International Students Transfer Process

International students currently in the US, transfer the SEVIS record to a university ONLY after being fully admitted to a university.

Transfer In Process - Transferring into Western Dakota Technical College

• Follow the WDTC Admissions process.
• We do not give transfer credit work until you have been fully admitted. 
• For international credits, not all credits will transfer in.

Transfer 'Release' Date

For most students, the I-20/DS-2012 transfer release date should be:

• Current Students: the day after the last day of the semester or summer session at WDTC.
• Students on Post-Completion OPT: the day after the last date of employment
  

If a different release date is needed, please contact the Jill Elder, PDSO

When is the latest release date? 

The release date can be no later than the end of the 60-day grace period. The grace period ends 60 days after the last date of the semester OR the end of the OPT period, whichever is later. Please allow three business days for processing.

Transfer Process in SEVIS

This process applies to students who have either:

1. Wish to transfer to a new university but have not completed a program at the current university
2. Have completed a program at one university and wish to begin a second program at another university.

This process is specifically to transfer your F-1 STATUS to another university.

1. The student must notify the current school of his or her intent to transfer.
2. The student must be fully admitted to the school to which he or she intends to transfer.
3. F-1 students may initiate the transfer process in the sixty-day grace period after completion of a program. You may also initiate the process any time prior to the completion of a program.
4. The designated school official (DSO) must indicate the school to which the student intends to transfer in SEVIS and sets a “Release Date” in SEVIS.
5. The student must start the program at the new university within five months or less after leaving the old university.

Applying to More Than One School

The transferring student may apply to and be accepted by any number of schools.  However, the SEVIS record may only be released to one school. The student must decide which school to attend prior to the transfer of the SEVIS record.

Once You Decide

Once the student decides which school he or she intends to attend, the following items may happen.

• The DSO of his or her current school will update SEVIS to reflect this choice and will enter the release date for the student.
• The student's name will then appear in SEVIS at the transfer school as an “alert” containing the student's name and release date.
• When the release date is reached, the transfer school will be able to issue the transferring student a new SEVIS Form I-20.
• If the student changes his or her mind prior to the release date, the DSO at the current school may cancel the transfer request.
• If the transfer request is cancelled, the student may continue studies at the current school or make a new request to be transferred to another school.
• Once the release date has been reached, the DSO at the current school will no longer access the student's record in SEVIS.
• If you are planning to travel outside the US prior to you starting date at the new institution, then you should have the new I-20 issued prior to your departure from the US.

If you have been admitted but your file is incomplete, we cannot complete the transfer process.  Please contact the Jill Elder, PDSO (Principle Designated School Official) if you have any questions.

For U.S. Institutions transferring out a student to Western Dakota Technical College, please Jill Elder, PDSO for more information.