Transferring from UALR to Another U.S. School Transfer Procedure

  1. Receive admission to a new SEVP-certified US institution.
  2. Carefully read the SEVIS transfer procedures below.
  3. Fill out the transfer out request.
  4. If applicable, a UALR immigration advisor will complete the Transfer-In form provided by your new school and submit it to that institution on your behalf.
  5. The new school will accept the SEVIS transfer and issue your updated Form I-20 at the appropriate time.
  6. Report to the new school within 15 days of the program start date.

Processing time: 7-10 business days.
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 issue a Form I-20 until UALR releases your SEVIS record. To initiate this process, you must indicate a SEVIS transfer release date on the transfer-out request form. On that date, your SEVIS record will be transferred to your new institution, UALR will no longer have access to or authority over your record, and responsibility for your SEVIS record will transfer to your 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 record is sent to the new school, and you 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

A SEVIS transfer may affect your on-campus employment eligibility. Federal regulations permit on-campus employment only at the institution that has jurisdiction over your SEVIS record: “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)]

For example, if you select June 1 as your SEVIS transfer release date, you may not continue working on the UALR campus after that date. However, once the transfer release date has passed, you have received your new Form I-20, and you are within 30 days of your new program start date, you may be eligible to begin on-campus employment at your new institution.

Drivers License Renewal for Transfer Students

Once your SEVIS record has been transferred to your new school, your Form I-20 will reflect a “Transfer Pending“ status. This status will remain until your new institution activates your SEVIS record, which generally occurs after you complete the required check-in and enrollment procedures within 30 days of the program start date. While your SEVIS record remains in transfer pending status, you may not be eligible to obtain or renew a driver’s license until you have completed all required procedures at your new school and your SEVIS record has been activated.

Transfer Students Who Travel Outside the U.S.

If you plan to travel outside the U.S. before classes at the new school start, 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 may remain eligible for F-1 benefits such as CPT and OPT at their new institution, provided they maintained valid F-1 status at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, including full-time enrollment, for at least one academic year.

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

OISS can modify or cancel your SEVIS transfer request at any time before the transfer release date. Once the release date has passed, UALR no longer has access to or authority over your SEVIS record, and any changes to your transfer plans must be coordinated with your new institution. Therefore, it is important to carefully select your transfer release date before submitting your SEVIS transfer-out request.