Background: SEVP and SEVIS

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) collects, maintains, analyzes and provides information so only legitimate foreign students or exchange visitors gain entry to the United States. SEVP also ensures that the institutions accepting nonimmigrant students are certified and follow the federal rules and regulations that govern them.

SEVP manages the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a web-based information system that maintains and allows monitoring of the following records:

• SEVP-certified schools.
• F-1 and M-1 nonimmigrant students and their dependents.
• Exchange visitor program sponsors.
• J-1 exchange visitors and their dependents.

SEVIS enables SEVP to assure proper reporting and record keeping by schools and exchange visitor programs, thereby ensuring data currency and integrity. SEVIS also provides a mechanism for student and exchange visitor status violators to be identified so that appropriate enforcement is taken (i.e., denial of admission, denial of benefits or removal from the United States).

SEVP works closely with its government partners involved in the foreign student process, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Department of State. Working with partner law enforcement agencies, SEVP administratively enforces federal rules and regulations governing schools certified to enroll F and M nonimmigrant students.

On Sept. 16, 2011, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and ICE Director John Morton launched the Study in the States Initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A key aspect of this initiative seeks to enhance coordination between the various federal agencies that play a role in implementing our nonimmigrant student visa and exchange visitor programs.

The launch of the Study in the States website was part of this initiative. Sponsored by DHS and managed by SEVP, this website provides a wealth of information and resources to encourage the best and brightest nonimmigrant students to study and learn about expanded post-graduate opportunities in the United States.

The Study in the States website allows ICE and its partner agencies, as well as DoS, to more effectively communicate information to nonimmigrant students, exchange visitors and their dependents. The site features dynamic and interactive content in a user-friendly manner and uses social media tools, such as Facebook, X and LinkedIn to provide updates to visitors around the globe.