Transferring From or Leaving Yale

About Transferring to Another School

If you have been admitted to a new U.S. school, it may be possible to transfer your F-1 SEVIS record from your current school to your new school. The transfer procedure is initiated by the school that currently has your SEVIS record and is completed in SEVIS by your new school. Note that your new I-20 cannot be created until you reach the transfer release date in SEVIS.

F-1 Transfer Eligibility

• Student must maintain legal F-1 status
• Must notify current school of intention to transfer within 60 days of program completion or end of OPT
• The new program start date must be within 5 months of the current program end date

Leaving Yale Visa Sponsorship

If you will be leaving Yale visa sponsorship by either completing your Yale program or ending OPT and will be attending another U.S. institution in the next academic semester, read this section. Yale F-1 students who have made a commitment to attend another institution must complete the transfer process with OISS before the end of their 60-day grace period or the end of OPT.

What to Do

• Contact the international student adviser at the new school you will be attending and inform them you are an F-1 transfer student. Follow any instructions they provide regarding forms to complete. Be sure that you obtain the new school's SEVIS campus code.
• Create a Transfer Out request for the current term in OISS Connect. You must attach your letter of admission to your new program in your request.
  
  Important Note:

  Only click this link once. Clicking additional times will open duplicate requests and unnecessarily delay the process.
• If you need assistance determining an appropriate SEVIS transfer release date, speak to your OISS adviser before submitting your request in OISS Connect. The release date must be based on your employment and travel plans, but cannot be later than your 60-day grace period. The release date reflects the day that Yale no longer has access to your record, and the first day that your new school can create a new I-20 for you.

Things to Keep in Mind

• Your SEVIS record will be electronically released to your new school on the mutually agreed upon transfer release date.
• If you are or will be on post-completion OPT, your work authorization will automatically end on the transfer release date.
• You must check in at the new institution within 15 days of the start date on your new I-20.
• After you check in, your new school will complete your F-1 transfer in SEVIS.

Important Guidance for the Summer Between Programs

• When transferring from one U.S. institution to another, you are eligible to remain in the U.S. in the summer between two programs.
• You may travel outside the U.S. during the transfer pending period. If your current F-1 visa (unless Canadian) is still valid, you can use it to re-enter the U.S. prior to the start of your new program using the I-20 from your new school.
• Any on-campus employment benefit ends on the end date indicated on your I-20. If you plan to work at Yale after the completion of your academic program, you must have your OPT EAD and reach the start date on your EAD. The work must also be related to your degree (not custodial or reunion work).
• If you are on OPT from a previous degree program, selecting a SEVIS Transfer Release date during the approved OPT period will end any remaining OPT work authorization. You may wish to choose a release date that is after your OPT end date, unless you are terminating employment early.