SEVIS Record Transfer Information

Students in INITIAL Status (have never attended SUNY Poly coursework)

This information is for students who have entered the U.S. with a Form I-20 from SUNY Poly but have not yet begun coursework with SUNY Poly. 

**READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY** 

*IMPORTANT*

DO NOT SUBMIT THIS REQUEST UNLESS YOU ARE 100% CERTAIN OF YOUR TRANSFER OUT DECISION.  

Once a SEVIS record transfer request is submitted, it will be processed as submitted and cannot be canceled. 

*IMPORTANT*

Students should only enter the U.S. with the Form I-20 and other immigration documents for the school they plan to attend.

When you enter the U.S., you are indicating to U.S. Customs and Border Protection that it is your intention to enroll at the school which you present a Form I-20 for.  

Do not enter the U.S. with a Form I-20 and other documents for any school unless you intend to enroll in courses at that school. 

 

If you have not entered the U.S. and plan to attend an institution other than SUNY Poly, you SHOULD NOT enter the U.S. with any Form I-20 or documents for SUNY Poly.

If you have been issued a Form I-20 from SUNY Poly, but have not yet entered the U.S., you should follow the instructions bellow:

  1. Obtain a Form I-20 from the school you plan to attend.
  2. If you have already been issued a U.S. F-1 Visa stamp:
    1. Contact the U.S. Consulate to update the notation on your F-1 visa with the name of the school you plan to attend.
    2. Use the Form I-20 from that school to enter the U.S. (NOT the I-20 from SUNY Polytechnic Institute)
  3. Contact the SUNY Poly International Admissions Office to inform them that you will not be attending SUNY Poly.
    1. Email International@sunypoly.edu
    2. Your SUNY Poly Form I-20 and SEVIS record will be canceled and will no longer be active for use.
    3. You will be required to enter the U.S. with the Form I-20 and SEVIS record from your intended school moving forward. 

 

If you are already in the U.S., and have erroneously entered using the Form I-20 issued from SUNY Poly:

  1. Review these SEVIS Transfer Instructions and Information CAREFULLY.
    1. Remember: It is YOUR responsibility to maintain lawful F-1 Status and ensure you are following all instructions provided.
  2. Submit the SEVIS Transfer Out Request Form and all required information, including:
    1. Most recent I-94 record
    2. Proof of the start of classes at the new school. This can be:
      1. Email from an official at the new school indicating the first day of classes
      2. A copy of the academic calendar from the new school showing the first day of classes
      3. Transfer school's I-20 showing program start date
      4. Acceptance letter with start date listed
      5. Acceptance letter to new school
    3. Do not email the ISS to notify the office of your submission or request that your transfer processing is expedited. We will process your request as quickly as possible in the order it is received.
    4. The ISS will review your request within 5-7 business days
      1. SUNY Poly Offices are open Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30. Offices are not open on Saturday and Sunday.
  3. If approved, your record will be scheduled for release to your new school on the date you indicated in your request, or on the day your request is processed by the ISS (if your requested transfer date has already passed).  
    1. Students should carefully consider the ISS processing time of 5-7 business days when selecting their Requested Transfer Release Date.  

*IMPORTANT*

To be fair to all students, applications to the ISS are processed in the order received and will not be expedited.

  • ISS processing time is up to 5-7 business days. Students will receive an email when their request has been reviewed and approved/denied.

*There is no need to contact the ISS to inquire about the status of your request or to inform us of your submission. We do not expedite requests, and process them as quickly as possible, in the order it is received. Once your request is processed, you will be notified through the email address provided. 

 

  • Once your transfer is submitted, it cannot be canceled.  
    • After this is processed, you must work with your new school to obtain an updated Form I-20.  
  • If your request is not processed by the requested transfer release day (because you requested a date sooner than the processing time required by the ISS):
    • Your record will be transferred on the day it is processed by the ISS (within 7 business days of when it was submitted).
  • After the requested release date/7 business days from submission of the SEVIS Transfer Out Request Form:
    • Students should contact their new institution for information about their SEVIS records.
    • SUNY Poly will no longer have access to your SEVIS record and cannot provide information on this.
  • If your new school requires your SEVIS record to be transferred sooner than this, you must inform them that you have recently submitted the request to your current school, and it will be processed within 5-7 days.
    • It is your responsibility to plan your enrollment and submit requests in a timely manner.
  • Transfer requests for Initial status students must be submitted to the ISS, with all required documents, by the end of the drop/add period at SUNY Poly for each semester.  
    • SEVIS records will be terminated after the drop/add period has ended if students are not enrolled in, and attending, courses at SUNY Poly.

For more information about SEVIS transfers, check out Study in the States’ Instructions for Transferring to Another School as an F-1 student and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s information on Transfers for F-1 students. 

 

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