Transfer Students | International Students | Academic Programs

International Student Transferring from a school within the United States

F-1 visa holders who desire to transfer to Concordia (from another US high school, college, or university) must request a transfer of your F-1 immigration status to Concordia University Irvine. This process can only begin after you have been admitted to Concordia.
To be eligible for a transfer:

Must be in valid F-1 status at the time of transfer.
There can be no more than a 5-month gap between schools from the last date of attendance, OR the last day of Optional Practical Training [OPT], whichever is later.
The deadline for F-1 students to request a transfer is 60 days after the program completion date or OPT end date, whichever is later.

Steps to Transfer to Concordia University Irvine

Step 1

Notify the international student advisor at your current school that you intend to transfer to Concordia.

Step 2

Complete 'I-20 Request for New Students' and submit the following documents to [email protected].

A copy of your passport
A copy of the F1 Visa
A copy of I-94
A copy of I-20
Financial Documents* (An Affidavit of Financial Document Form & Certificate of Bank Balance)

Step 3

Once you have successfully completed the two prior steps, you will receive an email notification from the PDSO/DSO when your document is ready for pick-up or mailing.

Traveling Between Schools
Transfer students may travel and re-enter the U.S. any time between school programs. However, transfer students must re-enter with their Concordia I-20 and not the previous school's document. F-1 students must have valid visa stamps to re-enter the U.S. F-1 students can use a valid visa stamp issued for their previous institution as long as the SEVIS ID number remains the same.

Transferring to Another School from Concordia University Irvine
If you decide to transfer your immigration status from Concordia University to another U.S. school/institution, you must complete the Transfer Out Request: F1 Students. The PDSO/DSO at Concordia University will release your SEVIS record to the new school once the PDSO/DSO has received a Transfer Out Request & a copy of the admission letter from the school you will attend. The date of your release depends on your program status.

NOTE: For students who are transferring from an institution/school outside the U.S., please visit the Admitted/New Students page for more information.