F-1 Transfer Process

F-1 Transfer Process


If you are currently enrolled as an F-1 or J-1 student at another institution in the U.S. or if you are on post-completion OPT or Academic Training based on your enrollment at another U.S. institution, and intend to begin your studies at TC, you will need to complete a transfer of your SEVIS record and obtain a new I-20/DS-2019 issued by TC. 

F-1 students must initiate the SEVIS transfer process within 60 of completion or their previous program or the end date of their Post-Completion OPT. J-1 students must initiate the SEVIS transfer process within 30 days of completion of their studies or end date of their Academic Training. The SEVIS transfer process must be completed within 15 days of the program start date as indicated on the Form I-20/DS-2019. 

Transfer Steps:

If you are admitted to Teachers College and intend to enroll, you must notify the international student office at current school of your intent to transfer your SEVIS record. You may be asked by your previous school to complete a Transfer-Out form and to provide the following information:

  • TC's School Code. TC's School Code is NYC214F01459000
  • Transfer-out date: This date must be within 60 days of the program end date or OPT end date for F-1 students and within 30 days of the program end date or Academic Training end date for J-1 students 

Only after your electronic SEVIS record has been released to Teachers College will we be able to issue you a transfer I-20. This I-20 must be processed within 60 days of the Release Date. Be sure that you have submitted the Request for I-20/DS-2019 and all required documents to our office.

Once you have notified your previous institution of your intent to transfer your SEVIS record, you can submit the Request for I-20/DS-2019 Form, Financial Documentation Form, and the SEVIS Transfer-In Form via TC-Compass under New Student Services. Please allow 14 business days for processing of your request.

Remember:

Students are advised not to travel outside the U.S. prior to initiating the transfer-out process. Be sure to contact the OISS if you intend to travel after completion of your previous program and before the start of your program at TC. 

Upon review of your application and the supporting documents, you will be issued a Form I-20/DS-2019 with a status of Transfer Pending. Be sure to review all of the information on the form for accuracy and notify the OISS immidiately if there are any errors. Please note that the SEVIS transfer process is not complete until after we can verify full-time enrollment and can register you in SEVIS at which point you can request Form I-20/DS-20 indicating Continuing Attendance. 

In order to complete the SEVIS transfer process, you must submit the Complete Student Check-In form via TC-Compass no later than 15 days before the program start date on your I-20. Do not complete this form if you have not received an I-20/DS-2019 from TC or you are outside the U.S.

You will need the following documents in order to complete form: 

  • Most recent I-94 record (NOT your travel history)
  • Copy of your F-1 or J-1 visa (NOT your passport identification page)

You must also be enrolled full-time. We will then complete the transfer process by notifying the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that you are now a full-time student at Teachers College. Your transfer is not complete until this electronic notification has been processed and a new I-20 for "continued attendance" has been issued to you.

If you have not maintained F-1 status at your previous institution, you are not eligible to transfer your F-1 status. We will provide you with information about applying to USCIS for "Reinstatement to F-1 Status" or other options for returning to valid F-1 status.

Be sure to attend one of the F-1/J-1 Visa Orientation Workshops held at the beginning of each semester.

F-1 Transfer FAQs


The F-1 Transfer Process must be completed by anyone who is currently 'active' as an F-1 student: this means that you must be currently enrolled (or within 60 days of your completion of studies) at another school, or currently engaged in F-1 post-completion OPT (or within 60 days of your OPT expiration / completion date). If you completed a program at another US institution but are no longer active, then it is most likely that you will not do a transfer process. You will need a new I-20 for 'initial attendance' instead.

No. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) guidance indicates that OPT is terminated once your F-1 SEVIS record is transferred from one school to another. For example, if your current school transfers your F-1 SEVIS record to us on June 1 even though your TC program does not begin until September 1, your OPT is invalid as of June 1. If you wish to continue working on OPT, you should tell your current international student advisor to transfer your F-1 record to TC only after you wish to terminate your OPT employment.

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