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DHS travel tips for arriving Students & Exchange Visitors

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today issued important reminders to assist the estimated 200,000 foreign students and exchange visitors expected to arrive in the United States for the spring semester.

These reminders for foreign students and exchange visitors registered in the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) are intended to ensure that legitimate students are quickly processed at ports of entry. For a comprehensive list of answers to frequently asked SEVIS questions click here.

The SEVIS system was implemented after the 9/11 terrorist attacks as part of the federal government’s effort to restore integrity to the nation’s immigration system. SEVIS is a web-based program that maintains information on international students (F/M visas) and exchange visitors (J visas) and their dependents residing in the United States. It is administered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) and used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers at ports of entry. SEVIS has simplified what was once a manual process, resulting in more accurate and timely data, faster processing and fewer delays.

ICE and CBP offer the following recommendations for students and exchange visitors:

Travel Tips for Students and Exchange Visitors

Hand carry (do not check) the following documents:

Your passport;
Your SEVIS form I-20 or DS-2019;
Evidence of financial resources;
Evidence of student or exchange visitor status, such as tuition receipts, transcripts or letter of acceptance;
Paper receipt for the SEVIS fee; and
The name and contact information of your designated school official or sponsor

Important Note: If you are a new student, remember to carry with you the sealed envelope given to you by the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Officer -- attached to your passport. It is important that you do not open this envelope.
Inform the CBP Officer at the port of entry as soon as possible that you will be a new or returning student or exchange visitor in the United States.
Report to your school or program upon arrival so that your school official can validate your participation in SEVIS.
Maintain contact with your designated school or sponsor official throughout your stay to ensure your SEVIS data is updated and accurate.

Important Note: If you are a new exchange visitor participant, remember to carry with you the sealed envelope given to you by the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Officer -- attached to your passport. It is important that you do not open this envelope.

The Department of Homeland Security also reminds SEVIS registered schools and exchange visitor programs of their responsibility to maintain up-to-date records on all of their foreign students and exchange visitors.

As of December 2004, about725,000 students and exchange visitors (F-1, M-1 and J-1 visa categories), along with 120,000 dependents, were registered in SEVIS. More than 7,800 schools and 1,400 exchange programs are active in SEVIS. From September 2003, when all foreign students, exchange visitors and their academic or cultural programs were required to register with SEVIS, through September 2004, SEVIS recorded a slight increase in the foreign student (F/M visa) population from approximately 605,000 to 640,000.

To date, ICE’s Compliance Enforcement Unit, responsible for identifying individuals who attempt to abuse the student immigration system, has sent 3, 342 investigative leads on potential SEVIS violations to the field, resulting in 558 arrests.

SEVIS fee payment now possible in your local currency

New program facilitates payment for International Students, Exchange Visitors in local currency

Paying the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) fee in local currency is now possible, thanks to a new program announced this month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Western Union.

The new fee payment method, which became available November 1, makes it possible for non-immigrant students and exchange visitors around the world to pay the fee, which is used to support SEVIS, in their home countries’ currencies using the Western Union Quick Pay ™ service.

SEVIS, the Web-based system for collecting and maintaining information on international students and exchange visitors in the United States, is administered by ICE, the largest investigative agency in DHS.

The SEVIS fee – in most cases, $100 – is mandated by Congress and was instituted on September 1, 2004. The fee applies to F, J and M non-immigrant visa classifications and is used to cover the costs of maintaining SEVIS and to provide assistance and technical support for SEVIS users.

There are currently several methods of payment for the SEVIS fee: Internet payments via debit or credit card; checks or money orders drawn on a U.S. account; third-party payments; and bulk-filing payments for certain exchange visitor program sponsors. The Western Union fee payment method presents an additional, more convenient option to students and exchange visitors wishing to pay in their local currency.

Under this new payment initiative, Western Union collects the SEVIS fee, in local currency, along with the student or exchange student’s required registration data and transmits the payment and data to ICE. The properly completed Western Union receipt serves as immediate proof-of-payment for a visa interview at a U.S. consulate and for admission at a U.S. port of entry. This option is available in any country where Western Union offers its Quick Pay ™ service – currently more than 130 nations nationwide.

There have been 11 other significant enhancements to SEVIS since August 2003, when registration in the system was required for foreign students, exchange visitors and academic institutions. These technical and procedural adjustments, made at the request of the academic community, have improved inquiry response time from an average of 7 minutes to 97 seconds.

For these improvements, SEVIS was one of only 15 government entities recognized by the E-Gov institute with the 2004 Pioneer Award. This recognition was for SEVIS’ overall improvement in operations and streamlined processes.

The SEVIS system was deployed after the 9/11 attacks as part of the effort to restore integrity to the U.S. immigration system. SEVIS has simplified what was once a manual process, resulting in more accurate and timely data, faster processing and fewer delays for students and exchange visitors.

Currently, more than 770,000 students and exchange visitors are active in SEVIS at over 9,000 approved/designated schools and program sponsors nationwide. From August 2003 through August 2004, SEVIS recorded a slight increase in the foreign student population studying in the United States, from 605,000 to 640,000.

DOS releases list of 20042005 U.S. Fulbright Grantees

Statement of Secretary Colin L. Powell

I am pleased to release the official list of U.S. Fulbright student grantees for the 2004-2005 academic year. This year, under the nation's premier exchange program, 1,099 American students have been awarded Fulbright grants to study and conduct research in more than 110 countries throughout the world.

As Fulbrighters, these Americans have important responsibilities. First and foremost, they engage in serious academic study or research abroad. In addition, they will immerse themselves in learning about their new host country and will have opportunities to share their perspectives on the United States with their hosts.

When they return home, these Fulbrighters will share their experiences with their friends, families, and colleagues. Over the past six decades, more than 100,000 Americans have been awarded Fulbright student grants. Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the program's purpose is to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.

Economist Milton Friedman, opera soprano Renee Fleming, Intel CEO Craig Barrett, and Brown University President Ruth Simmons are just four examples of the many distinguished Fulbright alumni. Last week, a foreign Fulbright alumnus, Aaron Ciechanover, received the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, becoming the sixth Fulbrighter in the past five years, and thirty-fourth overall, to be awarded a Nobel Prize.

For a complete listing of the 2004-2005 U.S. Fulbright student grantees, please click here

DOS invites public comments on J Visa Waiver Recommendation Application

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ACTION: Notice of request for public comments.

SUMMARY: The Department of State is seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the information collection described below.

The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment in the Federal Register preceding submission to OMB. We are conducting this process in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Title of Information Collection: J Visa Waiver Recommendation Application.

OMB Control Number: 1405-0135.

Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Originating Office: CA/VO.

Form Number: DS-3035.

Respondents: All J visa waiver applicants.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,000 per year.

Estimated Number of Responses: 10,000 per year.

Average Hours Per Response: 2 hours.

Total Estimated Burden: 20,000 hours per year.

Frequency: Once per respondent.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.

DATES: The Department will accept comments from the public up to 60 days from October 12, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Comments and questions should be directed to Brendan Mullarkey at the Department of State, Visa Office, who may be reached on 202-663-1166. You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

E-mail: mullarkeybp@state.gov. You must include the DS form number (if applicable), information collection title, and OMB control number in the subject line of your message.

Mail (paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions): Department of State, Visa Office, 2401 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20522-0106.

Fax: 202-663-3897.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct requests for additional information regarding the collection listed in this notice, including requests for copies of the proposed information collection and supporting documents, to Brendan Mullarkey of the Office of Visa Services, U.S. Department of State, 2401 E St., NW., L-703, Washington, DC 20522, who may be reached at 202-663-1166 or mullarkeybp@state.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department to:

Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is necessary for the proper performance of our functions.

Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the proposed collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used.

Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.

Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of technology.

Abstract of Proposed Collection: The form collects information from aliens applying for a waiver of the two-year residency requirement prescribed by INA Section 212(e).

Methodology: Form DS-3035 will be mailed to the Waiver Review Division of the State Department's Visa Office.

Dated: September 27, 2004.

Stephen A. Edson,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Department of State.

New requirements for SSN for Students

Evidence Requirements for Assignment of Social Security Numbers (SSNs); Assignment of SSNs to Foreign Academic Students in F-1 Status

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Final rules.

SUMMARY: We are revising our rules for assigning SSNs to foreign academic students in Department of Homeland Security (DHS, which has subsumed most of the various functions of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service or INS) classification status F-1 (referred to throughout this preamble as F-1 students). Specifically, we are requiring additional evidence for F-1 students who are applying for SSNs. Like all other applicants, an F-1 student must provide SSA with evidence of age, identity, immigration status, and work authorization. In addition, unless the F-1 student has an employment authorization document (EAD) from DHS or is authorized by the F-1 student's school for curricular practical training (CPT), the F-1 student must provide evidence that he or she has been authorized by the school to work and has secured employment or a promise of employment before we will assign an SSN. These rules will further enhance the integrity of SSA's enumeration processes for assigning SSNs by reducing the proliferation of SSNs used for purposes that are not related to work and thereby decreasing the potential for SSN fraud and misuse.

DOS releases Designated J1 visa organizations

The Office of Exchange Coordination and Designation of Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under the US Department of State has released a list of organizations/institutions designated to administer J-1 exchange visitor programs as of April 2004. The list provides the contact information by exchange visitor program categories as:

Au Pair
Camp Counselor
Government Visitor
Professor
Research Scholar
Short-term Scholar
Specialist
Student, College/University
Student, Secondary
Summer Work/Travel
Teacher
Trainee, Non-specialty
Trainee, Specialty

The list can be accessed at the following link:
Designated J-1 visa organizations

SEVIS fee payment begins today

A $100 fee for international students, exchange visitors and scholars attending school or conducting research in the United States associated with the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS), will take effect September 1, 2004.

Students, scholars and exchange visitors from abroad whose schools or programs are approved in SEVIS will be required to pay the appropriate fee – in most cases, $100 -- prior to obtaining their visas. SEVIS, administered by ICE within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is an award-winning Internet-based system for maintaining information on foreign students and exchange visitors to the United States.
“Over the last year, ICE has worked to make SEVIS a stronger and more effective program by listening to our partners at universities and colleges nationwide and incorporating their suggestions for improving the system whenever possible,” said Jill Drury, Director of the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). “The new fee payment procedure is a continuation of our commitment to manage a system that enhances the integrity of America’s immigration system while facilitating the legal entry of legitimate international students and scholars into the United States.”

The purpose of the fee is to cover the costs for the continued operation of the SEVP, including the administration and maintenance of SEVIS. The 1996 law that mandated the establishment of the SEVP also required that the program be funded through the payment of fees. The fee applies to F, J and M nonimmigrant classifications; however, participants in certain J-1 exchange visitor programs will pay a reduced fee of $35 or be fee-exempt. The fee will also fund the establishment of a cadre of liaison officers to help school administrators and students use SEVIS more effectively. Payment of the fee can be accomplished using a credit card via the Internet, by check through the mail or by a third party such as schools or sponsors.

SEVIS allows the DHS to collect and manage the information for foreign students and exchange visitors in the United States by maintaining up-to-date data that can be accessed electronically. SEVIS has simplified what was once a manual process, resulting in more accurate and timely data, faster processing and fewer delays for student and exchange visitors. Currently, more than 730,000 students and exchange visitors are registered with SEVIS at over 8,700 approved schools and programs nationwide.

SEVIS ramps up for Fall semester; 220,000 students expected

CHANTILLY, Va. – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today marked the start of the second year of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a nationwide registration program for international visitors, with a welcoming event today at Dulles International Airport for some of the 220,000 foreign students and exchange visitors expected to arrive in the United States this fall.

Michael J. Garcia, DHS Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Robert C. Bonner, Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), joined to welcome new international students arriving at Dulles International Airport and to observe the inspection and entry process for SEVIS-registered students and visitors.

SEVIS is a web-based program for maintaining information on international students and exchange visitors and their dependents in the United States, administered by ICE and used by CBP officers at ports of entry. SEVIS has simplified what was once a manual process, resulting in more accurate and timely data, faster processing and fewer delays. In May, SEVIS was recognized with the E-Gov Institute’s Pioneer Award for innovation and excellence in delivering government services electronically.

“We want to offer a warm welcome and timely, convenient service to the great many foreign exchange and student visitors coming to America this fall,” said Commissioner Bonner. “The SEVIS program allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers to determine whether individuals are legitimate students, and to quickly process these students through our ports of entry. Yet at the same time, we are better able to deny entry to those who would try to illegally gain entry into the United States masking themselves as students.”

“SEVIS addresses the need to put integrity back into the immigration system,” said Assistant Secretary Garcia. “Violators of our immigration laws, in this case those who abuse this country’s generous program of welcoming foreign students, will now face enforcement consequences.”

As of July 2004, roughly 770,000 students and exchange visitors (F-1, M-1 and J-1 visa categories), along with 100,000 of their dependents, were registered with SEVIS.

A SEVIS fee of $100 for most students and exchange visitors registered in SEVIS will go into effect on September 1 to defray the cost of the program, as mandated by Congress. ICE is currently developing an array of payment options to make payment more convenient for students around the world. The fee will also fund a future system enhancement, a new SEVIS “Customer Service” website to allow student and exchange visitors to check their SEVIS registration and payment status online.

DOS reminds Posts of Student & Exchange Visitor Processing policies

U.S. Department of State

R 151338Z JUL 04
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS
SPECIAL EMBASSY PROGRAM
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
AMEMBASSY KABUL
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM

UNCLAS STATE 154060

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS, CMGT
SUBJECT: STUDENT AND EXCHANGE VISITOR PROCESSING REMINDER

REF: (A) 04 STATE 70079 (B) 03 STATE 349930 (C) 03 STATE 279071
(D) 03 STATE 144850 (E) 03 STATE 144850

1. This cable was cleared by SEP.

1. SUMMARY: With the summer student and exchange visitor visa season in full swing, the Department would like to remind Posts of several important visa processing policies to ensure that applications for these categories of visas are handled in the most expeditious way.

INITIAL ENTRY STUDENTS MUST NOT ENTER BEFORE 30 DAYS

2. While students may apply for F visas at any time, consular officers may not physically issue them until ninety days before the program start date. More importantly, initial entry students may not use these visas to enter the United States for the first time until thirty (30) days before their program start date. This rule does not/not apply to returning students, who may be issued an F visa at any time, and who may return to school at any time.

3. While J visas may be applied for and issued at any time, initial- entry J visitors also may not enter the United States for the first time until thirty (30) days before their program start date.

4. Immigration inspectors have turned around qualified students who have attempted to enter the United States for the first time as a student before the thirty-day period. In order to prevent this from happening, Posts should attach the following notice to F, M or J visas issued to initial-entry students more than thirty days before their program start date:

"To all recipients of an F, M, or J student or exchange visitor visa: Please be aware that United States Department of Homeland Security regulations state that holders of F, M, or J nonimmigrant visas will not be admitted to the United States until a date thirty days or less prior to the beginning of your program date, or start date, as given on your Form I-20 (for F or M visas) or DS-2019 (for J visas). An immigration inspector may deny you entry into the United States if you use this visa earlier than this thirty day period. Please consider that date carefully when making your travel plans to the United States."

5. Students who are still interested in traveling to the United States before the thirty-day period may do so on B visas, as described in para 17, reftel(A). They may have both a B and an F, J or M visa in their passport at the same time. Students coming in to the United States early on a B should be reminded that they cannot begin their programs in B status. As it is unlikely they could receive change-of-status before the start of their studies, they will have to depart the United States and re-enter on their F no more than thirty days before their program start date.

PRIORITY SCHEDULDING

6. Posts are also reminded to give priority scheduling to persons applying for F, J and M visas. These visitors are often subject to deadlines, and consular officers should give them every opportunity to arrive in the United States on time to begin their programs. While there may be a number of ways to offer expedited processing to these visitors, all Posts should have procedures in place to do so.

7. Posts must insure that procedures for obtaining priority appointments for students and exchange visitors are well-publicized and transparent. At a minimum, these procedures should be posted on the consular section's web page. Outside agencies contracted to provide interview scheduling for the consulate should also be briefed on how to give priority appointments for students and exchange visitors. Instructions should be given to local educational groups, exchange visitor programs and other interested parties about how to do this.

8. Several posts have expressed concerns about abuse of the special scheduling for students and exchange visitors by persons hoping to get an earlier appointment to apply for a visa in another category. One way to screen out such applicants is to ask for their SEVIS number. All applicants for Fs, Js and Ms will have a SEVIS-generated I-20/DS-2019 with a unique SEVIS number. If this is a potential problem, Posts have the discretion to request SEVIS numbers when giving priority appointments. However, this is not a requirement; students and exchange visitors may wish to make visa appointments before they receive their actual form. Posts may give priority appointments to these individuals if it is apparent that they are in fact bona fide students or exchange visitors.

9. More than ever before, visa processing for students and exchange visitors is not only an important consular function, but an important and visible part of the Department's overall mission. We are counting on our consular officers overseas to make sure that these applicants are accommodated to the greatest extent possible.

DHS Announces OneYear SEVIS Milestone

Former paper based system is today recognized for efficiency, innovation

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is marking the one-year anniversary of the requirement for all international student and exchange visitors to register with the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) by noting the progress that the web-based student registration system has made in its first twelve months. SEVIS was established as a nationwide system for maintaining information on foreign students and exchange visitors to the United States. SEVIS also allows schools and federal authorities to manage the traffic of international students and exchange visitors into and out of the United States.

In its first year, the program was a striking success, streamlining the process for international students and visitors entering the United States. In June, SEVIS was recognized with the E-Gov Institute’s Pioneer Award for best practices in improved operations through innovative applications and streamlined processes. “The vast majority of students who come to the United States do so to benefit from our academic institutions. Unfortunately, a few of those purporting to come here for that purpose have exploited the system to cause us harm,” said Michael J. Garcia, DHS Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“The worst examples are those who have committed terrorist acts on our soil, such as the driver of the explosive-laden van in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and a number of the 9/11 hijackers. SEVIS helps ensure that people coming here to study do just that, and puts the rule of law back into our immigration system by ensuring that violators will face consequences.”

In the SEVIS program’s first year, 8,737 schools and exchange visitor programs, representing more than 9,500 campuses have been certified to participate in the program. As of July 2004, there are more than 770,000 students and exchange visitors (F-1, M-1 and J-1 visa categories) approved to study in the United States whose data is being managed by SEVIS. In addition, SEVIS maintains records on more than 100,000 dependents of students and exchange visitors. www.dhs.gov

“We welcome foreign students to our country. Through SEVIS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers can quickly verify that students presenting themselves at our borders are actual students and exchange visitors,” said U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner. “The program is a necessity in the post-9/11 environment to ensure that terrorists do not enter our country under false pretenses.”

Anticipating that many schools, individual students and exchange visitors might have difficulty meeting the August 1, 2003, compliance date, ICE created a special SEVIS Response Team (SRT) to assist students and exchange visitors who may not have been registered in the SEVIS system by the deadline.

The SRT worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, adjudicators, investigators, schools and individual students and exchange visitors to resolve issues related to admission into the United States.

Between August 2003 and February 2004, the SRT experienced a dramatic decline in the volume of cases and calls – an indication that CBP officers at ports of entry have become more proficient in using SEVIS to determine the admission eligibility of international students arriving to the United States. SEVIS improvements, including a 24-hour-a-day SEVIS Help Desk, have rendered the SRT unnecessary this fall. Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson offered the keynote address at a forum to evaluate SEVIS’ first-year successes yesterday at the Heritage Foundation.

Hutchinson emphasized the importance of SEVIS to the U.S. immigration system and how SEVIS has helped facilitate international students coming into the United States to study. Additional information on the Student Exchange Visitor Program and SEVIS, including fact sheets in multiple languages, can be found on the web at www.ICE.gov/sevis.

ICE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for the enforcement of border, economic, infrastructure and transportation security laws. ICE seeks to prevent acts of terrorism by targeting the people, money and materials that support terrorism and criminal networks.

USCIS Announces Extension Of Stay For Some Foreign Students

Washington, D.C.- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today in the Federal Register that certain academic and exchange foreign students (F and J Visa holders) seeking to adjust to H-1B status may remain in the United States legally until their H-1B petitions are decided.

Typically, these foreign students receive either a 60-day or 30-day grace period to close out affairs and return home at the end of their educational programs. The transition period usually allows enough time for qualified students to receive H-1B status. Because the congressionally mandated H-1B cap for FY 2004 was reached in February, no new H-1B visas are available until October 1, 2004. Thus, the grace period will not allow enough time for a qualified foreign student to receive H-1B status. Without an extension of the applicable grace period, the student would have to leave the U.S. and return when an H-1B visa became available.

"The extension of the grace period allows affected foreign students to remain in country and avoid the inconvenience of returning home only to travel back to the United States in the near future," said Eduardo Aguirre, the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Foreign students qualify for the extended grace period only if their prospective employer has timely filed an H-1B petition on the student's behalf before July 30, 2004. The petition must include a requested employment start date of October 1, 2004. A student awaiting approval of an H-1B petition may not work during the extended grace period or engage in any activities not normally allowed during the grace period. This extended grace period also applies to the foreign student's dependents.

During the extended grace period, DHS Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) will continue to maintain information about the student, but there will be no new requirements on schools or student sponsors during this timeframe. Foreign students are reminded that they have an obligation under DHS regulations to report each change of address and new address to DHS during their stay in the United States.