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Is SEVIS Likely to Cause Problems For Foreign Students?

Posted by Cliff on from the knee-jerk-reactions-or-valid-precaution dept.

Unne asks: "I just received notice from the foreign student department of my school (City College of New York) advising me to not leave the country anytime soon, or, if traveling is absolutely necessary, to return before the end of the year. It appears that a new system is being deployed called SEVIS, the Student Exchange and Visitor Information System, which requires 43 separate pieces about me if I am to be verified thru this system. I did a Slashdot-search for SEVIS but came up with nothing. I'd love to hear some opinions from people who are familiar with the program or perhaps took part in its development. What are those 43 items of information. What type of computer systems do they use? Is the information exchange between INS and the schools really handled via the web, and how does that affect privacy and personal integrity?"

"Here is what the notice says:

TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - WINTER 2002

The Immigration Service is implementing a new record-keeping system for international students in the United States called SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System). The implementation of the SEVIS program is likely to cause extreme difficulties for students who wish to travel and re-enter the United States for the foreseeable future. This is how the SEVIS system is supposed to work and some of the complications that we anticipate may arise:

  • By November 15th, 2002 all schools in the US authorized to admit international students must apply for re-certification in order to continue to be eligible to admit international students.
  • It is uncertain how long it will take INS to re-certify schools applying for re-certification.
  • When a school becomes re-certified, all I-20's must be issued under the new SEVIS system. That means the school must transmit, electronically, forty-three (43) items of information about the student to the INS' SEVIS website.
  • When that information is received by INS, it will be reviewed and Immigration will electronically send an approval notice to the school to allow the school to allow the school to download a SEVIS I-20 for the student. It is uncertain how long the approval process will take - it could be hours, days or weeks.
  • The school will download the new SEVIS I-20 and give it to the student.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS

  • In many cases, the International Student Office may have incomplete data on the students requesting I-20's. That means we must obtain the missing data before proceeding with the process.
  • Within the near future, thousands of schools in the US will be submitting information on tens of thousands of students requesting I-20's to the SEVIS website. This system has been tested in only a very limited fashion. No-one can predict how well it will work in reality.
  • The new system comes into effect on January 30th, 2003. However, if a school is re-certified before that date it is not clear whether existing I-20 forms will be honored or whether the student must use a SEVIS I-20 to enter the country even if entering the US before January 30th, 2003.
  • After re-certification, students transferring to a SEVIS-approved school will be unable to receive an I-20 from their new school until their previous school certifies that the student is maintaining lawful student status and is eligible for school transfer.
  • The best advice we can offer at the moment is: If it is not absolutely vital that you travel, it will be safer and much less complicated if you avoid leaving the country at this time. If you must travel, it will be better if you can return before the end of this year."

4 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I have another suggestion... by Glass+of+Water · · Score: 3, Insightful

    God, I love THIS argument. It's a pretty common and facile argument, and contains, I believe, no outright logical fallacy. I will provide a summary of your points: The history of our country is bloody. Our forefathers took the land by force. Therefore, putting aside morality (a murky and illogical concept, hard to pin down or agree on) there is nothing amiss with it still being a bloody place.

    --
    There are no trolls. There are no trees out here.
  2. Re:I have another suggestion... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    And sadly the conclusion to this is that being a bloody place there is nothing wrong with the terrorist attacks that others might do to us simply becuase they want what we've got. Namely, power, land, wealth, freedom, etc.

    (putting aside morality)

  3. Re:I have another suggestion... by duffbeer703 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    English is the de facto language of government and commerce -- no myth.

    Try setting up a company speaking and writing only German.

    --
    Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
  4. Re:I have another suggestion... by Matt2000 · · Score: 3, Insightful


    Predictions regarding the person who made this post:

    1. Under the age of 20, or older but still lives with parents.
    2. Has not touched a human breast other than his own.
    3. Doesn't read much, or while reading doesn't think much.
    4. Enjoys taking hard line stands on many issues, although not sure why.
    5. Has never actually performed an action in support of one of these hard line stands.
    6. Considers himself a pretty amazing programmer.
    7. Enjoys tasering own nads.

    How'd I do? I'm guessing 5/7 at least.

    --