With proper planning, it is possible to travel when changing schools.

• Travel abroad before coming to Catholic University: If you are traveling before you are scheduled to begin your studies at Catholic University, you should bring both pages of the new Form I-20 or Form DS2019 with you when you travel. The precise procedure you will follow will depend upon whether or not you have a valid F-1 or J-1 visa stamp in your passport at the time you plan to re-enter the U.S.
  • Need to apply for new visa in passport: If your visa stamp has expired or if you have used up the allowable number of entries for that visa stamp, you must make plans to apply for a new visa stamp at a U.S. consulate outside the U.S. You should follow the visa application procedures outlined above.
  • Visa in passport is still valid: If your visa stamp from your previous school is still valid (i.e. it is not expired and the maximum number of allowable entries have not already been used), then you will not need to apply for a new stamp, regardless of the name of the school noted on your visa. Instead you will take all page of the Form I-20 or DS-2019 with you and present them at the port of entry when you return to the U.S. INS will stamp the form and process your transfer accordingly.
• No travel outside of U.S. before coming to Catholic University: If you will not be traveling, you must finalize the transfer procedures within the U.S. To do this, you will be required to sign the appropriate pages of your Form I-20 or DS-2019. The Office of International Services will finalize the transfer process and notify the relevant government agencies.