A student who is maintaining valid F-1 status may transfer from one DHS-approved school to another by following the transfer procedures. Simply transferring academically from one school to another does not transfer a student's F-1 status unless the student and DSO of the receiving school follow these procedures.

The transfer process does not require government adjudication. Rather, it is a notification process that takes place as an update event in SEVIS with the active participation of the student, the transfer-out school, and the transfer-in school.