Instructions

Transfer in 

These are instructions to transfer your SEVIS record to Calvin

This is for current F-1 students to get a »Æ´óÏɸßÊÖÂÛ̳ I-20.

• Contact the Designated School Official (DSO) at your current school. The DSO is the person who issues I-20s and helps you with immigration-related concerns.
• After you have been admitted to Calvin, show the DSO your admission letter from Calvin and ask them to transfer your SEVIS record. Provide them Calvin’s SEVIS school code, which is DET214F00288000.
• Your SEVIS record must be transferred no more than 60 days after your current program completion date. Your current DSO can tell you when that completion date will be.
• The DSO can choose a future date as the transfer release date, so you may ask them to enter the transfer in SEVIS at any time after you have been accepted to Calvin. The release date they choose should not be before you finish your current semester classes and exams.
• You will receive an I-20 from Calvin after you have cleared the financial review process with your admissions counselor, completed the immigration form on your admissions checklist, and paid Calvin’s admission deposit.
• Step-by-step instructions for DSOs transferring a SEVIS record can be found on the SEVP Help Hub at:
• Your visa remains valid until its expiration date. If it has not expired, you may continue to use it until it expires, even if it shows a school name other than »Æ´óÏɸßÊÖÂÛ̳.
  • If you are traveling internationally over the summer, please send the dates to Calvin’s immigration coordinator (see contact information below).
  • If your visa has expired, you only need a new visa when you depart the U.S. If you will not depart the U.S. before enrolling at Calvin, you do not need a new visa.

You may also download this instructions sheet

Transfer out 

These are instructions to transfer your SEVIS record from Calvin

If you transfer to another college to finish your undergraduate degree, or if you go to graduate school in the U.S. you must also transfer your SEVIS record. This allows the college to issue you an I-20. 

Online graduate programs do not enable you to maintain F-1 status. If you will be doing an online graduate program from a U.S. university, you do not need to transfer your SEVIS record. You should plan to depart the U.S. or seek a change of status. 

STEM OPT only authorizes you to work for companies that are enrolled in E-verify. You can find this information on a company’s website or by contacting their human resources department. 

1. Gain admission to a graduate school or to the school to which you would like to transfer.
2. Contact a Designated School Official (DSO) at your new school and ask about their transfer-in procedures. They may ask you to complete a form or take other steps before starting the transfer process. 
3. Complete Calvin’s SEVIS record transfer request form
4. Send the completed form, along with proof of admission to another school, to the immigration coordinator (contact information below). 

FAQ

Q: Can I keep working on OPT or CPT after transferring my SEVIS record? 

A: No. OPT ends on your transfer release date, and you may not work after that. Your new school may offer CPT opportunities. Contact a DSO at your new school for more information.  

Q: I am travelling abroad before starting grad school. What should I keep in mind? 

A: You must have a valid I-20 and visa to return to the U.S. If your visa has expired, you should get an I-20 from your new school and apply for a new visa with it.  

Q: The school name printed on my visa does not match my I-20. Is this okay? 

A: Yes. The school printed on your visa only needs to match the school on your I-20 when you first come to the U.S. 

Q:  Do I need to renew my visa before graduate school? 

A: No. You only need a valid visa to enter and reenter the U.S. If your visa has expired and you do not plan to travel abroad before graduate school, then you do not need a new visa.