SEVIS: Information from Answers.com

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The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is a web-accessible database used by the Department of Homeland Security to collect, track and monitor information regarding exchange visitors, international students and scholars who enter the United States on F, M or J visas. SEVIS is managed by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

1 Background
2 Access to SEVIS
3 Mandatory reporting requirements
4 Administration
5 Criticism
6 See also
7 External links

Background

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA), passed by Congress in 1996, mandated the creation of an electronic system to track certain international visitors. In 1997, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), now United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), developed a pilot program called Coordinated Interagency Partnership Regulating International Students (CIPRIS) collaboration with the Department of State. Due to logistical problems, CIPRIS was not implemented beyond initial testing and was retired in 1999.

In response to the attacks of September 11th, 2001, Congress passed the USA Patriot Act, which mandated the creation of a new system to track international visitors in the United States. Funding was established for this system, which later became known as SEVIS. All schools and programs in the United States hosting international students and scholars were required to begin using SEVIS by January 30, 2003. SEVIS has since gone through six major release versions to resolve technical problems and accommodate new reporting requirements set by federal law.

Access to SEVIS

Only United States permanent residents and citizens may be given access to SEVIS. School and program officials authorized to access SEVIS for F and M students are identified as Designated School Officials (DSO’s), with a single Primary Designated School Official. School and program officials authorized to access SEVIS for J students and scholars are identified as Alternate Responsible Officers, with a single Responsible Officer. Schools and programs are given ten slots for accessing F and M records, and ten slots for accessing J records.

Mandatory reporting requirements

Schools and programs approved to host students and scholars on an F, J, or M visa are required to report certain information about international visitors in SEVIS. Reporting requirements are established by federal law and vary according to visa type.

Information that must be report includes:

Change of legal name
Change of U.S. address
Change of major field of study
Change of education degree level
Change of funding
Authorization for on-campus employment

In addition, schools and programs are required to report certain events that constitute a violation of the international visitor’s visa status, such as academic suspension, criminal conviction, failure to enroll and unauthorized off-campus employment.

All required information must be reported in SEVIS within 21 days of notification of the change or event. Failure to report information in a timely fashion may result in the loss of the school or program’s certification to host international students and/or scholars.

Administration

SEVIS is administered by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The technical operations of SEVIS are under the control of SEVP for all students and scholars with an F, M, or J nonimmigrant classification. Policy making for these classes of nonimmigrants has been delegated to ICE/SEVP. SEVP works closely withe USCIS in developing policy. SEVP is under the direction of Mr. Louis M. Farrell.

Criticism

SEVP has been criticized for limiting functionality in SEVIS according to that agency’s vision of how users should administer programs, rather than according to what is permitted under immigration regulations. SEVP has also been heavily criticized for shifting the burden of verifying and updating data in SEVIS to school and program officials when technical problems or limitations have arisen.