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As the fall semester approaches, several updated resources are now available in the Study in the States Resource Library, including the international student life cycle and the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) school certification life cycle.

PLEASE NOTE: The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) ended its Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) guidance on May 11, 2023, consistent with the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. As a result, all related statements, guidance and FAQs previously released by SEVP also terminated on May 11, 2023, and this content may be outdated. Learn more.   

Per regulation, all SEVP-certified schools must be recertified every two years. A school’s certification expiration date (CED) is exactly two years from the date of initial certification or the date of previous recertification.

If you are a school official considering Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, check out the What to Know About SEVP Certification page for prospective school officials on Study in the States. If you are considering submitting a petition to SEVP to enroll international students, this page has the information you need.SEVP certification authorizes your institution to enroll international students after they enter the United States. Schools may petition to enroll:

Schools are required to pay fees to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and provide proof of payment to SEVP upon submission of their initial certification petition, recertification petition or Form I-290B, “Notice of Appeal or Motion.” Additionally, certain updates to the Form I-17, "Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant Student," also require proof of fee payment upon the submission of the updated petition.As a reminder, schools are required to pay the following fees as of June 24, 2019:

As your institution’s time to renew their Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification approaches, make sure that you have these resources saved! These resources will be very helpful as your school prepares for the recertification process.

Principal designated school officials (PDSO) at Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified schools must submit for recertification by the school's certification expiration date (CED) to ensure school officials are following regulations when enrolling international students. The CED is two years from the date of the school’s initial certification or last recertification approval and can be found at the top of the School Information page in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

Updates to the Form I-17, “Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant Student,” and school recertification are two very different processes in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) school certification life cycle. Below, learn the differences between filing for recertification and submitting updates to the Form I-17.Recertification

School officials must update their institution’s Form I-17, "Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant Student," when information on the petition changes or does not reflect the institution’s current operating status. You must report any changes to your school’s Form I-17, including changes to instructional sites, within 21 days of the change.