Procedure to change the university after starting the visa process for USA
If you are an international applicant for the bachelorβs, masterβs, or doctoral program in the United States, then you will most definitely require an F1 visa to enter the country. To apply for an F1 visa, a student must have an i-20 form from the university he is admitted to. A standard time for an i-20 or DS-190 to get delivered is approximately 2-3 business weeks.
When you fill out the DS-160 form, you will need to give the details such as the SEVIS ID from your i20 form. A situation may arise that a student needs to change the university mentioned in the US embassy student visa appointment application.
Scenario 1: DS-160 is submitted. The SEVIS fee is paid. Visa payment is not made. The visa interview date is not booked. The Visa interview is not done.
1. You will have to transfer the SEVIS fee from one university to another through fmjfee website.
2. Log in to the fmjfee website(Department of homeland security website). Check your I-901 status. If there is a valid record of your I-901 fee, you will see a transfer button. You just need to click it. The FAQ section on the fmjfee website has the details on how to transfer.
3. The website will prompt you to fill in the SEVIS ID and the school code of the new university.
4. You will get a confirmation email for the transfer request. If rejected, the reason will be mentioned in the email.
Scenario 2: DS-160 is submitted. The SEVIS fee is paid. Visa payment is made. The visa interview date is booked. The Visa interview is not done.
1. Create a new DS-160, fill it with the new SEVIS ID from the new university and submit it.
2. Log in to the CGI federal website.
3. Update the information on it by changing the DS-160 number and SEVIS ID. As you have already paid the SEVIS fee, you do not have to pay the SEVIS fee again. Instead, just follow the steps of scenario 1.
4. There is no need to pay the visa fee again as you have not attended the visa yet.
5. If you are not able to update the SEVIS ID on CGI federal website, contact them directly via email or call. Carry the old and new DS-160 confirmation pages for your interview. Explain the situation, the officials will update the details.
Scenario 3: DS-160 is submitted. The SEVIS fee is paid. Visa payment is made. The visa interview date is booked. The Visa interview is done.
If you have appeared for the interview and the F1 visa is approved. After that you receive an acceptance letter from a better university then you will have to start the visa process again.
1. Get an i-20 from your new university.
2. Transfer SEVIS fee (steps in scenario 1)
3. Fill and submit a new DS-160 with the details from the new university.
4. Pay the visa fees again.
5. Schedule and attend the visa appointment a second time.
Important note - The SEVIS fee is $200 and you need to carry its payment receipt during your visa interview. SEVIS fees have nothing to do with scheduling your visa appointment. You can pay it anytime before your visa interview.
This information was written as of mid-April 2022. The visa process might change anytime, if you have any new information, please add it in the comment section below.
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