New F and M students use a Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility, to enter the United States. They may request a Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) transfer to another Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school before the original school’s initial session starts.

A designated school official (DSO) can complete this transfer, if the:

• Student reports to the school that issued the original Form I-20 by the program start date, either in person or by telephone, fax, or email.
• Program start date for the transfer-in school is within 30 days of the student’s initial date of entry to the United States.
• Student has provided the DSO with:
  • Written confirmation of acceptance to the transfer-in school.
  • SEVIS school code for the transfer-in school.
  • Contact information for the new school’s DSO.

The overall process has two steps:

1. Register the student’s record in SEVIS. This prompts SEVIS to display the transfer option. Special instructions apply to this registration since the student will not actually attend the school.
2. Transfer the student’s SEVIS record to the new school.

For information on SEVIS transfers, see:

To register a student who requests a SEVIS transfer upon arrival to the United States for the first time, click the Registration button on the Student Information page. Complete the fields on the Registration page using the information below.

Once the SEVIS record is in Active status, transfer it to the new school.