The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is the federal law enforcement organization within the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency that:

• Administers the immigration regulations for academic (F-1) and vocational (M-1) students.
• Certifies and oversees the schools authorized to enroll F-1 and M-1 students.
• Monitors F and M nonimmigrants.
• Maintains the Student and Exchange Visitor Information Systems (SEVIS), and electronic tracking and reporting system used to monitor nonimmigrant students and SEVP-certified schools.

SEVP is a law enforcement agency within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Schools use SEVIS to:

• Petition for initial SEVP certification to enroll nonimmigrant students.
• Create the certificates of eligibility (Form I-20) used by nonimmigrant students.
• Comply with their reporting responsibilities.
• Update their Form I-17 petition.
• Petition for recertification.

Regulations

Before filing for initial school certification, school officials must be familiar with the federal regulations, policies, and procedures that govern SEVP-certified schools. These regulations detail:

• Processes for filing for initial school certification.
• Processes for filing for recertification.
• School’s record keeping and legal reporting requirements.
• F-1 and M-1 student responsibilities, requirements, and benefits.

Resources

The following resources provide useful information to guide you through the certification process.

Process Overview

The certification process steps are: 

Navigating the Form I-17 in SEVIS

The SEVIS Form I-17 certification page has three areas for navigating within the form: the SEVIS header, the panel on left side of Form I-17 page, and the bottom of the page.

SEVIS Header

The SEVIS header contains links that take you to different SEVIS functionalities:

• School Application: Takes you to the Form I-17 Petition for Initial Certification.
• Message Board: Takes you to the Broadcast Messages page.
• Change Password: Takes you to the Change My Password page.

Panel on the Form I-17

Each page of the Form I-17 displays a navigation panel on the left side of the page.

The navigation panel allows you to move freely from one page to any of the other Form I-17 pages. SEVIS will save any data you entered, when you leave the page using these links. You must complete every required field on the page before SEVIS will allow you to move to another page.

Bottom of Each Page

The bottom of each page of the Form I-17 contains navigation and action buttons.

• Save Draft: Saves the data entered in the draft petition.
• Print Draft: Prints a copy of the draft petition.
• Previous: Takes the user to the previous page in the sequence.
• Next: Takes the user to the next page in the sequence.
• Cancel: Deletes the data entered in the petition and returns you to the first page of the Form I-17.

Communications from SEVP

The SEVIS Broadcast Message page is accessed through the Message Board link and displays important SEVP message posts about system outages, policy guidance, and resources on the Broadcast Message page.

Field-Level Help

SEVIS provides field-level help directly on the page to assist you in preparing your petition.

• Click the hyperlinked question next to the field to access help for that field. The Help modal for that field opens.

• Help text displays in the modal that is specific to the field.

To start the Initial Certification process, you must first create a temporary account in SEVIS.

1. Go to the SEVIS Log In page, https://sevis.ice.gov.

2.  Click Register for New Account. The Register for a New SEVIS Account page opens.

3. Select the option for Apply for New School Certification by DHS to admit F and/or M Students. The page expands to display additional fields to collect more information.

4. Enter your name, contact information, and the school’s legal name in the fields:

• Last Name (required)
• First Name (required)
• Middle Name
• Email Address (required)
• Telephone Number (required)
• School Name (required)

5. Slide the blue box to the right to activate the Submit button.

6. Click either Submit or Cancel.

• Submit: Saves the information and creates a temporary SEVIS account for you.
• Cancel: Returns to the SEVIS login page without creating a temporary account.

Once you have submitted your information:

• SEVIS will send you two email messages. These emails contain:
  • Your username.
  • A link to the Create Password page for temporary users. This link is valid for only thirty days.
• SEVIS opens the New User Created page.

To create your password:

1. Click either Ok or Create Password. Ok closes the page.

• Ok closes the page.
• Create Password opens the Create Password page with your username already entered in the Username field.

2. Enter username you received from the email.

3. Create and enter your password. SEVIS passwords must contain:

• A minimum of 12 characters.
• A maximum of 64 characters.
• Any mix of alphabetical, numerical, or special characters may be used, including the space created by using the space bar.

4. Confirm your password.

5. Click Set Password. The Password Set page opens.

6. Click OK. The SEVIS Log in page opens.

Change Password

To change your password:

1. Click Change Password in the SEVIS Header. The Change My Password page opens.

2. Enter your current password.

3. Enter your new password.

4. Re-enter your new password.

5. Click Change Password or Cancel.

• Change Password submits your password. Successfully changed message displays.
• Cancel returns you to the main page.

Password Reset

If you forget your password as a temporary user, you must call the SEVP Response Center (1 800 892 4829) for a password reset.

The petition consists of six distinct pages:

Page 1: Contact Information

Page 2: Programs of Study

Page 3: Accreditations and Recognitions

Page 4: School Calendar, Costs, and Demographics

Page 5: Campuses and Instructional Sites

Page 6: School Officials

To move quickly from one page to another use:

• Navigation panel on the left side of the page.

• Navigation buttons on the bottom of each page.

Contact Information Page

The Contact Information page collects the information SEVP will need to contact and identify the school.

1. Complete the following fields:

• Approval for Attendance of Students Under: Select the classification(s) that best suit(s) the classification of the programs of study you plan to offer nonimmigrant students.
  • Section 101(a)(15)(f) (academic and language students)
  • Section 101(a)(15)(m) (vocational students)

The chart below compares the F-1 and M-1 certifications available from SEVP:

• Previous School Code: Enter your previous SEVIS School Code, if you are submitting a new petition on behalf of a previously certified school.
• Name of School or School System: Enter the full legal name of one of the following:
  • Name of the School, if the school is:
    • An individual school or
    • Part of a larger school system, but will manage its own F and/or M program.
  • Name of the School System, if the F or M program for multiple schools will be centrally managed:
    • Public high school (9-12) system should enter the name of the school district.
    • Diocese kindergarten–12 schools should enter the name of the diocese in this field.
    • Public university system where the F and/or M program is centrally managed.

• Name of Main Campus: Enter the name of your main campus. For most schools this is the location of the principle administrative offices.
  • For individual schools, enter the full name of your main instructional site. This may be the same as the name of the school.
  • For school systems, enter the name of the location. For example, District Office.

• Mailing Address of the School: Enter the mailing address for your main instructional site. This may include a P.O. Box number.

• Telephone: Enter the telephone number for your main instructional site.
• Fax Number: Enter the fax number for your main instructional site.
• Physical Location of the School (No P.O. Boxes): Enter the physical address of your main instructional site. Click the checkbox of the physical address is the same as the mailing address. If the addresses differ:
  • For an individual school, enter the physical address for the main instructional site.
  • For a school system, enter the physical location of the main administrative offices.
  • For a public school system (grades 9-12), enter the address of the district office.
  • For a private kindergarten-12 system with record keeping centralized at a main office or school, enter the address of the main office or school.
• School Type: Click the radio button that best describes your school.
  • Select Private, for profit, if your school is privately owned and operated for profit.
  • Select Private, non-profit, if your school is privately owned and is classified as a non-profit organization.
  • Select Public, if your school is not privately owned.

• Private School Owner: If an individual owns the school, enter the name of the person who owns the school.
• Private, not for profit schools: List the name of the non-profit and the controlling structure that oversees the operations and decisions of the school. For example, SEVP Non Profit – Member Board.
• Private for profit schools: Enter the corporation name and the governing body. For example, SEVP School for Advanced SEVIS Study – Board of Directors.

• Owner’s Address: Enter the address for the owner.

2. Click one of the following:

• Save Draft: Saves the draft.
• Print Draft: Prints a draft of the Form I-17.
• Next: Saves the data and takes you to the Programs of Study page of the Form I-17.
• Cancel: Deletes the data you entered.

The Programs of Study page collects information about the programs of study your school will offer nonimmigrant students. You should not include any programs of study you will not offer to nonimmigrant students.

The Programs of Study page collects information on:

• Type of education the school offers.
• Areas of study.
• Degrees available.
• Time needed to complete the programs of study.

Types of Education Offered

For section 2.1, click the checkbox(es) for all types of education your school will offer to kindergarten through 12th grade nonimmigrant students:

• Private Elementary School: Select this option if your school is a private:
  • Kindergarten and/or
  • Elementary school

• Private Middle School
• Private High School (Grades 9-12)
• Public High School (Grades 9-12): Select this option if your school is a public high school. 

• Other: Select this option if your school is a:
  • Private elementary school: In the text box, enter “Private Elementary School” and indicate the grade levels for nonimmigrant students. For example, Private Elementary School: grades 4-7.
  • Private middle school: In the text box, enter “Private Middle School” and indicate the grade levels for nonimmigrant students. For example, Private Middle School: grades 6-8.
  • Private high school that will not enroll nonimmigrant students in all four grades: In the text box, enter, “Private High School” and indicate the grade levels you will offer to nonimmigrant students. For example, Private High School: grades 9-10.
  • Public high school that will limit nonimmigrant student enrollment to specific grade(s): In the text box, enter “Public High School” and indicate the grade levels you will offer to nonimmigrant students. For example, Public High School grade 11.

Areas of Study

For section 2.2, click the checkbox(es) for all areas of study your school will offer to nonimmigrant students. Your choices should relate to the type of educational programs, as listed in Field 2.1 above.

• Liberal Arts
• Fine Arts
• Religious
• Science
• Education
• Business
• Other: If you select this option, enter the name of the area(s) of study into the text box. For example, elementary and secondary education.

List the Degrees Available from This School [Degrees/Certificates/Diplomas]

Schools cannot issue Forms I-20 to nonimmigrant students for programs of study if SEVP has not approved them on the Form I-17. Select all degrees and certificates your school will offer nonimmigrant students. SEVIS gives you a list of available degrees and certificates from which to choose.

• Change the list of degrees displayed on the screens by:
  • Changing the number of degrees displayed on the page.
  • Searching for specific degrees or levels.
  • Sorting by any of the column headings.

• Click on the degree you want to add to your petition. SEVIS will highlight the line of any degree selected. If you leave the page, SEVIS will save your selections. Upon your return to the page, SEVIS displays any selected degrees at the top of the list.
• To de-select a degree that you had already selected, click on that degree. SEVIS will remove the highlight.
• Select each degree that you offer to nonimmigrant students.

Courses of Study and Time Necessary to Complete Each

1.  Enter by education level in this required field, the time in weeks/months/years and total credits/clock hours needed to complete each program of study at your school:

• Private K-12 Schools: List the grade levels for which the school is petitioning to enroll nonimmigrant students, to include the time necessary to complete each grade level in years.
• Public High Schools: List the grade levels for which the school is petitioning to enroll nonimmigrant students, to include, the time necessary to complete each grade level in years.

2. Click one of the following:

• Save Draft: Saves the changes made to the Form I-17.
• Print Draft: Prints a draft of the Form I-17.
• Previous: Saves changes and takes you to the School Contact page.
• Next: Saves changes and takes you to the Accreditations and Recognitions page.
• Cancel: Deletes the entire petition and returns you to the School Contact page. You will be asked to confirm the action before SEVIS deletes your data.

The Programs of Study page collects information on:

• Type of education the school offers.
• Areas of study.
• Degrees available.
• Time to complete the programs of study.

Type of Education Offered

• Vocational or Technical Education (M-1): Select this option if your school:
  • Is a community college, junior college, or other school that provides technical or vocational training.
  • Offers airplane maintenance training, simulator training, and/or related operations that do not involve flight training. These programs must hold Part 142, Part 165, Part 147, etc. certifications from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

• Flight Training: Select this option if your school engages in flight training that requires Part 141 certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

• English Language Training: Select this option only if your school:
  • Is a language training school that provides English Language Training (ESL) including ESL programs or pathway programs. 
  • Is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency.

• Higher Education: Select this option if your school:
  • Is a community college, junior college, college or university that issues one or more of the following degrees:
    • Associate
    • Bachelor’s
    • Master’s
    • Doctorate
    • Professional
    • Divinity
  • Is a community or junior college that provides vocational or technical training and awards recognized associates degrees.
  • Is engaged in aviation-related higher education.

• Other: If your school offers a specific program of study to nonimmigrant students, where the courses are split between two or more schools as part of a concurrent enrollment agreement, enter the SEVP-certified school names and school codes here. 

Concurrent Enrollment Agreements

Formal concurrent enrollment agreements should include all programs of study where coursework is split between two or more SEVP-certified schools.

If your school offers a specific program of study where the courses are split between two or more SEVP-certified schools as part of a signed agreement, and you are enrolling nonimmigrants in the program of study, you must record this on the Form I-17:

• Field 2.1: Select Other.
• Field 2.1 text box: List all SEVP-certified schools’ names with which you have a signed agreement and their school codes. This field allows 200 characters.
• Submit evidence of the concurrent enrollment agreements between the two or more institutions.

Areas of Study

For section 2.2, click the checkbox(es) for all areas of study your school will offer to nonimmigrant students. Your choices should relate to the type of educational programs as listed in Field 2.1 above.

• Liberal Arts
• Fine Arts
• English Language Training: This applies to any school planning to issue Forms I-20 for English training programs including ESL programs or pathway programs.
• Religious
• Professional Studies
• Vocational or Technical Training
• Flight Training
• Science
• Education
• Business
• Engineering
• Other: If you select this option, enter the name of the area(s) of study into the text box. 

List the Degrees Available from This School [Degrees/Certificates/Diplomas]

Schools cannot issue Forms I-20 to students for programs of study if SEVP has not approved them on the Form I-17. Select all degrees and certificates your school will offer nonimmigrant students. SEVIS gives you a list of available degrees and certificates from which to choose.

• Change the list of degrees displayed on the screens by:
  • Changing the number of degrees displayed on the page.
  • Searching for specific degrees or levels.
  • Sorting by any of the column headings.

• Click on the degree you want to add to your petition. SEVIS will highlight the line of any degree selected. If you leave the page, SEVIS will save your selections. Upon your return to the page, SEVIS displays any selected degrees at the top of the list.
• To de-select a degree that you had already selected, click on that degree. SEVIS will remove the highlight.
• Select each degree that will be available to nonimmigrant students.

Courses of Study and Time Necessary to Complete Each

1. Enter by degree name, enter in this required field the time in weeks/months/years and total credits/clock hours needed to complete each program of study at your school. You must list and do this for every degree program you have chosen for Section 2.3 of the Form I 17:

• Non-degree related programs or English Language training programs: List the program names for which the school is petitioning to enroll nonimmigrant students, to include:
  • Clock hours per week or credit hours per term of instruction.
  • Total clock/credit hours needed to complete the program.
  • Time necessary to complete the program in weeks, months, or years.
• Flight Training: List the courses of study/rating for which the school is petitioning to enroll nonimmigrant students.
  • Total clock hours needed to complete the program.
  • Time necessary to complete the program in weeks, months, or years.

• Higher Education: List the degree names selected in Section 2.3 of the Form I-17 to include:
  • Total number of programs under that degree type.
  • Total credit/clock hours needed to complete the degree.
  • Time necessary to complete the program in weeks, months, or years.

2. If you selected “Other” program of study on Section 2.3, use this section to specify the following information for each program:

• Education level.
• Name of program of study.
• Total credit hours or clock hours to complete the program. 
• Time needed to complete (in years/months/weeks).

3.  Click one of the following:

• Save Draft: Saves the changes made to the Form I-17.
• Print Draft: Prints a draft of the Form I-17.
• Previous: Saves changes and takes you to the School Contact page.
• Next: Saves changes and takes you to the Accreditations and Recognitions page.
• Cancel: Deletes the petition update and returns you to the School Contact page. You will be asked to confirm the action before SEVIS deletes your data.

If you are a post-secondary school, go to Accreditations and Recognitions – F-1 Post-secondary and M-1 Schools.

The Accreditations and Recognitions page collects information about any accreditation and state licensure or exemption that your school holds for its educational programs. Kindergarten through grade 12 schools must provide information regarding their accreditation and state licensure status.

1. Complete the fields on the page:
   • Date School was Established: Enter the date the school was founded. (Format – MM/DD/YYYY)
   • Department of Education Recognized Accrediting Agencies: Only accredited post-secondary schools should use this list. Kindergarten through grade 12 schools should select None in this field.
   • SEVP Identified Accrediting Agencies: Only accredited private K-12 and public high schools should list an accreditor in this section. Select None, if your school is not accredited.
     1. Click None to de-select that option. This activates the Add function.
     2.  Click Add. The SEVP Recognized Accrediting Agencies modal opens.

3. Select an agency from the drop-down list.
4. Enter the Effective Date of the accreditation (Format – MM/DD/YYYY). This date:
   • Cannot be more than 100 years earlier than today.
   • Cannot be in the future.
   • Should reflect your most recent accreditation. 
5. Enter the Expiration Date of the accreditations
6. Click one of the following:
   • Cancel: Returns to the Accreditations and Recognitions page without adding an agency.
   • Add Another: Adds another accrediting agency, if you have one.
   • Done: Adds the agency to your petition and returns to the Accreditations and Recognitions page.

• State Recognitions:
  1. Click None to de-select that option. This activates the Add function.
  2. Click Add. The State Recognitions modal opens.
     • Schools licensed by a state educational oversight body: Choose the body from those listed.
     • Schools exempt from licensure by a state educational oversight body: Choose the Exempt option for your state from the list.
     • Schools neither licensed nor exempt from licensure by a state educational oversight body: Choose None.

3. Select an agency from the drop-down list.
4. Enter the Effective Date of the accreditation- (Format – MM/DD/YYYY). This date:
   • Is required for state recognitions.
   • Must be on or after July 4, 1776.
   • Cannot be in the future.
5. Enter the Expiration Date of the state recognition- (Format – MM/DD/YYYY). If there is no expiration date, click N/A.
6. Click one of the following:
   • Cancel: Returns to the Accreditations and Recognitions page without adding an agency.
   • Add Another: Adds another accrediting agency, if you have one.
   • Done: Adds the agency to your petition and returns to the Accreditations and Recognitions page.

• Optional Comments: Enter any comments about the school’s accreditations and recognitions that are relevant to the petition. For example, use this field to explain the multi-campus schools with different accrediting agencies for different campuses. Also, use this field to explain when one agency accredits all instruction sites, but the sites have different accrediting expiration dates.
• FAA Certifications: Select None.

2. Click one of the following:

• Save Draft: Saves the changes made to the Form I-17.
• Print Draft: Prints a draft of the Form I-17.
• Previous: Saves changes and takes you to the Programs of Study page.
• Next: Saves changes and takes you to the School Calendar, Costs, and Demographics page.
• Cancel: Deletes the entire petition and returns you to the School Contact page. You must confirm the action before SEVIS deletes your data.

If you are are a kindergarten through grade 12 school, go to the Accreditations and Recognitions – Kindergarten through Grade 12 Schools section.

The Accreditations and Recognitions page collects information about any accreditation and state licensure or exemption that your school holds for its educational programs. Schools must provide information regarding their accreditation, state licensure status, and FAA certification status for each of the following categories:

• U.S. Department of Education Recognized Agencies
• State Recognitions
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

1. Complete the fields on the page:

• Date School was Established: Enter the date the school was founded - (Format – MM/DD/YYYY).
• Department of Education Recognized Accrediting Agencies: Only accredited post-secondary schools should use this list.
  • Click None to de-select that option. This activates the Add function.
  • Click Add. The Department of Education Recognized Accrediting Agencies modal opens.

3. Select an agency from the drop-down list.
4. Enter the Effective Date of the accreditation - (Format – MM/DD/YYYY). This date:
   • Cannot be more than 100 years earlier than today.
   • Cannot be in the future.
   • Should reflect your most recent accreditation.
5. Enter the Expiration Date of the accreditations.
6. Click one of the following:

• Cancel: Returns to the Accreditations and Recognitions page without adding an agency.
• Add Another: Adds another accrediting agency if you have one.
• Done: Adds the agency to your petition and return to the Accreditations and Recognitions page.
• State Recognitions:
  • Schools licensed by a state educational oversite body: Choose the body from those listed.
  • Schools exempt from licensure by a state educational oversite body: Choose the Exempt option for your state from the list.
  • Schools neither licensed nor exempt from licensure by a state educational oversite body: Choose None.
    • Click Add. The State Recognitions modal opens.

2. Select an agency from the drop-down list.
3. Enter the Effective Date of the accreditation (Format – MM/DD/YYYY). This date:
   • Is required for state recognitions.
   • Must be on or after July 4, 1776.
   • Cannot be in the future.
4. Enter the Expiration Date of the state recognition (Format – MM/DD/YYYY). If there is no expiration date, click N/A.
5. Click one of the following:
   • Cancel: Returns to the Accreditations and Recognitions page without adding an agency.
   • Add Another: Adds another accrediting agency if you have one.
   • Done: Adds the agency to your petition and return to the Accreditations and Recognitions page.

• Optional Comments: Enter any comments about the school’s accreditations and recognitions that are relevant to the petition. For example:
  • Use this field to explain the multi-campus schools with different accrediting agencies for different campuses.
  • Schools with FAA certifications other than Part 141/142.
• FAA Certifications: Select the appropriate radio button:

• Select FAA Certified – Part 141 and/or 142, if your school offers flight-training programs that require Part 141 and/or 142 certification from the FAA.
• Select None, if your school does not offer flight training or if the flight-related training does not need Part 141 or 142 Certification from the FAA.

2. Click one of the following:

• Save Draft: Saves the changes made to the Form I-17.
• Print Draft: Prints a draft of the Form I-17.
• Previous: Saves changes and takes you to the Programs of Study page.
• Next: Saves changes and takes you to the School Calendar, Costs, and Demographics page.
• Cancel: Deletes the entire petition and returns you to the School Contact page. You must confirm the action before SEVIS deletes your data.

The School Calendar, Costs, and Demographics page collects information about your school’s sessions, the size, costs, and requirements for admission.

1. Complete the fields on the page.

• This school’s sessions are based on: Select the options that best describes how your academic year is organized.
• Date Registration begins for each session during a calendar year: Enter the month and day each academic term/session begins.
• Sessions are held: Click the appropriate checkbox(es) to indicate if your school holds day and/or evening sessions.
• For each of the following categories, list the average annual number:
• Average Annual Number of Classes
• Average Annual Number of Students at your school (not just nonimmigrant students)
• Average Annual Number of Teachers or Instructors
• Average Annual Number of Non-Teaching Employees
• Approximate Annual Costs of room, board, tuition, etc. per student:
• Public High Schools: List the per capita cost of education in this field.
• All other schools: List the approximate annual costs of room, board, tuition, etc. per student.
• Requirements for Admission: Enter the requirements for admission for the programs of study included in this petition.

2. Click one of the following:

• Save Draft: Saves the changes made to the Form I-17.
• Print Draft: Prints a draft of the Form I-17.
• Previous: Saves changes and takes you to the Campuses and Instructional Sites page.
• Next: Saves changes and takes you to the Programs of Study page.
• Cancel: Deletes the entire petition and returns you to the School Contact page. You must confirm the action before SEVIS deletes your data. 

You must enter all instructional sites you want to include in this petition. List only locations where nonimmigrant students will attend.

SEVIS will display the name and address of the main campus entered on the Contact Information page.  

• If your school does not have any other instructional sites, click Next.
• If your school has additional instructional sites, click Add Campus. The Add/Update Campus modal opens.

1. Enter information about the instructional site:

• Campus Name: Enter the name of the site.

• Mailing Address: Enter the address where the instructional site receives its mail. This mailing address will also print on the Form I-20 for any students at this campus. 
  • It may include a P.O. Box number.
  • It may be the same as the main campus mailing address, but it does not have to be.for the instructional site. This may include a P.O. Box number.

• Physical Address:
• Enter the physical address of the instructional site.
• Click the checkbox if the physical address is the same as the mailing address.
• Telephone Number: Enter the telephone number for the site.
• Fax Number: Enter the fax number of the site.

2. Click either Cancel or Submit:

• Cancel: Returns you to the Campus and Instructional Sites page without making any changes.
• Submit: Adds the instructional site to the petition but does not submit the petition.

3.  Click one of the following:

• Save Draft: Saves the changes made to the Form I-17.
• Print Draft: Prints a draft of the Form I-17.
• Previous: Saves changes and takes you to the School Calendar, Costs, and Demographics page.
• Next: Saves changes and takes you to the School Officials page.
• Cancel: Deletes the entire petition and returns you to the School Contact page. You must confirm the action before SEVIS deletes your data.

This page collects information on the school officials who will manage the information in SEVIS for the school and F/M SEVIS records. These personnel are the only ones who can legally access SEVIS at your school. SEVP will communicate with them when necessary.

Add New Official

1. Click the Add a New Official button to add someone to the petition, who is not currently an active school or sponsor official elsewhere. The Add Official modal opens.

2. Enter information about the new official:
   • Last Name: Enter the official’s legal family or surname.
   • First Name: Enter the official’s legal given name, no nicknames.
   • Middle Name: Enter the official’s legal given middle name, if applicable.
   • Suffix: Select the appropriate suffix from the drop-down list, if the official has one.
   • The official is: Indicate whether the official is a:
     • United States Citizen
     • Legal Permanent Resident:
       • If selected, SEVIS displays a field for the A-Number.

• Enter the official’s A-Number.
• Title: Enter the official’s title at your school.
• Address: Enter the address for the official’s work site  

• Email Address: Enter the official’s work email address. Do not enter an email address shared by other people.

• Telephone Number: Enter the official’s work telephone number.
• Assign Role: Select the instructional sites the official will serve.

3.    Click Add:

• If this user matches any other SEVIS active school, or exchange visitor sponsor official, SEVIS will display this validation error:

• Confirm with your new school official if they have an existing active SEVIS role.
  • If yes, click Cancel. Using the school official’s SEVIS username, add as an existing official.
  • If not, click Add again on the Edit School Information (Form I-17), Add Official page. The Update School Information (Form I-17), School Official page opens with the new official listed.

Add Existing Official

To add an existing official:

1. Enter the official’s current SEVIS User Name.
2. Click Add an Existing Official. The Add an Existing Official modal opens

3. Select the campus(es) where the official will serve.

4. Click Cancel or Submit:
   • Cancel: Returns to the School Officials page without saving any information.
   • Submit: Adds the official to the petition and returns you to the School Officials page.

Assign PDSO Role

Each campus must have an official who holds the PDSO role for that site. If you have multiple instructional sites, you can assign the PDSO role to the same person for all the instructional sites, or you can divide the role of PDSO at the instructional sites among multiple people.

Roles are assigned and updated by instructional site

• Click Roles to the right of the campus name. The Update Roles modal opens.

• Select the appropriate role for the people listed.
• Click Cancel or Submit:
  • Cancel: Returns to the School Officials page without saving any information.
  • Submit: Changes the official’s role and returns to the School Officials page.

Edit Official’s Information

If needed, you can edit information about officials listed in your petition.

To edit a potential official’s information:

• Click on the official’s hyperlinked name. The Update Official page opens

• Update the information, as needed.
• Click either Cancel or Update:
  • Cancel: Returns you to the School Officials page without saving any information.
  • Update: Adds the official to the petition and returns you to the School Officials page.

Delete Official

• To delete an official from your petition:

• Click the Delete Official hyperlink. The Delete Official modal opens.
  • If you are only deleting a DSO, the modal looks like this.

• If you are deleting an official who is a PDSO on any of the school’s campuses, the modal looks like this.

• Click either Cancel or Submit.

• Click one of the following:
  • Save Draft: Saves the changes made to the Form I-17.
  • Print Draft: Prints a draft of the Form I-17.
  • Previous: Saves changes and takes you to the Campus and Instructional Sites page.
  • Next: Saves changes and takes you to the Submit page.
  • Cancel: Deletes the entire petition and returns to the School Contact page. You must confirm the action before SEVIS deletes your data.

• Paying fees.
• Printing petition.
• Uploading evidence.
• Submitting petition.

Before you submit the Form I-17 in SEVIS, you must have the following in electronic up-loadable file format:

• Fee payment receipt.
• Printed and signed Form I-17.
• All additional supporting evidence.

Pay Fees

You must pay your certification fees before you submit the Form I-17 petition. Your fee payment receipt is part of your supporting documentation. Pay your initial certification fees at Pay.gov.

Print and Sign the Petition

When you are satisfied that all fields in your Form I-17 are filled in correctly:

1. Click Print Petition.

2. Gather signatures from all parties listed on the Forms I-17 and I-17A. This includes the head of school, all principal designated school officials, and designated school officials.

3. Scan the signed Form I-17, so that it is ready for upload.

Upload Evidence and Submit the Petition in SEVIS

Once you have scanned the signed paper version of the Form I-17 and the additional supporting documentation, you can upload supporting evidence. You should know the filing requirements before logging in to SEVIS to upload evidence and submit the petition.

SEVP processes the petitions for initial certification in the order received.

Request for Evidence

If SEVP needs additional information, you may receive a request for evidence (RFE). You may be asked to provide additional evidence or to edit the Form I-17 petition during the adjudication process. RFEs will describe what you need to do.

Decision

SEVP will adjudicate your petition and notify you of the result.

Approval 

If approved, SEVIS will:

• Email all school officials listed on the Form I-17 of the approval.
• Email the PDSO and all the DSOs with:
  • Their username(s).
  • Link for creating their password.
• Terminate your temporary user role. You will no longer be able to use your temporary username and password to log in to SEVIS.

Denial

If denied, SEVP will:

• Email all school officials listed on the Form I-17 with the reason for the decision and any appeal options, if available.
• Terminate your temporary user role. You will no longer be able to use your temporary username and password to log in to SEVIS.