Students often receive acceptance letters from multiple universities. The timing can be tricky if the student has already initiated the process for University A but, now after receiving an acceptance letter from University B, wants to attend another university.
There are a few scenarios that can pan out and accordingly steps that the student has to follow to change the university.
Scenario A - The SEVIS is Paid, DS-160 is Submitted, But Visa Payment is not Made
The simplest procedure of the three; all you need to do is transfer the SEVIS from college A to College B. You do not need to pay the SEVIS fee again for the new college.
Scenario B - The DS- 160 is Submitted, Visa Payment is Made, and the Interview Date is Booked
In this situation, steps from Scenario A have to be followed first. Next, create a new DS-160, fill it with the SEVIS number of the second university and submit it. Since you have already paid for the visa and scheduled the interview. There are a few extra steps.
Scenario C - You’ve Appeared for the Visa Interview
Changing university in this scenario is a little tricky.
For the Option C mentioned - You’ve Appeared for the Visa Interview that is changing university after F1 visa stamping, so I need to transfer my SEVIS record? (I have not entered US not started my term yet).
If not, do I have to get my Sevis record cancelled from the first university or notify them before appearing for F1 visa again with different university?
Yes, you will have to transfer your SEVIS record. The steps to do so are mentioned in the first scenario - Option A.
Get the I-20 from the new school.
Begin by checking your payment status to request the fee transfer.
Once you have put in the information, it will take you to your I-901 records.
The transfer button will appear next to the print button if there is a valid fee payment.
You will receive an email for the transfer request.
The next email will tell you if your request has been accepted or rejected.
The only additional step is the filling of the new DS-160 with the details of the second university and paying the fees again.
So, your SEVIS record from the first university will get transferred instead of getting cancelled.
Hope this helps! Do post on this thread for any further queries.
If I decide to change university after getting F1 visa but before 30 days before entering US, do I need to ask for SEVIS record transfer between universities or can I get a new Sevis record from the new university?
If transfer is not required, do i need to get my inform my initial university to cancel my sevis record before going for f1 visa interview for new university?
So only transfer of sevis fee between the two records is required or should the university transfer the record as well. Should the initial university which issue my I20 transfer/release the record to the new university?
@Dhrithi_Chidananda
Yes, you will have to inform the university you got admission in initially to transfer the SEVIS. The first university will transfer the information to the second university. Before you contact the university, you need to have the I-20 from the university you want to attend.
I have applied for USCIS interview on 16th march 2020, where my I-20 was given for Aug 2020 joining, but due to Covid-19 interview got cancelled, now they have given new I 20 for Spring 2021, Do I need to change the DS160 again? or have the new one?
Dear Team,
I’m a F1 visa applicant… Finished my biometric interview and later realised that the school information was not updated on ds160… The University I am going to is different from what’s updated on this ds160… However, the SEVIS fee paid has details of the updated university (the one I wish to go for)…
My interview is scheduled for next week… Can I fill up a new ds160 and take both old stamped ds160 and this new ds160 for the interview?? Or is there any other alternative?
Please advise…
Thank you
You will have to fill up a new DS-160 with the name of the university you are attending. Since you have already paid the SEVIS fee with the correct university name, you might not have to transfer the fees. However, confirm this once with the Consular Officer. Take both the old and the new DS-160 with you for the interview.
Hope this helps.
All the best for your interview!
Thank you very much for your response Vishakha…
I’m just about done with the interview today at Kolkata… All good, visa approved…
They updated the information of new ds160 and retook the biometric…
Thanks once again…
Hi,
Do you know when the SEVIS record is created? Is it created after visa interview is done and approved or on SEVIS check-in? If I complete interview with i-20 of University A but then decide to attend University B whose I-20 I already have, then can I directly go to University B? How is this tracked?
The SEVIS is created when you pay the fees, that is before the interview is done.
If you have decided to join University B -
You will have to report to the university on which your visa is approved - University A. Once you report to University A, you can request them to transfer the SEVIS to University B. You will not have to apply for the visa again.
You can request the University A to transfer your SEVIS to University B once you reach there.
If you already have your visa approved, you do not have to apply for it again. You can report to University A, request them to transfer your SEVIS to University B, and then join the same.
The SEVIS record can only be transferred by the university.
Hi,
So, the SEVIS you are talking about is the same one we pay going to this website right? -Department of Homeland Security - Form I-901. I dont think transferring this requires University approval. I have already transferred it once before interview. They do it in 1 or 2 days depending on if its a weekend. If thats not the SEVIS record you are talking about, I havent paid any other fee as such.
Plus, cant I pay another time on the other SEVIS ID of University B? ( although that would mean waste of money on the first one?)
So it means that if I have already received F1 visa to go to University A but later decided to go to University B, I don’t need to go through entire visa process again. All I need to do is request University A to transfer my SEVIS record to University B.
