Many schools in the United States are in midst of summer break. This time can offer the opportunity for designated school official (DSOs) to catch up on administrative duties and other tasks.

 

Be sure to take time over this summer break to check your school’s Form I–17, “Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant Student,” and ensure all the information is up-to-date and accurate.

 

Part of your responsibility as a DSO at a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school is to regularly review all fields on the Form I-17 and keep them current. When the school information listed on the Form I-17 changes, your school’s principal designated school official (PDSO) should make the necessary update in a timely manner. Regulation 8 CFR 214.3(g) and (h) requires updates to be made within 21 days of the change.

 

Reviewing and making timely updates to the Form I-17 can help make your school’s recertification process easier, so do not wait until your school is up for recertification to make the necessary updates. If you wait until you receive notice that your school is up for recertification, you may run the risk of not allowing enough processing time for your update to be adjudicated in order for you to file for recertification prior to your school’s certification expiration date. Please keep in mind that an updated adjudication is not considered a recertification. Updates and recertification adjudications are two separate processes. 

 

Any time you need to make a change to your school’s Form I–17, you do so electronically through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Note that only the school’s PDSO can submit these changes. Some updates may also require you to submit supporting documentation to SEVP. If so, a request for evidence will be sent to school officials. It is important to provide the requested information in a timely manner.  After all required evidence is received the school’s pending update will undergo review by an SEVP adjudicator. Once an adjudication decision has been made, your school will receive a notification of the adjudication decision through SEVIS. 

 

If you have specific questions about your Form I-17 updates, contact the SEVP Response Center at sevp@ice.dhs.gov. To learn more about this important requirement, visit the Updates to the Form I-17 resource page.