Transfer into USC
J-1 scholars are eligible to transfer to USC. You will need to speak with your sponsoring academic department at USC. The department will submit a request to OIS. At that time we will coordinate with your current institution to determine a suitable release date in the SEVIS database. The release date is very important. You cannot be paid by USC until you have been released. At the same time, once you have been released you are no longer eligible to receive funding from the previous institution. Once your release date arrives you should schedule an appointment with OIS to complete your transfer. During this 30-minute meeting we will complete your transfer and issue you a new USC DS-2019. It is very important that you meet with an OIS advisor to complete your transfer. If we are unable to complete your transfer to USC you may lose your immigration status.
It is also important to note that when an Exchange Visitor transfers to USC their length of stay does not start over. For example: Research Scholars are allowed to be in the U.S. for 5 years. If a Research Scholar spends two years at another institution before transferring to USC they are only eligible to conduct research at USC for three years. The 5 year clock does not restart by transferring to a new institution.
Transfer out of USC
While we are sorry to see Exchange Visitors leave USC we understand that circumstances change and we are happy to help with the transfer process. J-1 scholars who wish to transfer to another institution will need to make an appointment to meet with an OIS Advisor. It is important that the purpose of the transfer is to complete the objective(s) for which the Exchange Visitor entered in J-1 status. The department sponsor at USC and the new institution must both agree to the transfer. Once this agreement has been made we will need the new institution’s J-1 program number as well as to coordinate a release date in SEVIS. Once an Exchange Visitor has been released they are no longer eligible to receive funding from USC. However, until the release date arrives you will not be able to receive funding from the new institution.