Designated school officials (DSO): SEVIS Release 6.21 will deploy tomorrow, Friday, June 26, 2015, beginning at 8 p.m. EDT. This is the largest release in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) history, and includes important updates that impact the way DSOs use SEVIS.

As a result of the new release, SEVIS will be down and unavailable for users beginning at 8 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 26, through 8 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 28.

As several processes will be unavailable or delayed, it is important that both international students and DSOs are aware of the effects the SEVIS outage can have. This includes:

• I-901 SEVIS Fee payments on FMJFee.com will be unavailable. Be sure to make payments before June 26, or students will have to wait until the outage is over. While no new payments can be made during the SEVIS outage, F and M students will still be able to print their payment confirmation receipts from FMJFee.com. 
• There could be a possible delay for U.S. student visa issuance during the SEVIS outage. Check with your local U.S. Department of State embassy or consulate for more information. 
• F and M students can travel to the United States during this outage; however, students should expect delays at U.S. ports of entry. F and M students whose information cannot be verified during primary inspection will be sent to secondary inspection, where they can expect additional significant delays in entering the country. 
• Social Security number and driver's license applications and services may be delayed or unavailable during the outage. Check with your local Social Security Administration office and Department of Motor Vehicles before you make requests for these services during the SEVIS outage.

For additional details about this weekend’s SEVIS outage and how to prepare, read Be Prepared for the June 26 SEVIS Outage.

The outage is a result of SEVIS Release 6.21. This release includes enhancements to improve user experience, standardize information requirements and better ensure SEVIS data accuracy. One of the most notable changes is the redesigned Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status,” for both F and M international students, which includes an updated design and new name fields.

Other SEVIS enhancements include standardized name and email fields, U.S. address validation, a mass reprint option and improved search functionality. Read What DSOs Should Know About the Next SEVIS Release to learn more.

Are you a DSO with questions about this upcoming release? Read the Release Planning Guide and check out additional release resources in the Learn More section of the SEVIS Help Hub. You can also email your SEVIS technical questions to SEVISHelpdesk@ice.dhs.gov, or call 800-892-4829 or 703-603-3400, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, except holidays. 

Help us spread this important information about SEVIS release 6.21 by sharing this blog post with your networks on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn using #SEVIS.