SEVIS Information

What is SEVIS?

SEVIS stands for Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, an internet-based system maintained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. SEVIS allows the U.S. government to have real-time access to information about the address, academic, and biographical information about F-1/J-1/M-1 students, and F-2/J-2 family members.

All students their dependent family members who will or intend to be in the U.S. after August 1, 2003 need to be registered in SEVIS and have SEVIS-generated documents to be eligible to enter and remain in the U.S.

What information is contained in SEVIS?

Schools are required to report biographical information (such as name, date of birth, country of birth, country of citizenship); address information (including overseas permanent and U.S. local addresses); academic information (program and major, program start and end dates, level of study); and financial information (funding requirements and sources of funding). In addition, schools are required to report certain events, including:

• Failure to arrive or check-in as expected
• Failure to enroll
• Failure to obtain permission for part-time enrollment
• Withdrawal or termination from program and reason for termination
• Change of address
• Change of other relevant information such as name, completion date, school, or site of activity
• Early graduation
• Recommendations for employment authorization or reinstatement
• Failure to maintain non-immigrant status for any reason