Switching schools on an F-1 visa is handled as a transfer of your SEVISThe Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, the DHS database that tracks F, M and J students and exchange visitors and the schools that host them. Designated school officials update each record, issue the Form I-20 or DS-2019, and authorize or recommend work options such as CPT and OPT.See it in the glossary record, not as a new visa application. The two schools coordinate the transfer, and the new school issues a fresh Form I-20. Skipping steps can leave a student out of status.
How the transfer works
The F-1 regulations set the framework: the student tells the current school’s designated school official (DSO) about the plan, the current school releases the SEVIS record to the new school on an agreed date, and the new school issues a Form I-20 showing the transfer. Exact reporting and start-date deadlines are set in the regulations and by SEVP, so ask both DSOs for your dates in writing.
What stays the same
An existing visa stamp in the passport is not what changes. The stamp is a travel document, and your status is governed by your SEVIS record and I-20. A transfer generally does not require a new visa unless the stamp has expired and you need to travel and re-enter.
Where students get into trouble
- Leaving the first school without a SEVIS release, which can terminate the record.
- A long gap between schools with no full-time enrollment.
- Assuming work authorization carries over. Practical training such as Curricular Practical Training (CPT)Work authorization for F-1 students for training that is an integral part of an established curriculum and directly related to their major. A designated school official authorizes it in SEVIS and on the Form I-20, and the student may start only after receiving the endorsed I-20. Students generally need one full academic year of enrollment first, and 12 months or more of full-time CPT makes a student ineligible for post-completion OPT at that education level.See it in the glossary depends on the school and program, so approvals do not simply move with you.
What the blocked rule would have changed
The DHS rule that would have ended Duration of status (D/S)The period of stay for F, J and I nonimmigrants, who are admitted for as long as they maintain their program or activity rather than until a fixed date. It appears as D/S on Form I-94.See it in the glossary also included new limits on transferring schools and changing programs. A federal court blocked that rule on September 14, 2026, so the existing transfer rules apply while the case continues. We explain the court order in our companion article.
Before you decide
Confirm that the new school will admit you and issue an I-20 before asking the old school to release your record. Compare timelines for practical training at the new school, since CPT rules were narrowed for many schools in August 2026. For the broader picture of student categories, see the study and exchange visa guide.