Exchange Students and Programs is a program in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is under the US Department of Homeland Security, to manage foreign students and exchange visitors in the United States through Student and Visitor Information System Exchange ( SEVIS ). SEVP includes F status (for foreign students in the United States in their academic programs and dependents), J status (for exchange visitors in the United States and their dependents), and M status (for foreign students in the United States in vocational programs and their dependents). Visitors to the exchange section of the program (J visa) are managed by the US Department of State, although the SEVIS system is managed by ICE.
Note that SEVP does not manage the issuance of the visa itself. Visas are a problem at consulates and US embassies in other countries, which are under the US State Department's Consular Affairs Bureau. However, having the correct status and information in the SEVIS system is required for a person to be able to receive a F, J, or M. visa
Please note that SEVP does not include some other status that foreign students may use in the United States, such as H-4 status and other status for people dependent on non-student status.
Video Student and Exchange Visitor Program
Jargon
Maps Student and Exchange Visitor Program
History
Pre-origin: CIPRIS
In the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, a truck bomb was detonated under the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. In the aftermath of this incident, the student visa was under increased supervision when it was discovered that Eyad Ismoil, one of the terrorists involved was in the United States on an expired student visa.
A memorandum from the US Department of Justice Investigative Office Policy to the Deputy Attorney General dated September 24, 1994, mentioned the need to burden foreign students for a thorough and sustainable examination before and during their stay in the United States. On April 17, 1995, the Deputy Attorney General requested the INS Commissioner to resolve the issue. This led to the formation of an INS task force in June 1995 to conduct a comprehensive review of the F, M and J visa processes. In addition to the INS, the task force included members from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the United States Information Agency, and experts in the administration of international student programs. The task force report, issued on December 22, 1995, identified problems with school tracking and monitoring, problems in school certification by INS, and problems with INS that received and maintained the latest records from schools. As a result of these findings, the Immigration Reform Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility in 1996 directed the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to develop and conduct a program to collect certain information on non-immigrant foreign students and exchange visitors from institutions approved by higher education and programs designated exchange visitors.
In June 1997, INS launched a pilot program for a centralized electronic reporting system for institutions, called Coordination of International Student Coordination (CIPRIS). The CIPRIS pilot officially ended in October 1999, because the INS feels it has collected enough data from the prototype to begin work on the national system. INS began working on a new system called the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) with a related information system called Student and Exchange Visitor Information Service (SEVIS). During the launch, CIPRIS and SEVIS met with many opponents of the International Association of Educators and the American Board of Education. However, they claim that the opposition is not opposed to the program in principle but because of concerns that a failed launch by the INS can result in many students suffering.
Launch after September 11 attacks
In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks (11 September 2001) and the Patriot Act passed in response (October 26, 2001), there was a further increase in student visa control, increasing the momentum supporting SEVIS implementation. This is partly due to the fact that one of the attackers, Hani Hanjour, has come to the United States on a student visa.
Below is a timeline of important events within two years after an attack that illustrates the key steps in SEVIS evolution:
History of release version
SEVIS has experienced six major releases since its launch. The release is numbered using the major release version number followed by the point and number of small release versions. Below is a partial list of release dates:
During the first half of 2012, changes affecting all colleges, universities, and other educational institutions providing English language training programs ("ESL") began. This amendment comes from the Accreditation of the English Language Training Program ("Accreditation Act"), which became effective in June 2011. Under the Accreditation Act, the ESL program enrolling non-immigrant foreign students must obtain accreditation from a regional or national accreditation institution recognized by the Department Education United States. The Accreditation Act applies to two types of ESL programs: ESL Stand-Alone Schools whose officials have indicated Form I-17 schools about the intention to offer only ESL courses; and the Joint School whose officials have shown Form I-17 schools that schools offer ESL courses, as well as other study programs. The Joint School may contract ESL study programs or fully own and operate ESL study programs under the governing body of the institution.
Required reporting requirements
Schools and programs that are approved to host students and graduates on this visa are required to report certain information. The information to be reported includes:
- Official name change
- Change US address
- Main field of study changes
- Change of educational degree level
- Funding changes
- Authorization for off-campus work
In addition, they must report events that constitute a violation of the status of international visitor visas, such as academic suspension, criminal convictions, failure to register and unauthorized off-campus work.
Cost
Fees for students and visitor exchange
In 2004, the United States Congress mandated that all international students and exchange visitors pay the SEVIS I-901 fee, which funded the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and SEVIS. Fees can be paid online at fmjfee.com. Starting January 2017, the cost is as follows:
The SEVIS fee is payable upon receipt of the initial document (I-20 or DS-2019) and is a prerequisite for obtaining F, J, or M visas, or if the transition to student status using Form I-539.
Fees must be paid only for the principal (F-1, J-1, or M-1). Dependents (F-2, J-2, and M-2) do not have to pay a fee. Also, the fee must be paid only once per SEVIS note early, and in particular, no need to be paid again if applying for a new visa with the same status. This is different from the visa fee, which must be paid for each visa application.
Fees for schools seeking SEVP certification
Below is a list of fees for schools seeking SEVP certification (via Form I-17) or re-certification, as of January 2017.
See also
- Department of Homeland Security
- US. Enforcement of Immigration and Customs
- US. Customs and Border Protection
Note
External links
- Official SEVIS DHS website
- DHS Study on the American website
- The international student enrollment deadline arrives, CNN, August 1, 2003
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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