Transfer Out

If you are transferring to another school in the U.S. be sure to follow the proper immigration procedures so that you will stay in active immigration status.

F-1 students will need to provide ISSS with:

  • An acceptance letter from the new school you plan to attend.
  • A "transfer verification form" if required by your new school. Contact your new school to see if they have a transfer form before submitting your request. Some schools have an encrypted online transfer form that is sent automatically to USF to request a transfer. ISSS cannot complete this because it is not submitted by a student and it is not a complete request. If your school has an encrypted online transfer form they will need to provide a separate transfer verification form for you to submit with your transfer out request. Please note that per office policy, the ISSS office only completes these forms during the processing period (not before request has been received or after it has been completed). 
  • A copy of the "Petition to Withdraw from the University" or "Leave of absence form" which can be found on the University Registrar Office website (only students who are transferring to a new school before completing their program at USF need to submit this form). 
  • The date you would like your SEVIS immigration record to be "released."

Once you have all the necessary documents, submit your Transfer Out request to ISSS via MyISSS.

Through the Transfer Out process, you are ensuring your admittance at a new school before ISSS "releases" your record in SEVIS.This transfer release means that your information will be accessible by the new school so that they can issue a new I-20 using the same SEVIS ID. Please remember that once we release your data, we will not be able to reverse it and only one school can access your information once released. This means that you will need to think carefully about choosing a new school to transfer to.

As soon as you arrive on your new campus, report to the International Student Services office. They will make sure that your transfer process has been completed according to immigration regulations. If you wish to leave the U.S. during the transfer, consult your International Student Advisor at your new school. You will need your I-20 from the new school to apply for a new visa and re-enter the United States.

J-1 students may transfer to another institution as long as they meet the following conditions:

  • The new institution must have an exchange visitor program approved by the U.S. Information Agency
  • You must continue to pursue the original educational objective
  • You must obtain approval to transfer from the Responsible Officer (usually the International Student Advisor or program officer) of your exchange visitor program

* Before leaving USF, all students should consult ISSS to be sure that the transfer will not be a problem. This is particularly important if you are a sponsored student.