Please note: These changes will not take effect until Friday, Aug. 1, at 8 p.m. EDT. 

On August 1, 2014, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is implementing the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) 6.17 release. This release contains enhancements that address concerns about the optional practical training (OPT) audit and lays the groundwork for several future initiatives.

With SEVIS 6.17, users can look forward to the following enhancements:

• OPT will show three distinct sets of dates in SEVIS, including:
  • Principal designated school official (PDSO) and designated school official (DSO) Recommended Start and End Dates,
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services-approved Start and End Dates, and
  • Actual Start and End Dates for OPT.
• OPT status indicator will indicate if a student is actively engaged in OPT.
• SEVIS Name Standardization Impact Report will allow school officials to see how the name standards will be implemented and provide feedback on concerns.
• Search Result Enhancements will display more information in easy‑to‑read columns.
• Exchange Visitor Validation Alerts will be streamlined.
• Multiple Addresses for Exchange Visitors can include both physical and mailing addresses for J Exchange Visitors.
• Enhanced Password Security rules.

You can view the July 11, 2014 webinar on Study in the States, which demonstrates the functionality of these enhancements. Please direct any questions relating to the SEVIS 6.17 release to SEVISTechnicalFeedback@ice.dhs.gov.