Transferring from UALR to Another U.S. School Transfer Procedure
- Apply for admission to new SEVP certified US institution.
- Receive admission letter and request for their transfer in request form.
- Carefully read SEVIS transfer procedures below.
- Fill out the transfer out request.
- A UALR advisor will complete the transfer in form and submit it to the new school.
- The new school will accept the transfer and send you the updated I-20 at the appropriate time.
- Report to the new school within 15 days of the program start date.
Processing time: Two weeks.
Deadline for transferring after program completion: Within 60 day grace period
Deadline for transferring within a program: Before next session begins at transfer in school; no later than 30 days after next UALR session begins.
Deadline for transferring in initial status: No later than 30 days from your program start date
Note: Additional requirements for transfer requests from initial status, see below.
SEVIS Transfer Procedures
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.
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.
60 Day Grace Period
If you have recently completed your program or OPT at UALR, you have a 60 day grace period where you can transfer your SEVIS record to a new school without violating your immigration status. Once your SEVIS record is transferred, you must begin your new program at the next available start date, which can be no more than 5 months after the program end date of your former program.
Employment Eligibility for Transfer Students
Transferring affects your work eligibility . 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 and less than 30 days before the program start date at the new transfer school.
Drivers License Renewal for Transfer Students
Once your I-20 has been transferred to the new school, your I-20 will read “transfer pending” until your SEVIS record is activated within 30 days of the start of the new semester. While the transfer is pending, you will not be eligible to obtain or renew your AR drivers license.
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. 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 2013, 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 2014. 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
ISS 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.
Transfers from Initial Status
You must enter the United States using the I-20 of the institution where you plan to enroll full-time. However, if plans change and you must transfer your I-20 from initial status, additional requirements apply.
You must first receive admission to an institution where you can enroll full-time within 30 days of your arrival to the United States. Further, you must request the transfer within 30 days of your program start date.
Required documents to request a SEVIS transfer in initial status are the following:
- Admission to an institution where you can enroll within 30 days of your entry to the US
- Your latest I-94 (available at I-94 Website)
- Your US address
- A written request to transfer your I-20 in initial status
Requests must be received within the first 30 days from your original program start date listed on your I-20.
