University of Arkansas at Little Rock

F-1 Students Transferring from UALR to Another U.S. School

Instructions

1. Review and complete this form.
2. 2. Call 683-7566 to arrange an appointment with an OIS Advisor.
3. 3. Bring to the appointment an official admittance letter from the new school.

Transfer Procedure

1. During your appointment with OIS, a “release date” will be set to transfer and release your SEVIS records to the new school.
2. Before the new school can issue an I-20 for you, you must come to OIS to set a “release date” upon which your SEVIS records will be electronically transferred to the new school
3. 2. On and after the transfer release date, the new school will be able to issue a new I-20, which will state “transfer pending,” for you to attend there.
4. 3. Within 30 days of the start of classes, the new school will report in SEVIS that you are (or you are not) registered for classes, which will complete the transfer process for you.

Transfer Release Date

Your new school cannot make an I-20 for you until we “release” your immigration records in SEVIS. To do this, we must specify a “release date,” whereupon UALR will no longer be able to access or change your records, and the record will then fall under the jurisdiction of the new school. According to the immigration regulations at 8 CFR 214.2(f)(8)(ii)(C), the release date must be “the current semester or session completion date, or the date of expected transfer if earlier than the established academic cycle.” For instance, students who graduate in May must use the last day of the spring semester as the release date, we cannot choose a later date. Students who decide to transfer while in the middle of the program of study may be more flexible in choosing the transfer release date. This will be decided in consultation with your OIS Advisor.

Special Note for Students on OPT

If you are on OPT and wish to transfer to another school, you should be aware that once the transfer release date arrives, your OPT eligibility automatically comes to an end. On the transfer release date, your SEVIS records are sent to the new school and are no longer under the jurisdiction of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Employment Eligibility for Transfer Students

This can affect your eligibility to work either on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus or on the campus of the new school, because regulations allow on-campus employment only at the school whose I-20 is covering you: “In the case of a transfer in SEVIS, the student may only engage in on-campus work at the school having jurisdiction over the student’s SEVIS record.” [8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i)] In other words, a student who chooses June 1 as a transfer release date cannot work on the UALR campus after June 1. The student would, however, be able to begin employment on the campus of the new school as soon as the release date passes and they receive the new I-20.

Transfer Students Who Travel Outside the U.S.

If you plan to travel outside the U.S. before classes at the new school starts, you should use the “transfer pending” I-20 from the new school to re-enter the U.S. By entering with the new school’s I-20, it automatically completes the transfer process for you. Transfer students who follow this procedure do NOT need to get a new U.S. visa if your current one is still valid. In other words, though your valid U.S. visa may say the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, you can still enter the U.S. using that valid visa along with the “transfer pending” I-20 from the new school.

Eligibility to Apply for CPT, OPT, etc. at New School

Transfer students will remain eligible for such benefits of F-1 status like being able to apply for CPT, OPT, etc. at the new school, provided they had maintained status (including registering full-time) for an entire academic year at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. For example, a student who began studying at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in August 2003, and who maintained full-time enrollment for that fall and spring semester, would be eligible to apply for Curricular Practical Training or Optional Practical Training at the new school if desired and if eligible in the Fall 2004. You do not have to be enrolled for an additional academic year at the new school in order to be eligible for these benefits.

Students Who Graduate From the University of Arkansas at Little Rock

If you graduate or complete your program of study at UALR and then wish to transfer to a new school (as opposed to transferring to a new school before you complete your studies at UALR), you should be aware that the transfer must be requested either during your last semester at UALR, or within 60 days following the end date of your last semester.

Canceling the Transfer Release Date

OIS can cancel or change your transfer plans any time up until the release date arrives. After the release date arrives, we have no further control over your SEVIS record, and you will then have to work with the new school if you wish to change your plans. For this reason, you need to remember the transfer release date that we choose during your appointment, which will be noted below, and request any changes BEFORE that date arrives.

A Word About “Initial Entry” I-20’s

We have mentioned that the new school will not be able to make the “transfer pending” I-20 for you until the SEVIS release date arrives. However, there is a way the school can make an I-20 for you before the SEVIS release date arrives. This is by issuing an “initial attendance” I-20, rather than a “transfer pending” I-20. We DO NOT recommend you allow the new school to do this. If the school gives you an “initial attendance” I-20, and you leave the U.S. and re-enter using the “initial attendance” I-20, you are considered a new student and will not be able to re-enter the U.S. until 30 days before the report date on your initial attendance I-20. You also will not be eligible for CPT, OPT or certain other F-1 benefits until you have been enrolled at the new school for a full academic year.