About Transferring
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 Yale. The transfer procedure is initiated by the school that currently has your SEVIS record and is completed in SEVIS by Yale. Note that your new I-20 cannot be created until you reach the transfer release date in SEVIS.
F-1 Transfer Eligibility
- Student must be maintaining legal F-1 status
- Must notify current school of intention to transfer within 60 days of program completion or end of OPT
- New program start date must be within 5 months of the current program end date
Transferring to Yale
This section is if you have just been admitted to Yale, and will be attending in the next academic semester.
What to Do
You will receive an email with the link to the New Student Survey from OISS. Once you have logged into OISS Connect and clicked New Student Survey Tool, please answer all the questionnaires. Under the 'Visa Information' questionnaire, you would need to select ‘yes’ to indicate that you are planning to transfer.
Once you have done this, you can click the link to the ‘SEVIS Transfer In’ request. This will create a Transfer Request Record in OISS Connect. In this request, please follow the instructions for requesting your transfer.
- Upload your current I-20 to the 'Transferring Your SEVIS Record to Yale' questionnaire.
- Request a recommendation from the international student adviser at your current institution.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Once the transfer release date is reached and upon the receipt of all required materials, Yale will issue your new I-20. We cannot issue your I-20 until the transfer release date in SEVIS.
- You must check in with Yale OISS within 15 days of the start date on your new I-20. This is often achieved through the OISS orientation.
- After you check in, Yale OISS will complete the F-1 transfer in SEVIS and issue you another I-20 noting transfer completion.
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 reached the start date on your EAD. The work must also be related to the 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.
