J Student Visa - Transfers
A J-1 student in good standing may request to transfer from one educational
institution to another as long as the transfer is to complete the same
educational objective for which he or she was admitted to as a J-1 student.
A transfer is processed through updates to the J-1 student's SEVIS record
performed by both the current school and the new school. A J-1 student who
intends to transfer from one educational institution to another should
discuss his or her plans with the Responsible Officer (RO)/Alternate
Responsible Officer (ARO) of both schools, provide official evidence of
academic admission at the new school, and decide on a specific date of
transfer. Since J-1 students are admitted for "duration of status" (D/S),
which is defined as the period indicated in item #3 of Form DS-2019, plus a
30-day grace period following the program end date, all transfer requests
should be made no later than the end of the 30 day grace period.
J-1 Grace Period
A J-1 student who has completed a course of study including any authorized
Academic Training following completion of studies is given an additional 30-
day grace period for departing the United States, applying to the United
States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to change J-1 status to
another status if he or she is not subject to the two-year home country
residence requirement, or transferring to another educational institution.
