Office of International Services
  • Maintaining Status
  • J-1 Scholars
  • J-1 Exchange Visitor Transfer Out

J-1 Exchange Visitor Transfer Out

J-1 exchange visitors who wish to transfer to another institution must notify their sponsoring academic department and submit a J-1 Transfer Out Request in Trojan International.

A signed invitation letter from your new institution must indicate the following:

  • Name of exchange visitor
  • Start date
  • Job title and description of duties matching the current DS-2019 category and subject/field code remarks

OIS takes 10 business days to process J-1 scholar transfer-out requests.

Submit J-1 Exchange Visitor Transfer Out Request

  • The purpose of the transfer must be to complete the initial objective(s) for which the exchange visitor entered the United States in J-1 status. The transfer should be a continuation of one’s work at USC at the new institution. In addition, the J-1 category and subject field code, located on page 1 of the DS-2019 in section 4, must remain the same at the new institution.

  • All three parties — OIS, the USC sponsoring academic department and the new sponsor — must agree on a transfer release date in SEVIS. The date selected should be your first day of employment at the new institution.

  • There should be no interruption in employment between USC and your new institution. You are not permitted to take a vacation between your transfers.

  • Once an exchange visitor has been released, they are no longer eligible to receive funding from USC. In addition, until the release date arrives, they will not be able to receive funding from their new institution.