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F-1 SEVIS Transfer



If you already live in the United States with an F-1 visa, we will transfer the visa sponsorship from your current school to Dickinson. This process is relatively simple but takes coordination between you, your current school staff and Dickinson College staff.

Dickinson must confirm your eligibility for the F-1 visa, so you will need to submit documentation required for the I-20. This will be similar to the documentation you provided your current school when you were admitted there, but there are three pieces of additional documentation you will need: F-1 SEVIS Transfer Form, a copy of your current visa sticker, a copy of your current Form I-20 and a copy of your SEVIS fee receipt from your initial visa application.

The F-1 SEVIS Transfer Form allows your current school to communicate details of your visa record to Dickinson and to notify us when to expect the transfer of your SEVIS record. Upon transfer of your SEVIS record, we can print your new I-20 showing Dickinson as your sponsor. Your SEVIS record cannot be transferred to Dickinson until your current program is completed. If you are a senior in high school, your graduation represents your program completion.

The dates of your current F-1 visa will determine whether you need to renew the visa sticker if you leave the US before coming to Dickinson. If your F-1 visa sticker has expired or will expire before your next entry to the US, you will need to apply for a new one using the same procedures you used for your initial visa application. See the Applying for Visa page for more. You do not need to apply for a new visa sticker if:  

  • you are not leaving the U.S. before your first semester at Dickinson, OR
  • your current visa sticker will be valid when you return to the United States for your first semester.

We keep a copy of your SEVIS fee receipt in your international file as proof that the fee was paid for your current SEVIS visa record. You do not need to pay the fee again, even if you apply for a visa renewal. The SEVIS fee is paid only once whenever a new SEVIS identification is created.

If you have problems completing this documentation, please contact studyusa@dickinson.edu for assistance.