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Commission Sensitive 70ftit;
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

Event: SEVIS (Student Exchange and Visitor Information System)

Type of event: Briefing, responsive in part to DHS Briefing Request No.6, requesting a
briefing from ICE's National Security Division One's compliance enforcement activities
regarding SEVIS
Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2003
Special Access Issues: [none]
Prepared by: Janice Kephart-Roberts on August 7, 2003
Team Number: 5 (Border Security)
Location: Legacy INS Headquarters, 425 Eye S1., Washington, D.C.
Participants - Non-Commission: Gary Lang, ICE National Security Division
Robert Schoch, ICE Compliance Unit (SEVIS and
NSEERS, to become USVISIT)
Jill Drury, SEVIS Program Office
Dan Brown, DHS point of contact for Commission

Participants - Commission: Janice Kephart-Roberts

Betty Swope
Note: no classification required
Documents provided: Power point on SEVIS.
Student 1-20 forms.
Website information:
"How do I become an Academic Student in the United
States?"
SEVIS Final Rule, 2/2/03

NOTES:

Student Exchange and Visitor Information System supplants CIPRIS (Coordinated

Interagency Partnership Regarding International Students) as the tracking system for
international full time students studying at US colleges, technical and vocational schools,
and exchange programs certified by the government pursuant to Section 641 of the
IIRIRA of 1996. The schedule for SEVIS was set by the USA Patriot Act.

On June 1 2003, SEVIS was transferred from the DHS' Bureau of Citizenship and
Immigrations Services (CIS) to the Compliance Unit within ICE.
SEVIS applies to approximately 6000 certified schools, 1500 exchange programs, 1
million students. All full time foreign students required to be entered into SEVIS by
August I, 2003. After this, only SEVIS generated 1-20s to be accepted.

How the SEVIS program is to work:

1. School/program receives an 1-17 certification.

2. The prospective student applies from abroad to the school for admission.
3. If admitted, the school sends an 1-20 (school) or DS-2019 (exchange visitor) to
the student and SEVIS.
4. Student applies for visa using the 1-20/DS-2019 at local DOS consular office.
5. DOS consular checks the SEVIS database for authentication.
6. Within 30 days, DOS is to adjudicate visa.
7. If visa issued, DOS packages 1-20 for presentation at US port of entry.
8. At port of entry, entry data automatically logged back into SEVIS and student
given 30 days to get to school.
9. Once student shows up at school, school "initializes" registration, which is then
logged back into the SEVIS system.
10. If student fails to show up at school, or falls under units required for that
school's curriculum, SEVIS notifies ICE agents, who then decide how to
proceed.

There have been well documented technical glitches in SEVIS, which DHS is confident
will be overcome, including data crossovers (wrong schools getting info), difficulty
sharing with DOS, long delays will using SEVIS (days instead of minutes).

SEVIS program directors do outreach to their communities, broadcasting messages via

email on updates and information and meet regularly with the educational organizations
to hear their concerns. The program office also has a help desk.

When the compliance office receives a lead on a noncompliant student, an operational

decision is made on how to prioritize based on intel, and the lead goes to a local field
office unless a terrorism case, whereby the lead goes to the local lTTF. To help do this
work, the Compliance Unit works with the FTTTF.