Transferring-In Your SEVIS Record to UCI

As a current F-1 or J-1 international student you will need to request a transfer of your F-1/J-1 immigration status to UCI. This process can only begin after you have been admitted to UCI. You will need to consult with your previous school to initiate the transfer of your SEVIS record to UCI.

F-1 Students

• An F-1 student is eligible to transfer to UCI if he/she is in valid F-1 status at the time of transfer.
• There can be no more than a 5-month gap between schools from the last date of attendance, OR the last day of Optional Practical Training [OPT], whichever is later.
• The deadline for F-1 students to request a transfer is 60 days after the program completion date or OPT end date, whichever is later.

J-1 Students

J-1 students who wish to transfer from their current program sponsor to UCI must consult with the International Student Advisors at both schools. To be eligible for a J-1, students must receive a majority of their financial support from sources other than personal funds.

To be eligible for a transfer:

• The J-1 student must request a transfer before his or her DS-2019 program end date.
• The deadline to transfer is the program completion date or the end of the Academic Training period, whichever is later.
• J-1 students cannot transfer during their 30-day grace period following completion.
• The J-1 student must apply for a new visa with the new institution's DS-2019 if planning to travel abroad between programs If the J-1 student remains in the U.S. between transfer institutions and does not leave the country, a new J-1 visa stamp is not required.

Steps to Transfer to UC Irvine

1. Notify the international student advisor at your current school that you intend to transfer to UCI. The advisor will enter a SEVIS Release Date into your record. On this date, your SEVIS record will automatically transfer to UCI through the SEVIS database.

2. If you are a new international graduate student, please have your current school complete section six of 2012-2013 I-20/DS-2019 Request for New Graduate Students. If you are undergraduate, please indicate that you are a transfer on your I-20/DS-2019 Request from the UCI Admissions Office, and submit the SEVIS Transfer-In Form for Students.

3. Once you have successfully completed the two prior steps, you will receive an email notification from the UCI International Center when your document is ready for pick-up or mailing.

Traveling Between Schools

Transfer students may travel and re-enter the U.S. any time between school programs. However, transfer students must re-enter with their UCI I-20/DS-2019 and not the previous school's document. F-1 and J-1 students must have valid visa stamps to re-enter the U.S. F-1 students can use a valid visa stamp issued for their previous institution as long as the SEVIS ID number remains the same. If the J-1 student plans to re-enter the U.S. following the transfer, the J-1 student must apply for a new J-1 visa with the new institution's DS-2019. If the J-1 student remains in the U.S. between transfer institutions and does not leave the country, a new J-1 visa stamp is not required.

Transferring to Another School from UC Irvine

If you are planning to leave UC Irvine to go to another U.S. school/institution, you must request a "transfer out" from an international student advisor at the International Center. The advsior will release your SEVIS record to the new school once the IC has received all required material. The date of your release depends on your program status. For more information, contact UCI International Center.

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_{02.28: Travel Destinations
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03.02: Explore Southern California
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