SEVIS
What is SEVIS?
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is the new mechanism employed by the U.S. government to track the arrival, enrollment and departures of international students and their dependents. As of January 30, 2003, all universities in the United States are now required to use SEVIS.
SEVIS is an internet-based system that requires schools and the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) to exchange data on the immigration and academic status of
international students.
Data schools must report
- Name, date of birth, country of birth, country of citizenship, source and amount of financial resources, academic program, level of study, program start and end dates
- Arrival and enrollment or failure to enroll
- Student's Physical Address in USA
- Registration for less than a full course of study without ISS authorization
- A change of the student or dependent's legal name or address
- Graduation prior to the end date listed on the I-20 or DS-2019
- Failure to complete the academic program or program objective
- Termination date and reason for termination
- Program extension, school transfer, change in level of study, employment authorization, and reinstatement
SEVIS Registration
SEVIS registration means UFIC is reporting to the Department of Homeland Security
that international students are enrolled for classes and have legal immigration status. SEVIS
registration occurs every semester. UFIC reports the current session end date, next
session start date and the student's US address.
All F-1 and J-1 students who have UFIC issued I-20s or DS-2019s must
- Be full-time enrolled for classes by the last day of drop/add period,
- Have their up-to-date US physical address (no PO Boxes) in the UF Directory as soon as possible.
This is critically important because International Student Services must send a report
"registering" F-1 students and "validating" or "verifying" J-1 students in SEVIS
within 30 days of the beginning of the semester. If an F-1 or J-1 student is not
"registered" or "validated" in SEVIS, then the student is automatically reported
out of status in SEVIS. The student must apply for reinstatement and stop working until
returned to legal status. Specific details about SEVIS registration for F-1 students and
validation for J-1 students are below:
F-1 Students
If an F-1 student is not enrolled for classes, then the student must make an appointment to see an International Student Advisor (ISA). This is to ensure that they will be registered in SEVIS.
It is critical that all F-1 students be SEVIS registered before federal deadlines. If not, then the student is automatically reported in SEVIS as out of status.
J-1 Students
UFIC must validate that all J-1 students are enrolled for classes within 30 days of the beginning of the semester for new students and current students. The new J-1 students will be validated individually in SEVIS and the current J-1 students enrollment will be verified by UFIC. If a J-1 student is not enrolled, then the student is automatically reported in SEVIS as out of status. UFIC also has to report the J-1 student’s US address.
SEVIS Registration Requirements:
Enrolling full time: Undergraduate students MUST be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours per semester. Graduate students must be enrolled 9 credit hours.
Below Full-time Course Load: If for some reason, you are unable to enroll full time during a semester (medical problem, initial difficulties, or final semester) you MUST contact UFIC before you drop below full-time course load. UFIC must approve this action prior to it happening or you will be out of status.
Physical Location Address: You must have a “Local Home Physical Location Address” in the UF Directory. It has to be
updated to keep UFIC’s and SEVIS’s database accurate. Remember: The “Local Home Physical Location Address” is the PHYSICAL address where you live, it CANNOT be
a PO Box, and it must be in USA (it is not your "foreign HOME" address).