Designated school officials (DSOs) must register their Initial and Active international students in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) within 30 days of the start of the school session.

Regular student registration in SEVIS is necessary to track regulatory compliance for international students and Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified schools. Failing to register your students at the beginning of each school session jeopardizes your F and M students’ status. 

SEVIS will not allow you to register a student’s record if it is missing certain information, including proof of their I-901 SEVIS fee payment and a U.S. physical address. SEVIS will also not allow you to register students for a session that lasts longer than 183 days.

Schools who repeatedly fail to register their students may receive a Remedial Action Plan from SEVP.

To learn more about the registration process, watch the Demonstration on How to Register Initial and Active Students. Bookmark the F-1 and M-1 Registration User Guide for detailed SEVIS registration instructions and links to relevant federal regulations.

If you have failed to register your students within 30 days of the start of the school session, please review the Correction Request Overview for the steps you must take to fix the record.

For case-specific questions on registration, contact your field representative or call the SEVP Response Center.