Student and Exchange Visitor Information System

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is developing the next generation of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The new system, known as SEVIS II, is designed to address the limitations of the current SEVIS system.

While SEVIS II will modernize and improve many areas of the process, it also will transfer more responsibility for the maintenance of status to the foreign national students, themselves, who are in F, M, and J nonimmigrant statuses. As soon as there is better access to one's SEVIS record, it will be important to monitor that record.

Following September 11, 2001, Congress mandated the use of an electronic system to collect information on students (F-1 and M-1), exchange visitors (J-1) and their dependents. To meet this mandate, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State (DOS), developed the web-based SEVIS system that includes information on enrollment, graduation, program compliance, and program transfer for the foreign nationals subject to SEVIS.

SEVIS also maintains information on sponsoring schools and authorized exchange visitor program sponsors. This allows U.S. consular officers to confirm information received on the forms issued by the sponsors to the foreign nationals via SEVIS. These are Form I-20 for F-1 and M-1 students and DS-2019 for J-1 exchange visitors.

While SEVIS II will continue to collect information on students and exchange visitors throughout their periods of authorized stay, it is intended to modernize and improve the current SEVIS system in a number of areas. These are explained below.

SEVIS II will transition to a paperless tracking system. Students, exchange visitors, school officials, and sponsor officials will be able to use digital signatures to sign electronic forms. This will eliminate the need for hardcopies of Forms I-20 and DS-2019.

Government officials also will have the ability to electronically document decisions on visa issuance, change of status, requests for employment authorization, and related matters. After the new system is implemented, it is recommended that students retain their historical hardcopies of Forms I-20 and DS-2019.

SEVIS II will allow students and exchange visitors to create individual user accounts that will permit them to directly access their own records. If information is inaccurate, students and exchange visitors will be able to request that SEVP update their information. This will help ensure that data is accurate and up to date. This is an important feature, as students and exchange visitors frequently do not become aware of problems with their SEVIS registration for some time. See http://www.greencardapply.com/news/news11/news11_0817.htm

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