The beginning of the school year is always a busy time for designated school officials (DSOs) with the rush of new and returning students. This hectic time can spark many questions for any Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school and their students. While students can reach out to DSOs for guidance on the process to study in the United States, schools can reach out to their regional field representative, which is one of the many resources available for DSOs. A field representative can help answer your questions and let you know where to go for more information.

A field representative is a trained official federal government employee who serves as a liaison between SEVP and schools. Field representatives also help schools comply with rules and regulations while maintaining the integrity of data entered into the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.

Deployment of the 60 total field representatives is taking place in four phases. The first group of 15 launched in April 2014, and through the end of 2015 there will be deployment of the remaining 45 representatives. After deployment of a school’s assigned field representative, they will contact the DSO directly to introduce themselves and schedule a time to meet.

Some of the official responsibilities of an SEVP field representative include:

• Answering general questions related to the nonimmigrant student process,
• Providing training and assistance to DSOs, and
• Attending conferences and meetings in their areas that pertain to nonimmigrant students.

To learn more about field representatives, visit our SEVP Field Representatives page, and for additional DSO resources, visit the DSO web page.