Every ten years the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the Department of Education (ED) officially revises its list of programs of study for the classification of instructional programs (CIP). The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and Department of State (DoS) must update the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to reflect those changes.

In any CIP code conversion three significant changes occur:

In Fall 2020, SEVP and DoS will deploy a SEVIS release to replace the current 2010 CIP codes and program descriptions with the new 2020 CIP code versions. Schools and sponsors must wait for the SEVIS release to use the new 2020 CIP codes in SEVIS.

CIP codes appear in student SEVIS records in the following fields:

• Major 1 (required, prints on Form I-20) F and M
• Major 2 (optional, prints on Form I-20) F only
• Minor (optional) F only

CIP codes appear in J exchange visitor SEVIS records in the following field:

• Subject/Field (required, prints on Form DS-2019)

Not all CIP codes are affected by this change. SEVIS will automatically change a 2010 CIP code to its 2020 CIP code match for active and initial records, if either the CIP code number or the description has been updated. However, it will not change 2020 CIP codes for records in draft status or 2010 CIP codes that do not have a match in the 2020 list. You must change the CIP codes manually for those students. If there is an exact match between a CIP 2010 code and a CIP 2020 code, no changes will take place and officials do not need to take any actions.

This article explains how:

• To prepare for the 2020 CIP code conversion release.
• SEVIS will convert CIP codes in certain SEVIS student records.
• To complete the conversion for certain records.
• To find CIP code information for student records.

Batch Processing

The 2020 CIP conversion will affect both RTI and batch-processing schools similarly. Before the 2020 SEVIS CIP update, SEVIS will only accept batched CIP 2010 codes. After the 2020 SEVIS CIP update, SEVIS will only accept batched CIP 2020 codes. If a retired 2010 code is left in a batched SEVIS record after the 2020 conversion, SEVIS will return a schema validation error for that record.

Reprinting Forms I-20

SEVIS prints the Major 1 and 2 CIP codes on Forms I-20. Therefore, students with new codes in either of those fields eventually need new Forms I-20.

Preparing for Conversion

To prepare for the CIP code conversion:

1. Review the NCES CIP 2010 and 2020 Crosswalk.
2. Contact your school’s keyholder for your school’s CIP 2010 to CIP 2020 code conversion list. NCES works with a specific person at each school to collect CIP code data. This person is called the keyholder and often works in the registrar’s office or the office that handles institutional reporting. If you do not already know your school’s keyholder, now is the time to find that person. Your keyholder can tell you specifically which CIP codes that your school uses.
3. Use the export function for the SEVIS Nonimmigrant Search, Student Lists, or the Student Report for School Officials of Active and Initial students to find students in Active and Initial SEVIS status whose programs of study are affected by the changes to the CIP code list. Use these lists to find students with 2010 CIP codes that do not have a 2020 match. This will tell you which, if any, F and M student records you will need to update manually after SEVIS is updated with the 2020 codes.

Note: There is no way to search for Minor codes using the Nonimmigrant Search function. However, Minor CIP codes and descriptions are listed in exported results of the Student Report for School Officials. To search for Minor fields:

• Search for a target group
• Export search results
• Sort results by Minor column

Conversion’s Effect on F/M SEVIS Records

The SEVIS CIP 2020 conversion release will automatically update many records, but you may need to manually update a few, based on the criteria in the tables below. SEVIS will do the following to any Major 1, Major 2, and Minor fields with existing CIP code:

You must manually update all Initial and Active student records that SEVIS cannot convert.

If a SEVIS record status is changed from an inactive status to Active or Initial after the SEVIS CIP 2020 conversion release, the above table explains what will happen to the record’s CIP codes. SEVIS record status can change for several reasons:

• Reinstatement
• Correction Request
• Datafix

Note: This article will be updated closer to the release to include information about how the conversion affects reinstatement and post-completion or the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) optional practical training.

Find CIP Code Information for Student Records

There are several ways DSOs can see current student CIP codes and descriptions. After the CIP code 2020 conversion release, DSOs will be able to see if a student’s CIP code or description changed.

CIP Codes In Lists and Reports

CIP codes and descriptions will be columns in the Initial and Active student list exports. See the Alerts and Lists article in the Help Hub for more information.

DSOs can also export the Student Report for School Officials to see columns with the student’s:

• Major 1 Code
• Major 1 Description
• Major 1 CIP 2020 Conversion (Yes or No)
• Major 2 Code
• Major 2 Description
• Major 2 CIP 2020 Conversion (Yes or No)
• Minor Code
• Minor Description
• Minor CIP 2020 Conversion (Yes or No)

Conversion in Event History

After the CIP 2020 conversion release, if a student’s 2010 CIP code and/or description has changed, the following will appear in the student’s SEVIS Event History. This will happen for any of the following fields:

• Major 1
• Major 2
• Minor

There will be no event history entry, if the CIP 2010 code and description are: 

• The same as the CIP 2020 code and description.
• Eliminated and do not have a new CIP 2020 code and description. 

Batch Processing

The 2020 CIP conversion will affect both RTI and batch-processing sponsors similarly. Before the 2020 SEVIS CIP update, SEVIS will only accept batched CIP 2010 codes. After the 2020 SEVIS CIP update, SEVIS will only accept batched CIP 2020 codes. If a retired 2010 code is left in a batched SEVIS record after the 2020 conversion, SEVIS will return a schema validation error for that record.

Reprinting Forms DS-2019

SEVIS prints the Subject/Field code and description on Forms DS-2019. Therefore, exchange visitors with new codes eventually need new Forms DS-2019.

Preparing for Conversion

To prepare for the CIP code conversion:

1. Review the NCES CIP 2010 and 2020 Crosswalk.
2. Export the Active Status Exchange Visitor and Dependents list to find exchange visitors in Active status whose Subject/Field codes are affected by the changes to the CIP code list, especially those with CIP 2010 codes with no 2020 match. This will tell you which, if any, exchange visitor records you will need to update manually after SEVIS is updated with the 2020 codes.

Conversion’s Effect on J SEVIS Records

The SEVIS CIP 2020 conversion release will automatically update many records, but you may need to manually update a few, based on the criteria in the tables below. This SEVIS release will do the following to the Subject/Field codes and descriptions that have a 2010 CIP code/description that are updated to a 2020 CIP code/description.

If a SEVIS record status is changed to Active or Initial after the SEVIS CIP 2020 conversion release, the above table explains what will happen to the record’s CIP codes. SEVIS record status can change for several reasons:

• Correct Minor or Technical Infraction submitted
• Reinstatement request approved
• Extension Beyond Maximum Duration of Participation request approved
• Change of Category request approved
• Correct SEVIS Status submitted
• Reinstatement – Update SEVIS Status request approved
• Datafix

See the SEVIS Help Icons on the SEVIS Help Hub for a quick-reference of the icons used in this user guide.