SEVIS Student Requirements

 

WHAT IS SEVIS?

 

SEVIS is the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System that requires all colleges and universities in the US to report electronically to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) information about F-1 students and J-1 students and visiting scholars beginning January 30, 2003.

 

New reporting requirements include:

 

  1. failure to enroll (termination of studies);
  2. dropping below full-time without authorization from my Office;
  3. any other failure to maintain status, such as unauthorized employment or failure to complete program;
  4. change in legal name and address;
  5. disciplinary action taken by Manchester College as the result of the student being convicted of a crime;
  6. student’s graduation prior to expected end date as listed on the I-20 or DS-2019; and
  7. start date of student’s next session.

 

 

FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENT

 

INS regulations require all undergraduate students to enroll for 12 credit hours per quarter, and graduate students must enroll for 10 credit hours per quarter.  However, INS regulations allow graduate students with assistantships or associateships to be considered full-time if they enroll for at least 9 credit hours per quarter during the academic year and at least 7 credit hours per quarter during summer.  Students holding graduate fellowships must enroll for 15 credit hours, and Ph.D. students who have passed their candidacy exams must enroll for 12 credit hours to be considered full-time.

 

 

 

COURSELOAD REDUCTION

 

My Office must report to SEVIS each semester whether students are full-time or part-time.  Those who do not maintain a full course of study will be considered out of legal status by INS and must depart the US immediately.

 

There are, however, six INS approved reasons for students taking less than full-time.  They are:

 

  1. initial difficulty with the English language or reading requirements, unfamiliarity with American teaching methods, or improper course level placement (allowed only once per academic level, and undergraduates must enroll for at least 6 credit hours);
  2. last quarter of study (may be less than 6 credits);
  3. concurrent enrollment (total combined enrollment at each institution must meet the full-time definitions as stated above);
  4. graduate students who are engaged in a graduate thesis, research, or a special project that is part of their academic program;
  5. graduate students who have completed all coursework and are enrolling for 999 credit only (may be less than 6 credits); and
  6. temporary illness or medical condition for a period of time not to exceed an aggregate of 12 months while the student is pursuing a course of study at a particular program level.  Documentation from a licensed medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy, or licensed clinical psychologist is required and must be provided for each new quarter that a student is ill.

 

 

TRAVEL

 

Effective immediately, if you will be traveling outside the US, you must come to my Office to request a new SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 travel document.  If you have dependents, each one must now have his or her own SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 in order to get a visa and/or enter the US.

 

If you already possess a SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019, you must come to OMA for a travel signature for reentry.

 

If you choose to apply for a US visa in Canada/Mexico and are denied, you will not be readmitted to the US under Automatic Revalidation.  You will need to travel DIRECTLY to your home country to obtain a new visa in order to reenter the US.

 

NOTE:  Please do not request a new SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 now if you are not traveling until summer.  OIE will issue a SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 to all students and scholars and their dependents during the remainder of this academic year.

 

 

US ADDRESS REPORTING REQUIREMENT

 

Students must notify my Office within 10 days of an address change. Please note that students MAY NOT use a PO Box for their address.  SEVIS requires a street address that is the current address where the student and his or her dependents physically reside. Students living on campus should just use 604 E college Avenue, while students living off campus should update OMA and INS with any address changes.

 

 

F-2 AND J-2 DEPENDENT STUDY

 

Individuals in F-2 status are no longer able to study for a degree on either a part-time or full-time basis.  Therefore, those who are studying full-time or part-time toward a degree must apply to INS for a change of status to F-1 by March 11, 2003.  Those in F-2 status may continue to study while the petition is pending with INS.

 

Currently, there is no prohibition to full-time or part-time study toward a degree for J-2 dependents.  However, it is expected that this will change in the near future because this provision regarding J-2 status was clearly an omission from the proposed regulations issued by the Department of State (DOS).

 

Therefore, we recommend that J-2 dependents who are eligible to change status inside the US do that now.  Individuals with J-2 status who are subject to the J-1 two-year home residency requirement, should plan to leave the US, obtain a J-1 visa, and reenter prior to the fall quarter, if they plan to continue to pursue their degree.

 

 

EXTENSION OF I-20 OR DS-2019

 

Students must obtain an extension of their I-20 or DS-2019 PRIOR to the program end-date noted on their current I-20 or DS-2019 by coming to OIE during regular walk-in hours.  Students who do not obtain a new I-20 or DS-2019 prior to the program end-date violate their status.

 

 

CHANGE OF ACADEMIC LEVEL

 

My Office must report a change of academic level to SEVIS within 21 days of such event.  Please bring your admission letter and all previous Forms I-20 or DS-2019 to OMA or drop them off with the secretary in the President’s office.  My Office will submit the change to SEVIS after reviewing your documents and will request a new SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019.  This includes students changing levels from non-degree program, such as Associates to Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D.; Bachelor’s to Master’s; Master’s to Ph.D.; and degree program to non-degree program.

 

 

CHANGE OF MAJOR

 

Students who change their majors must complete a Change of Major Form with their academic advisor in their home department and submit it to the Registrar’s office.  Students should bring a photocopy of this signed form to OMA during office hours to request an updated I-20 or DS-2019.  My Office must notify INS within 21 days of this event.

 

 

GRACE PERIODS

 

F-1 students have a 60-day grace period following completion of study or completion of optional practical training to 1) depart the US, 2) transfer to another institution, or 3) change status.

 

However, students who terminate their studies before completion of their academic program do NOT receive a 60-day grace period.  These students MUST notify my Office BEFORE terminating studies in order to receive a 15-day grace period to depart the US.

 

F-1 students who do not notify my Office before termination of studies receive no grace period and must leave the US immediately.

 

J-1 students have a 30-day grace period following completion of study or completion of academic training to 1) depart the US, 2) transfer to another institution, or 3) change status, if eligible.

 

 

SAFEKEEPING DOCUMENTS/REPLACING LOST DOCUMENTS

 

Never throw away any I-20 or DS-2019 after receiving an updated form.  INS may request to see these forms in the future.

 

 

TRANSFERS

 

Students must now notify my Office prior to leaving Manchester College for another institution.  Students will not be able to receive an I-20 or DS-2019 from the new school unless the following steps are completed:

 

  1. notify my Office of your intent to transfer and provide the name of the new school to which you intend to transfer;
  2. We will update your record in SEVIS as a “transfer out” and indicate the name of the school to which you intend to transfer, along with a release date (and for J-1 students, the exchange visitor program number).  The release date is usually the last day of a quarter or the date of expected transfer;
  3. you may request that we cancel the “transfer out” at any time prior to the release date;
  4. as of the release date, the new school will have full access to your SEVIS record and assumes responsibility for you, at which time the new school will issue you a SEVIS Form I-20 or DS-2019;
  5. student must contact the international office at the new school within 15 days of the start date listed on the SEVIS I-20 or DS-2019 to avoid violating their status;
  6. the new school will verify enrollment with SEVIS, thereby acknowledging that the student has completed the transfer process; and
  7. for F-1 students, in the remarks section of the student’s SEVIS Form I-20, the new school must note that the transfer has been completed, indicating the date, and returning the I-20 to the student.

 

 

F-1 STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

 

F-1 students may work on-campus up to 20 hours per week while school is in session, and more than 20 hours per week during quarter breaks and the annual vacation quarter.  F-1 students may not begin on-campus work more than 30 days prior to the actual start of classes.  Other employment in the US requires recommendation or authorization by INS or OMA.

 

 

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

 

F-1 students may apply for OPT authorization for temporary employment directly related to the student’s major area of study.

 

INS regulations state that:

  1. students may apply for 12 months of OPT after completion of their course of study and may become eligible for another 12 months when he/she changes to a higher educational level;
  2. students in English language training are not eligible for OPT;
  3. students may apply for OPT up to 120 days prior to completion of studies, but MAY NO LONGER apply for OPT after completion of studies; and
  4. authorization to engage in OPT is automatically terminated when the student transfers to another school or begins study at another educational level.

 

 

 

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

 

F-1 students may participate in a CPT program if it is an integral part of an established curriculum.  CPT is defined to be alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum that is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.  CPT may be full-time or part-time.  Students doing part-time CPT must still enroll in classes full-time.  Students doing full-time CPT are not required to register for any classes.

 

Students who are finished with all coursework may not apply for curricular practical training, unless they are graduate students who will incorporate research conducted in the workplace into their thesis or dissertation.

 

 

 

J-1 STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

 

On-campus

 

J-1 students holding assistantships and associateships may work on-campus up to 20 hours per week while school is in session.

 

With prior approval from BCA, J-1 students other than those holding assistantships and associateships may work on-campus up to 20 hours per week while school is in session and more than 20 hours per week during quarter breaks and the annual vacation quarter.  OMA will update the J-1 student’s SEVIS record to reflect the details of such employment.  J-1 students may not begin on-campus work more than 30 days prior to the actual start of classes.

 

Off-campus

 

Off campus employment issues for J-1 students will be handled by BCA. OMA will however facilitate such communication and the J-1 student is welcome to visit OMA with such questions.

 

Academic Training

 

J-1 students remain eligible for academic training work authorization as before.  This too is handled by BCA in conjunction with OMA. BCA must electronically report the authorized period of academic training in SEVIS prior to the first date of employment.

 

 

REINSTATEMENT TO LEGAL STATUS

 

F-1 students may make a request for reinstatement on Form I-539 accompanied by SEVIS Form I-20 indicating the DSO’s recommendation for reinstatement.  F-1 students must not have been out of status for more than five months at the time of filing the request for reinstatement and does not have a record of repeated or willful violations.

 

 

Reinstatement for J-1 students and scholars will be handled through BCA headquarters.

 

Students and their dependents who fail to timely report a change of address (see above) are not eligible for reinstatement.

 

Students who need reinstatement must arrange an appointment with the Director of Multicultural Affairs.

 

Check for updates to these regulations on OMA's website