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In honor of National Preparedness Month, save this new, free, downloadable infographic in the Resource Library with resources to keep in mind in the event of an emergency. There are several resources included to help both students and school officials prepare and stay safe. Resources to Prepare for Emergencies:

If you are considering enrolling nonimmigrant students at your school, you should learn more about the process to certify your school with the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). SEVP certification allows schools that have an approved Form I-17, “Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant Student,” to appoint a principal designated school official (PDSO) and designated school officials (DSO) access the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) annual verification runs from Dec. 3, 2019, to March 2, 2020.During this 90-day period, all principal designated school officials (PDSO), designated school officials (DSO), responsible officers (RO) and alternate responsible officers (ARO) must verify with their Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school that they:

A Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified public high school (grades 9-12) can enroll both F-1 international students and also enroll exchange visitor students through a U.S. Department of State designated Secondary School Student Exchange Program.F students may only attend a public school for 12 months. After 12 months, F students may transfer from a public high school to a private high school, or from a public high school to a college or university.

On May 23, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule to adjust the fees charged to students, school and exchange visitors. There are important changes that Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)- certified schools and designated school officials should know.At 12:00 a.m. EDT on June 24, 2019, when the fee rule is implemented, the following fee changes will take effect:

English language training programs enroll F-1 students who want to pursue an English language training course of study. The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) defines two types of English language training programs:

A Public School at the secondary level (grades 9-12) is eligible for Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. An F-1 or M-1 student may not attend a public school for kindergarten through 8th grades because those schools cannot be SEVP-certified. F-1 or M-1 students are eligible to attend kindergarten through 12th grade at an SEVP-certified Private School.

A Private School at the elementary and secondary grade levels (i.e., K-12) is eligible for Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. Unlike a Public School that may only enroll an F-1 student for one year, regulations place no limit on the length of time an F-1 student may attend a private SEVP-certified school. All schools must be certified by SEVP in order to enroll F-1 or M-1 students.

Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) schools that want to enroll F-1 or M-1 students must be Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified. To learn more about the responsibilities and the commitment involved with SEVP-certification, please visit the Study in the States' Certification Responsibilities page.

Filing an Appeal or Motion The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certifies and monitors schools to ensure that they comply with federal regulations. If SEVP finds that a petitioning or certified school does not meet regulatory standards, it will issue a decision to deny the affected school’s Form I-17, “Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant Students,” or withdraw its SEVP certification. In many cases, a school may file an appeal or motion to reopen and/or reconsider the following unfavorable decisions issued by SEVP: