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As a new session starts, designated school officials (DSOs) should be mindful of the program end dates (PEDs) listed on your international students’ Forms I-20, “Certificates of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.” Students should also monitor their PEDs and, if necessary, request a PED extension before the current program end date has passed. Common reasons for updated PED include:

Effective May 11, 2023, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) ended its Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) guidance, consistent with the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, following the end of the COVID-19 National Emergency on April 10, 2023.

School officials must maintain accurate student records and address all errors in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) immediately. Inaccurate SEVIS data can impact a student’s:

On March 10, 2023, the U.S.

Designated school officials (DSOs) are required to keep student and school records up to date to help ensure accurate Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) data. Keep these requirements in mind:

On Jan. 25, 2023, the U.S.

director's corner Start Your School Year with These Resources Welcome back to school! However you support your school’s international students, we hope you’ve had a smooth transition into a new semester and are feeling prepared for the rest of the school year. I hope these new resources will be helpful as you and your students settle in.

On Sept. 26, 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a notice in the Federal Register that provides Special Student Relief (SSR) employment benefits for F-1 nonimmigrant students from Burma experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current crisis in Burma.

General Information The Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) requires an annual verification that all users who access a federal system have both the business need and the authorization to access the system. To comply with FISMA, principal designated school officials (PDSOs) and responsible officers (ROs) must annually verify that all PDSOs, designated school officials (DSOs), ROs and alternate responsible officers (AROs) who have access to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS):

Designated school officials (DSO) should remember to follow their regulatory requirement to register students no later than 30 days of the start of each session. SEVIS registration must be completed on all appropriate SEVIS records no later than 30 days after the start of each session. Prior to completing a student’s registration, you must decide if every Initial and Active F-1 and M-1 student attending your institution is eligible for SEVIS registration. Failure to register students at the beginning of each school session jeopardizes F and M students’ nonimmigrant status.