There are two important government resources available to assist designated school officials (DSO) with their international students: the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Field Representatives Unit (FRU) and Project Campus Sentinel.

Field representatives serve as liaisons between SEVP, those schools seeking initial SEVP certification, and the schools which have been certified. Field representatives provide customer service and highlight SEVP and other resources for DSOs to do their jobs.

Project Campus Sentinel focuses on opening direct communication channels between DSOs and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Project Campus Sentinel helps schools handle potential compliance problems before they become national security concerns.

SEVP Field Representatives

The FRU enhances national security by fostering regulatory adherence and promoting data integrity in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), DHS’ primary recordkeeping and oversight platform for nonimmigrant students. SEVP is deploying field representatives to regions across the country. SEVP field representatives are official Federal government employees that are trained and certified by SEVP to:

• Ensure SEVP-certified school officials understand SEVP laws, regulations and guidance;
• Answer general questions;
• Provide training and assistance to DSOs;
• Help DSOs with SEVP certification and recertification processes;
• Schedule and conduct school site visits; and
• Attend and participate in related conferences and meetings.

To learn more about the SEVP FRU, visit the Study in the States Field Representative resource page.

Project Campus Sentinel

Project Campus Sentinel is a link between DSOs and HSI special agents for collaboration and communication to help detect and prevent school fraud and visa exploitation. DSOs must ensure that F and M students at their school follow the Department of Homeland Security regulations during a program of study. Project Campus Sentinel provides DSOs:

• A tool to help identify possible threats to national security within their F and/or M student population, and
• The proper outlet to report this information.

To learn more about Project Campus Sentinel, including DSOs role in the program, visit the Study in the States Project Campus Sentinel resource page.

If you have questions or concerns contact the SEVP Response Center by calling 703‑603‑3400 or emailing sevp@ice.dhs.gov.