F and M students must abide by both federal regulations and U.S. laws while in the United States to maintain their status.

However, if one of your international students finds themselves in trouble with the law, there are steps you should take as a designated school official. First, notify your Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) field representative and your Project Campus Sentinel (PCS) point of contact.

PCS is an agent outreach program that partners with educational institutions to improve collaboration and communication between DSOs and investigators from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Your SEVP field representative can connect you with PCS if you are unsure of how to reach them.

In addition to notifying your SEVP field representative and PCS, you should also:

• Follow your campus’ established procedures or policies. Notify key offices within your school (for example, university relations, dean of students, etc.) that should be aware of the student’s legal troubles.
• Adhere to your school’s policy to determine whether to terminate the student’s record in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.

Do you have additional questions about what you should do if an F or M student is facing legal trouble? Contact the SEVP Response Center or your SEVP field representative for more information.