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International Students > SEVIS
SEVIS
What is SEVIS?
SEVIS stands for Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly the INS) created this internet-based system in order to maintain current information on nonimmigrant students, exchange visitors, and their dependents (i.e. all those in the F or J visa status). SEVIS will track F and J visa holders from the time they receive their documents (I-20, visa, etc.) until they complete their programs of study. When fully operational, SEVIS will link with colleges and universities, U.S. embassies and consulates, U.S. ports of entry, the Department of State, and exchange visitor programs.
Why was SEVIS created?
Institutions have been required by law for many years to keep records on F and J students. SEVIS was created to comply with a 1996 federal law and to automate the collection of required data.
How will SEVIS affect me?
All F-1 and J-1 students and visitors have a SEVIS record with a SEVIS number. The Office of Admissions is responsible for updating your SEVIS record. SEVIS will keep track of certain information about all students; institutions (such as Indiana University Southeast) are required to report the following:
- Full-time enrollment
- Failure to enroll
- Notification that a J-1 visitor/student has checked in
- Dropping below a full-time course load without prior authorization from an international advisor in the Office of Admissions
- Any other failure to maintain student status or complete program
- A change in legal name or address
- Student's graduation prior to the expected program end date
- Start date of student's next session
- Transfers
- Program extensions
- Off-campus employment authorization
- Any other major changes to a student's program
We recommend the following advice:
Undergraduate students should always be registered for at least 12 credit hours per semester. (Rare exceptions exist - meet with an international advisor in the Office of Admissions before dropping below these credit-hour limits.)
Graduate students should always be registered for at least 8 credit hours per semester, or at least 6 hours for those students with Associate Instructorships, Research Assistantships, or Graduate Assistantships. (Rare exceptions exist - meet with an international advisor in the Office of Admissions before dropping below these credit-hour limits.)
International students must never begin off-campus employment before obtaining proper authorization from an international advisor in the Office of Admissions and/or USCIS.
International students must always keep their local address updated by reporting a change of address within 10 days of moving. If you have not yet reported your address to USCIS or have moved recently, please take the following steps: 1.) Update your address via OneStart 2.) Report your address to the USCIS by completing form AR-11. Fill out two copies of the form. Send one to the address given on the form and the other to an international advisor in the Office of Admissions. 3.) Send an email to seintadm@ius.edu.
Many major problems that international students encounter with their status are related to the above areas. Maintaining legal student status in the U.S. has always been very important. The introduction of SEVIS makes it even more important. Under the new regulations, it may prove difficult to regain student status within the U.S. if a student falls out of status for any reason other than injury, illness, or natural disaster. There is little room for error. Please pay careful attention to your student status and make every effort to maintain it.
For additional information:
Additional questions or concerns should be directed to an international student advisor in the Office of Admissions at 812-941-2212 or seintadm@ius.edu.
Effective September 1, 2004, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires the collection of a one-time fee of U.S. $100 from new international students and visiting scholars. The fee helps cover operational costs of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). SEVIS is a central computerized system that maintains and manages data concerning international students (F-1 status), exchange visitors (J-1 status), and their dependents (F-2 and J-2) during their stay in the United States.
For more information regarding the SEVIS fee requirement or other visa-related matters, contact the Office of Admissions at IU Southeast: seintadm@ius.edu.
