Frances Meres, the guest author of today’s blog post, is the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) field representative for Territory 50, serving the eastern Pennsylvania region. She served as a designated school official (DSO) for several years at institutions of various sizes and with various missions before joining SEVP’s Field Representative Unit in 2015.

Regardless of your school type or size, being proactive can help you work smarter and prevent critical issues. Below are a few examples of how prevention now can help you avoid a crisis later.

Check the Form I-94 upon Arrival

While it is not a regulatory requirement to check a student’s Form I-94, “Arrival/Departure Record,” upon their arrival to your school, doing so ensures the student has properly applied for and received admission. It also trains the student to check the form as well. You can sometimes work with the government to make adjustments to improperly issued Forms I-94 just after arrival. If necessary, the student still has time to travel and re-enter in the proper status.

Plan Ahead for Key Reporting Deadlines

There are important regulatory reporting requirements that DSOs must meet. To ensure you complete these requirements on time, make a schedule in advance of the session or semester, marking dates for key reporting deadlines such as registration, employment and necessary terminations. I even recommend setting your own, earlier deadlines to complete steps ahead of time when possible.

Provide Training for All

Adequate DSO training and staffing are essential, even with smaller F-1 and M-1 student populations. If you have a team, dividing regular reporting tasks such as registration and employment authorization is a great way to manage the workload. By regularly rotating these tasks, you can continuously train your entire team.

You can also expand your school’s understanding of international student and SEVP-certified school regulations by including non-DSO advisors and teachers in certain training initiatives, or by having DSOs assigned to strategic administrative areas of your school. A broader understanding ensures your school provides students with consistent advice across the board and helps administrators understand the value of the DSO role.

Use Your Field Representative

Field representatives are here to help! I view my role as preventative medicine; I would rather a DSO come to me with an issue or question before it becomes a difficult compliance situation. There is no danger in asking questions or making an effort to better understand regulations. Let your field representative know if you want to dedicate a regular meeting to intensive training, and be candid about your struggles and experiences to make the most out of your school visits.

These are preventative measures for common crises I see regularly. As a DSO, consider these questions:

• What policies do we have in place to prevent students from finding themselves in precarious situations?
• How can we work smarter now to prevent more work later?

Talk to your field representative about the trends and struggles you see, and brainstorm how you can find ways to work smarter.