SEVIS Transfers, Change of Levels/Categories, and Change of Status

Courtyard of HGS

Congratulations on your admission to Yale! OISS will begin processing the visa documents for newly admitted students after we have confirmation of your admission. The steps listed below are for students who are requesting a change of status from one active U.S. visa status to a student visa, a change of education level, or who have an active SEVIS record to transfer to Yale. All of these processes can take place inside the U.S. and do not require international travel or a visa stamp. However, if you do have international travel plans prior to starting at Yale, OISS may need to make some changes in the process. You must let us know about any international travel plans. Please don't hesitate to contact your designated OISS adviser.

Yale College students should contact their designated adviser at daniel.riecker@yale.edu.


Preliminary Steps


F or J SEVIS Transfers

The preliminary steps above are required before OISS can process your SEVIS transfer of your F-1 or J-1 status to Yale. Note that your SEVIS release date will determine when OISS can create your I-20 or DS-2019 so there may be a length of time between your completion of the initial steps and the actual issue date of your immigration document.

Click on the F or J visa types below to learn more about the transfer process and required documentation.


Change of Education Level or Category

If you are remaining at Yale but changing to a different academic program (e.g. from a Master's to a PhD program), or interested in changing your category of exchange participation, click on the F or J visa types below to learn more.


Change of Visa Status

A change of status application (Form I-539) is where students apply through the mail to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for either F or J student status. The application process with USCIS is a complicated and takes a very long time. When you complete your survey (see step 2 above) be sure to indicate that you have a current visa status in the U.S. Your OISS adviser will work with you to develop a plan and prepare your immigration document. The I-539 application cannot be submitted to USCIS until you have completed the preliminary steps above and received the F-1 Form I-20 or J-1 Form DS-2019 from OISS.

Click on the F or J visa types below to learn more about the change of status process and required documentation.