The latest edition of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program’s (SEVP) quarterly newsletter, SEVP Spotlight, is available on Study in the States. This issue of SEVP Spotlight focuses on important Form I-17, “Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant Student,” reminders for school officials.

Specifically, school officials must remember that SEVP does not consider the adjudication of a Form I-17 update as recertification. These are two separate requirements. A school must apply for recertification when it receives notification of its certification end date, whereas, per regulations, SEVP-certified institutions must report any changes to the Form I-17 via the updates process. The updates process ensures the Form I-17 reflects the institution’s current operating status.

However, in some circumstances, a school may file an update at the same time as its recertification petition. Only in these instances will an update to the Form I-17 be adjudicated at the same time as recertification. For step-by-step instructions on how to perform these actions in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), visit the SEVIS Help Hub’s Form I-17 - Recertification and Update School Information pages.

For more details about the difference between petition updates and recertification, please read the December 2017 SEVP Spotlight.