SEVP Field Representatives
Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) field representatives serve as liaisons between SEVP and SEVP-certified schools. As a stakeholder resource, field representatives enhance national security by helping schools comply with federal policy and regulations.
SEVP field representatives:
- Ensure SEVP-certified schools understand federal rules and regulations.
- Answer general questions related to the nonimmigrant student process.
- Provide training and assistance to principal designated school officials (PDSOs) and designated school officials (DSOs).
- Meet with schools in their territories annually.
- Attend conferences and meetings in their territories that pertain to nonimmigrant students.
- Conduct site visits for schools seeking initial certification, recertification and adding instructional sites
There are three regional groups—eastern, central and western—comprised of 20 field representatives in each region.
School Visits
SEVP field representative school visits are an opportunity to ask general questions related to SEVP and the international student process. Goals for an SEVP field representative’s school visit typically include:
- Learning about the school and its international student population.
- Noting any trends the school has experienced or observed.
- Establishing a working relationship with school officials.
- Answering questions concerning federal regulations, upcoming SEVIS enhancements and other general topics, in addition to providing clarification on SEVP directives or guidance.
Project Campus Sentinel
SEVP field representatives and Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Counter Threat Lead Development Unit (CLTD) work together through the Project Campus Sentinel initiative to provide an open communication channel for DSOs to report any fraudulent activity. Project Campus Sentinel provides resources to help DSOs identify any fraudulent activity and any threats to national security. School officials can reach out to their SEVP field representative to learn more.
If you are a designated school official with questions, you can reach out to your assigned field representative, or contact the SEVP Response Center (SRC).
FAQs: SEVP Field Representatives
SEVP field representatives are a valuable resource for stakeholders who promote regulatory compliance and SEVIS data integrity. They are a key resource, serving as direct day-to-day liaisons between SEVP and certified schools. Listed below are the most frequently asked questions about SEVP field representatives.
- SEVP field representatives serve as direct day-to-day liaisons between SEVP and SEVP-certified schools.
- Field representatives serve as local customer service representatives to the academic community by meeting with designated school officials (DSOs) and principal designated school officials (PDSOs) at SEVP-certified schools annually. In these meetings, field representatives answer questions relating to SEVIS and the rules and regulations governing F and M nonimmigrant students. They also train school officials on SEVIS enhancements and conduct SEVP site visits for initial certification, recertification and petition updates. Their role with the academic community enhances national security by improving data accuracy within SEVIS.
- When a field representative is not visiting with a school, school officials can submit questions to them by email or phone. Field representatives provide school officials with contact information during their introductory meeting. Additionally, school officials can submit questions to the SRC.
- Field representatives are subject matter experts who completed a comprehensive training program prior to deployment. Many field representatives previously served as a school official or worked directly for SEVP. Field representatives cannot directly advise school officials on school certification issues, but they can provide a POC for the School Certification Unit.
- Field representatives use SEVP governing regulations (8 CFR), guidance used by SEVP adjudicators during their decision-making process, and other training materials developed by SEVP to help provide support to school officials, answer questions and provide training.
- Site visits and school visits are not the same. Field representatives only conduct site visits during the initial certification, update or recertification process, as required. Field representatives conduct school visits on a routine basis. School visits are not compliance visits; they are customer service visits to provide support, answer questions and/or train school officials on areas they would like to discuss.
- Normally, field representatives make scheduled appointments with the PDSO or DSO and do not visit unannounced. If PDSOs or DSOs are unresponsive, a field representative may show up after attempting to contact the school. Field representatives and school officials work together to develop an agenda prior to the scheduled meeting.
- Field representatives primarily help the academic community adhere to F and M nonimmigrant student rules and regulations as well as SEVP policies and directives. However, they report, through their chain-of-command at SEVP, any suspicious activity, fraud and/or gross negligence observed while performing their duties. Once this information is reported, it is handled by the appropriate parties.
- Field representatives and Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Counter Threat Lead Development Unit work together through the Project Campus Sentinel initiative to provide an open communication channel for DSOs to report any fraudulent activity. Project Campus Sentinel provides resources to help DSOs identify any fraudulent activity and how to report any threats to national security.
- Yes, field representatives provide a feedback form upon completion of a school visit. School officials can use this form to evaluate their field representative's performance.
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