
You have a formal acceptance offer from a SEVP-certified school
Your new program starts within five months of either your current program's completion date or the SEVIS release date, whichever comes first
If you've already graduated, you're still within the post-completion grace period (60 or 30 days, depending on your program end date)

If you're not sure whether your status is clean, talk to your current DSO before anything else. A gap you're unaware of can quietly disqualify you from the SEVIS transfer pathway entirely.

The SEVIS Transfer Process, Step by Step

Step 1: Notify Your Current School's DSO First

This surprises a lot of students. You start the transfer with your current school, not your new one.

Bring your DSO four things: written acceptance confirmation from the new school, the new school's SEVIS school code (get this from their international office), contact information for the new school's DSO, and your preferred SEVIS release date. Per DHS Study in the States, those are the four pieces of documentation needed to initiate the process.

One thing worth knowing: your DSO cannot legally refuse to transfer your record. SEVIS records are government property, and a school cannot hold yours hostage over an unpaid bill or a grade dispute. If a DSO refuses, call the SEVP Response Center at 1-800-892-4829. DHS is clear that a refusal violates federal rules.

Step 2: Choose Your SEVIS Release Date Very Carefully

The release date is the single most consequential decision in this entire process, and it's the one students most often set carelessly.

On the release date, three things happen simultaneously: your current school permanently loses access to your SEVIS record, your new school gains access and can issue a Transfer-Pending I-20, and any OPT or on-campus work authorization tied to your old record is automatically cancelled. That last point catches a lot of students off guard. It doesn't matter what your EAD card says. If you're on OPT and you've set your release date, your work authorization ends that day.

The University of Washington ISS recommends setting the release date for one day after finals week in your last quarter of enrollment. f1jobs.io's SEVIS transfer guide puts it simply: set it as close as possible to your last day of attendance at the old school, no earlier. Setting it too early means your old school loses access before you've finished your program, which creates a gap in enrollment that looks like a status violation to USCIS.

Also: once the release date passes, the transfer cannot be cancelled. If something changes, you need to act before that date, not after.

Step 3: Understand "Transfer Pending" Status

Between your release date and your new program's start date, you're in "Transfer Pending" F-1 status, which is a recognized lawful status under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(8). You're not in limbo legally, but you are restricted in what you can do.

You cannot work. You shouldn't travel internationally during this window. Your SEVIS ID number (the "N" number) stays the same throughout the entire process, so you don't pay the I-901 SEVIS fee again for a transfer. Keep your old I-20 documents. USCIS can and does request them during future benefit applications.

Step 4: Your New School Issues a Transfer-Pending I-20

After the release date, the new school's DSO accesses your transferred SEVIS record and issues a Transfer-Pending Form I-20. This document carries your same SEVIS ID number, lists the new school, and shows the new program start date. That program start date is what sets your 15-day reporting clock.

The new school has 60 days after the release date to create this I-20. Your existing F-1 visa stamp from your old school remains valid for travel and re-entry until its expiration date. You don't need a new visa simply because the school name changed.

Step 5: Report to Your New School's DSO Within 15 Days

This is the step that ends F-1 status for more students than any other part of the process.

Under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(8)(ii)(C), you're required to contact the new school's DSO and complete check-in within 15 days of the program start date listed on your new I-20. Some third-party guides misquote this as a 30-day window. The regulation is unambiguous. Fifteen days from program start date.

At check-in you'll need to submit your signed I-20, provide your current U.S. address, complete any required orientation, and register for a full course load (12 credits per semester for most undergraduates; verify the requirement for your specific program). If you miss the window, the DSO cannot activate your record. SEVIS flags you as a "No Show," and the system can trigger automatic termination of your F-1 status. Per Iowa State's ISSO, "failing to complete transfer procedure within 15 days of the start of the semester" is listed as a direct cause of F-1 status violation.

The 5-Month Rule: Your Hard Outer Limit

Even if you nail every other step, the 5-month rule is your absolute outer boundary. Per 8 CFR 214.2(f)(8)(i), an F-1 student may not remain in the U.S. during a transfer unless they begin classes at the new school within five months of transferring out of the current school, or within five months of the program completion date on their current I-20, whichever is earlier.

Murthy Law's January 2026 analysis clarifies that in practice, the five-month clock typically starts on the student's last date of study, not the date the SEVIS record is released. However, if you set your release date before your program ends, the clock starts from that earlier release date, which can inadvertently shorten your window.

Violate the 5-month rule and your F-1 status is lost without any formal finding from USCIS. Your visa stamp can also be physically cancelled under 22 CFR 41.122(h)(3) even if it looks valid in your passport. The repair options are reinstatement (Form I-539, filed within 5 months of SEVIS termination) or departure and re-entry on a new initial-attendance I-20 with a new I-901 fee and potentially a new visa.

The unlawful presence consequences are severe. Per Boundless, accruing 180 or more days of unlawful presence triggers a 3-year bar from re-entry. At 365 days, it becomes a 10-year bar. These aren't hypotheticals. They happen to real students who missed a deadline they didn't know existed.

What Happens to Your I-20

The table below shows who controls your SEVIS record at every stage and what your I-20 looks like along the way.

StageI-20 StatusWho Holds SEVIS AccessBefore release dateCurrent I-20 activeTransfer-out schoolOn release dateCurrent I-20 invalidatedShifts to transfer-in schoolAfter release, before program startTransfer-Pending I-20 issuedTransfer-in schoolAfter DSO confirms enrollmentContinued Attendance I-20Transfer-in school; transfer complete

Your SEVIS ID number never changes. You don't pay a new I-901 fee. The transfer is legally complete only when the new school notifies SEVIS of your enrollment within 30 days of the end of the registration period, per 8 CFR 214.3(g)(2)(iii).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 15-day rule for F-1 SEVIS transfers?

Under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(8)(ii)(C), you must contact your new school's DSO and complete enrollment check-in within 15 days of the program start date on your new Transfer-Pending I-20. Missing this deadline can result in SEVIS flagging your record as "No Show" and triggering automatic termination of your F-1 status.

How long do I have between programs during an F-1 SEVIS transfer?

The maximum gap is five months, per 8 CFR 214.2(f)(8)(i). Your new program must start within five months of your last day of study at the old school, or within five months of the program completion date on your current I-20, whichever date comes first. Setting your SEVIS release date earlier than your last day of study can shorten this window.

Can my school refuse to release my SEVIS record for transfer?

No. Per DHS Study in the States, a DSO cannot refuse to transfer your SEVIS record, including over unpaid tuition or academic disputes. If your school refuses, call the SEVP Response Center at 1-800-892-4829.

Does transferring schools cancel my F-1 visa?

No. A valid F-1 visa stamp from your old school remains usable at your new school until its expiration date. You don't need to apply for a new visa because the school name changed. If your visa was already expired before the transfer, you'll need a new one before any international travel.

How does the new September 15, 2026 DHS rule affect my transfer timeline?

For students whose programs end on or after September 15, 2026, the post-completion grace period drops from 60 days to 30. That cuts the time you have to initiate a SEVIS transfer after graduation. Students who complete their program before September 15 and stay in the U.S. without international travel retain the 60-day window.

What to Do Next

If you're considering a transfer, here are the five specific actions to take in the next two weeks.

First, verify your current F-1 status is clean. Log into your school's international student portal or email your current DSO and confirm you have no unauthorized absences or enrollment issues. You can't transfer with a status problem.

Second, get your new school's SEVIS code. Contact the international office at the school you're transferring to and ask for their SEVIS school code and the name of the DSO who will handle your transfer-in. You need this before your current DSO can do anything.

Third, schedule a meeting with your current DSO this week. Bring your acceptance letter and the SEVIS code from step two. Walk out of that meeting with a confirmed release date in writing.

Fourth, put the 15-day deadline on your calendar the moment you get your Transfer-Pending I-20. Count from the program start date printed on that document, not from when you arrive on campus. Set a reminder for day 10 so you have buffer.

Fifth, if your program ends on or after September 15, 2026, factor the 30-day grace period into your timeline now. Work backward from your graduation date to confirm your new program start date falls within 30 days. If the math doesn't work, talk to your new school's DSO about adjusting the start date before the transfer is finalized.

The SEVIS transfer is a bureaucratic process, but it's one you can navigate cleanly with the right information. The students who run into serious trouble are almost always the ones who didn't know there was a 15-day clock, or who assumed their transfer was handled because they got accepted. Acceptance is step one of seven. Now you know all seven.