The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) uses guidance when making adjudication decisions. Guidance is SEVP’s interpretation of federal laws and regulations that guide decision-making for adjudicators. To clarify how the guidance process works and to show past and current opportunities for public comment, SEVP redesigned the SEVP Guidance for Comment page.

There are three stages to the guidance process:

• Draft Guidance: Interpretations of SEVP governing regulations that clarify or revise SEVP’s policies on various topics affecting the adjudication process. Draft guidance does not establish standards or requirements and is not official policy. It is intended to ensure public understanding of how SEVP adjudicators apply decisions.
• Interim Final Guidance: Clarifications or revisions to SEVP policy. Unlike draft guidance, interim final guidance is official SEVP policy that establishes standards or requirements and is used by adjudicators when posted. SEVP will typically issue interim final guidance on issues that require immediate clarification, revision, or are uncontroversial to seek public comment to help inform the final guidance.
• Final Guidance: Official SEVP policy that establishes standards or requirements and is used in SEVP adjudications. Final guidance is not open for public comment. It is intended to clarify law or regulation related to SEVP adjudications and does not replace or supersede those laws or regulations.

Check out the page today! If you have any SEVP policy questions that are not related to guidance documents, please contact SEVP’s Response Center at 703-603-3400 or SEVP@ice.dhs.gov.