SEVIS A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

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SEVISA BRIEF INTRODUCTION

• This presentation is aimed at providing an
  overview of the SEVIS program
• It is designed to be used by faculty, staff and
  students at Stanford University
• It is not a comprehensive analysis of SEVIS
• The Bechtel International Center web site has
  further information icenter.stanford.edu

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WHAT IS SEVIS?

• A system that uses internet technologies to
  increase efficiency and quality of information
  collection, monitoring and knowledge management
  (Dept of Justice)
• The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)
  is the overall program
• The Student and Exchange Visitor Information
  System (SEVIS) is the automated system

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WHAT IS SEVIS?--cont

• SEVIS is the reengineered student and exchange
  visitor (F, M and J visa categories) process
  designed to convert a manual, paper-driven
  process to an automated one and
• Collect, maintain, and track information relative
  to international students and exchange visitors
• Improve data collection and reporting
• Facilitate compliance with regulations
• Monitor school and exchange visitor programs
• A data base of current international student and
  exchange visitor information
• A data base of easily shared information
• A tool to monitor and track F, M, and J
  non-immigrants
• A tool that can recognize, predict and report
  trends and anomalies

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A SEVIS CHRONOLOGY

• Feb 1993 World Trade Center Bombing student
  suspected
• May 1995 INS begins review of student procedures
  in cooperation with some foreign student
  advisors with a view to developing an
  electronic reporting system
• Sept. 1996 Public Law 104-208 The Illegal
  Immigration Reform and Immigrant
  Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) enacted.
  Section 641 mandates a tracking system
• Dec. 1996 INS Commissioner approves the concept
  of an electronic tracking system

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A SEVIS CHRONOLOGY-cont.

• June 1997 CIPRIS (Coordinated Interagency
  Program for Regulating International
  Students) Pilot Project Begins in the
  South East
• Oct. 1999 Pilot Program ends. CIPRIS continues
  as an operational prototype in the
  south-east. Only school similar to
  Stanford involved is Duke.
• Summer/fall 2000 National Student and Exchange
  Visitor Program developed based on
  feedback from pilot program, other
  stakeholders and the requirements of
  IIRIRA 641

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A SEVIS CHRONOLOGY-cont.

• Dec 2000-Sept 2001 SEVIS Vendor Conferences
  offered where technical details of electronic
  reporting are discussed. Staff from Stanford
  attended the conference in San Diego
• Sept 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks foreign
  student suspected
• Oct. 2001 SEVIS Test training in Boston
• Oct. 2001 Public Law 107-56, Patriot Act
• May 2002 INS issues proposed SEVIS regulations
  for F-1 students. January 30, 2003 proposed
  as last date for all institutions to be
  enrolled in SEVIS. Comment period ended in
  mid-June. Stanford submitted a letter in
  response to some of the proposed regulation
  but not in opposition to SEVIS per se.

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A SEVIS CHRONOLOGY- Cont.

• Summer/Fall 2002 Further clarification on
  technical issues, including batch uploads.
  SEVIS help desk established by INS,
  registration for SEVIS begins.

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SIGNIFICANCE OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION

• IIRIRA Section 641 1996
• Establish electronic reporting, where feasible,
  and self fund the program through a fee paid by F
  and J visa holders. In September 2002 the fee was
  set at 54 but no details are currently available
  on how the fee will be collected or when the fee
  process will begin
• Collect current information
• Consult with Department of State and Department
  of Education to establish a process for schools
  and exchange programs to report on F and J visa
  holders

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SIGNIFICANCE OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION cont

• PATRIOT ACT-section 641 2001
• Integration with Port of Entry information
  including date of entry and port of entry
• Fully implement SEVIS no later than January 1,
  2003
• Authorized 36.8M to Department of Justice to
  ensure INS meets the January 1, 2003
  deadline.This authorization was not intended to
  replace the SEVIS fee levied on individual
  students and scholars.

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SIGNIFICANCE OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION-cont

• ENHANCED BORDER SECURITY AND VISA ENTRY REFORM
  ACT May 14, 2002
• Established interim reporting measures to take
  effect prior to full SEVIS implementation and
  regulatory compliance data
• INS must notify the school that an F-1 foreign
  student accepted by the school has been admitted
  to the United States
• Not later than thirty days after the end of the
  enrollment period, the school must inform the INS
  of the failure of any student to enroll.
• The Bechtel International Center has been
  complying with this regulation since
  mid-September 2002.

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SEVIS AT STANFORD

• WHO WILL BE REPORTED TO SEVIS?
• F visa holders approximately 2600 matriculated
  students, non-matrics, summer session and summer
  English
• J visa holders includes all J-1 matriculated
  students, post-doctoral students, visiting
  scholars, visiting researchers and visiting
  faculty. Approx. 1600 during the course of an
  academic year
• ALL dependents of F-1 and J-1 visa holders.
• APPROXIMATELY 5,OOO INDIVIDUALS

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SEVIS AT STANFORD-cont

• WHAT DATA WILL BE REPORTED AND COLLECTED?
• For complete list of data reports for F and J
  visa holders please see Appendix A
• DATA REQUIRED BY REGULATION 8 CFR 214.3
  (g).This data has been required to be kept by
  schools on F-1 students since 1983 and to be
  presented on request by INS. (1988 was the last
  year a comprehensive request was made to
  Stanford).
• Name, Place, Date of Birth
• Country of Citizenship, address
• Status (Full-time versus part-time)
• Date of Commencement of Studies
• Degree Program and Field of Studies
• Practical Training (beginning/end dates)
• Terminating date and reasons, if known cont.

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SEVIS AT STANFORD-cont

• I-20 and application for I-20 (the I-20 is the
  document issued by Stanford to F-1 students after
  they have accepted admission and shown proof of
  funding)
• Number of credits completed per year
• Photocopy of students I-20ID copy
• DOS Regulations at 22 CFR 62 legislate for
  schools to keep information on J-1 visa holders
  that is used to prepare their immigration
  documents, as well as address and telephone
  number in the U.S.
• DATA REQUIRED BY LAW (Data not currently
  collected is in italics)
• IIRIRA 641 c
• Identity and current address of alien
• Visa classification, date of visa issuance or
  classification granted
• Current academic or program status of alien
  (e.g.in compliance, full-time, part-time)

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SEVIS AT STANFORD-cont

• Academic disciplinary actions taken against the
  alien due to criminal conviction
• Patriot Act 416 (b)
• Information on the date of entry and port of
  entry
• On September 11, 2002 the Department of State
  initiated an interim SEVIS requirement.
• Before a visa can be issued to any F or J visa
  holder Stanford must enter information on a
  Department of State web site confirming that an
  appropriate immigration document has been issued
• This applies to new and continuing students and
  scholars. It comes into affect any time an F or J
  visa holder needs to visit a U.S. consulate
  overseas to obtain a visa
• In addition U.S. Consulates overseas are
  requiring more evidence from the applicant.

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WHEN DO WE REPORT?

• Stanford has 5 Designated School Officials
  (DSOs) 4 at Bechtel International Center and one
  in the Office of Graduate Admissions. DSOs are
  the only people who can, under proposed
  regulations, submit information to SEVIS
• DSOs are required to report WITHIN 21 DAYS of the
  occurrence of the following events
• Any student who has failed to maintain status or
  complete his or her studies
• A change of the student or dependents legal name
  or U.S. address
• Any student who has graduated early or prior to
  the program end date listed on SEVIS form I-20.
• Any disciplinary action taken by the school
  against the student as a result of the student
  being convicted of a crime
• Any other notification request made by SEVIS to
  the DSO with regard to the current status of the
  student

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WHEN DO WE REPORT?-cont.

• DSOs are required to report the following
  registration information electronically to SEVIS,
  every quarter, and no later than 30 days after
  the deadline for registering for classes.
• Whether the student has enrolled in the school,
  dropped below a full course of study (without
  prior authorization by the DSO), or failed to
  enroll
• The current address of each enrolled student
• The start of the students next session,term or
  semester

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WHEN DOES STANFORD BEGIN TRANSFERING DATA TO
SEVIS?

• No later than January 30, 2003 Stanford must
  begin using SEVIS for all new students and
  scholars and for certain changes in status of
  current students and scholars
• All required data on currently enrolled students
  must be transferred electronically to SEVIS by
  early spring quarter

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HOW DOES STANFORD PROPOSE TO TRANSFER DATA?

• Stanford has two options to transfer data
• Real Time Interactive Using the Sevis Web Page.
  As we expect up to 60,000 event reports per year
  this is too labor intensive
• Using a Batch interface with SEVIS
• In order to comply with SEVIS Stanford will be
  using a program being developed by Peoplesoft
  which will facilitate the reporting of SEVIS
  required data and also allow for reports to be
  generated for review before submission to SEVIS.
  Other institutions are purchasing third party
  software but Peoplesoft Schools are working with
  Peoplesoft to develop a SEVIS solution.

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CURRENT ISSUES

• As of November 1, 2002 there are still NO final
  regulations pertaining to SEVIS requirements for
  F-1 students and no proposed regulations
  pertaining to J-1 visa holders
• The Batch interface has still not been fully
  tested
• Both the INS and the Inspector General have
  reported that INS will not be fully ready by
  January 1, 2003
• Stanford will apply for certification for SEVIS
  before November 15, 2002. INS has assured all
  schools that by applying before this date,
  applications will be approved before January 30,
  2003. However once approved Stanford would
  immediately have to begin using SEVIS
• Students can not use a P.O. Box, or an office
  address for SEVIS requirements

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CURRENT ISSUES-cont

• There is considerable data clean up still needed
  in the Stanford systems before we can batch
  upload required data on current students
• There is often a disconnect between immigration
  regulations and academic terminology and
  practice. SEVIS is not a system that allows much
  in the way of gray areas
• SEVIS will NOT reduce work. Current practices of
  paper submission to local and regional
  immigration offices will, on the whole, continue.
  SEVIS adds another level of reporting.
• Students will need to be very careful about
  dropping below a full course of study (as defined
  by Stanford) without prior approval of a DSO.
  Doing so could result in a report being made to
  SEVIS
• Students will only be allowed to drop below a
  full course of study once in an academic year
• Students with medical conditions will be allowed
  to drop below a full course of study for a
  maximum of one year

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CURRENT ISSUES-cont

• DSOs are required to report students who drop
  below a full course of study within 21 days
• Students will, under proposed regulations, only
  be allowed to enter the country 30 days in
  advance of the beginning data on the I-20.
  Currently it is 90. This will affect those who
  need to find housing, enroll dependents in
  school etc
• Students who do fall out of status will find it
  more difficult to be reinstated. They may
  have to return home and apply for re-entry,
  especially if they have been out of status for
  more than 5 months.
• Transfer procedures for F-1 students coming to
  Stanford from another U.S. institution remain
  unclear, as do procedures when a student moves
  from one degree level to another
• SEVIS appears to be a difficult system in which
  to correct errors
• The penalties for non-compliance are removal of
  eligibility to enroll any present or future F-1
  and J-1 visa holders possibility of losing
  federal research funding

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OUTREACH BY THE BECHTEL INTERNATIONAL CENTER
NOVEMBER 2002 ONWARDS

• The Bechtel International Center will provide
  outreach and information on SEVIS in the
  following ways
• Continuing to work with a campus SEVIS committee
  on issues of data clean up
• Develop plans to better identify scholars on
  arrival
• Conduct departmental briefings at the I-Center
  and elsewhere
• Communicate directly, by email, with individual
  students and scholars
• Post updates to the I-Center web site
• Attend departmental meetings on request

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APPENDIX A WHAT DATA MUST BE REPORTED?

• With thanks to Newfront Software
• ON F-1 STUDENTS AND DEPENDENTS
• Create student data (academic admission)
• Deferral of Admission
• Personal Information
• Financial Information
• Academic Program Information
• Registration Each Term
• Disciplinary Action
• Program Extension
• Drop Below Full Course of Study
• Resumption of Full Course of Study cont.

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APPENDIX A DATA TO BE REPORTED?-cont.

• ON F-1 STUDENTS AND DEPENDENTS-cont
• OPT Employment
• CPT Employment
• Off-campus employment
• Premature Termination of Studies
• Completion of Study Program
• Bring Dependent (s) to US
• Update Dependent (s) Information
• Departure of Dependent (s)
• Rentry of Dependent (s)
• J-1 EXCHANGE VISITORS
• Create EV--Program Acceptance
• Validation of Program Participation cont.

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APPENDIX A DATA TO BE REPORTED?-cont

• J-1 EXCHANGE VISITORS
• Personal Information/Financial Information
• Add New Site of Activity
• Delete a Site of Activity
• Update Subject/Field Code Program of Activity
• Change/Extend Program of Activity
• Update Matriculation
• Correct Minor/Technical Infraction of Regulations
• Terminate EV from Program
• Completion of Program of Activity
• Bring Dependent (s) to US
• Dependent (s) Departure
• End Status for Dependent (s)