Designated school officials (DSOs) with F-1 students returning from a temporary absence can change the student’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record to Active 60 days in advance of their return. This change only applies to students who are absent from the country and school for less than five months and are returning to the United States to enroll in school.

Prior to June 2015, correction requests for temporary absences could only be changed 30 days in advance of a student’s return to the United States.

Correction requests for temporary absences are high priority data fixes for the SEVP Response Center (SRC). Also, the SRC no longer requires the submission of a student’s flight itinerary to process a correction request.

If a student’s SEVIS record remains terminated for longer than five months, that student will then need to obtain a new/initial Form I-20, "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status," with a new SEVIS ID and pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee again. They may also need to apply for and receive a new student visa from the U.S. Department of State. However, students will only need to apply for a new visa if their current student visa is no longer valid.