CIP Conversion 2020

Last updated: February 3, 2021

Quick Links:

Overview
F/M SEVIS Records
J SEVIS Records

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:

Conversion Change	Actions Taken on Student Records
New CIP codes added.	SEVIS: No action. Schools and sponsors: Decide if any of their programs of study fit into any of the new CIP codes.
Some CIP codes change either in their CIP code number or their description.	SEVIS: Convert these CIP codes automatically to their new values or new description. Schools and sponsors: Review the new description change to ensure the new name properly describes their program.
Some CIP codes are retired from the list but have no clear match in the new list.	SEVIS: No action. Schools and sponsors: Must update record to 2020 CIP code if making any change to program of study information.

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.

For more information on CIP codes and the 2020 conversion see:

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.

F/M SEVIS Status	Deadline for Printing Updated Forms I-20
Initial	Needed for entry into the United States At initial registration
Active	Whichever is the earlier of: As needed for normal updates to the record, such as travel and readmission to the United States One year after the SEVIS conversion release

F/M SEVIS Status

Deadline for Printing Updated Forms I-20

Initial

Needed for entry into the United States
At initial registration

Active

Whichever is the earlier of:

As needed for normal updates to the record, such as travel and readmission to the United States
One year after the SEVIS conversion release

Preparing for Conversion

To prepare for the CIP code conversion:

Review the NCES CIP 2010 and 2020 Crosswalk.
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.
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:

SEVIS Record Status	Program End Date	2010 CIP Has 2020 CIP Match	SEVIS Action
Initial	After SEVIS release	Yes	SEVIS changes 2010 CIP to 2020 CIP.
	After SEVIS release	No	SEVIS retains 2010 CIP. DSO must update to 2020 CIP.
	On or before SEVIS release	NA	SEVIS retains 2010 CIP.
Active	After SEVIS release	Yes	SEVIS changes 2010 CIP to 2020 CIP.
	After SEVIS release	No	SEVIS retains 2010 CIP. DSO must update to 2020 CIP.
	On or before SEVIS release	NA	SEVIS retains 2010 CIP.
Draft	Before, on, or after SEVIS release	NA	Will not allow DSO to submit record until a valid code from the 2020 CIP is selected.
Non-active Statuses: Canceled Terminated Completed Deactivated	NA	NA	SEVIS does not change the CIP code.

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

SEVIS will record a CIP code conversion event in the student’s Event History titled “Updated to the 2020 CIP code.”

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.

STEM Designated Degree Programs

The 2020 CIP code list affects the STEM-eligible CIP code list. No STEM-eligible CIP codes were removed.

New STEM-Eligible CIP Codes

NCES added 496 new CIP codes in the NCES 2020 CIP. Seventeen of these automatically qualify for the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program list, because they fall under the four primary fields (engineering (14), biological and biomedical sciences (26), mathematics and statistics (27) and physical sciences (40)). These STEM CIP codes are:

Code	Title
14.0103	Applied Engineering.
14.0202	Astronautical Engineering.
14.0299	Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, Other.
14.4700	Electrical and Computer Engineering.
14.4701	Electrical and Computer Engineering.
14.4800	Energy Systems Engineering.
14.4801	Energy Systems Engineering, General.
14.4802	Power Plant Engineering.
14.4899	Energy Systems Engineering, Other.
26.0509	Infectious Disease and Global Health.
26.0913	Biomechanics.
26.1311	Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
27.0600	Applied Statistics.
27.0601	Applied Statistics, General.
40.0512	Cheminformatics/Chemistry Informatics.
40.1100	Physics and Astronomy.
40.1101	Physics and Astronomy.

Changes to STEM-Eligible CIP Codes

With the implementation of the 2020 CIP codes, there were 11 STEM CIP code changes to the 2016 DHS STEM Designated Degree Program list. These STEM CIP codes are:

Code	Title
15.1701	Energy Systems Technology/Technician.
15.1703	Solar Energy Technology/Technician.
43.0406	Forensic Science and Technology.
43.0403	Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism.
1.8105	Veterinary Anatomy.
1.8109	Veterinary Physiology.
1.8107	Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology.
1.8108	Veterinary Pathology and Pathobiology.
1.8111	Veterinary Toxicology and Pharmacology.
1.8110	Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health.
1.8106	Veterinary Infectious Diseases.

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.

J SEVIS Status	Deadline for Printing Updated Forms DS-2019
Initial	Needed for entry into the United States Validation
Active	Whichever is the earlier of: As needed for normal updates to the record, such as travel and readmission to the United States One year after the SEVIS conversion release

J SEVIS Status

Deadline for Printing Updated Forms DS-2019

Initial

Needed for entry into the United States
Validation

Active

Whichever is the earlier of:

As needed for normal updates to the record, such as travel and readmission to the United States
One year after the SEVIS conversion release

Preparing for Conversion

To prepare for the CIP code conversion:

Review the NCES CIP 2010 and 2020 Crosswalk.
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.

SEVIS Record Status	2010 CIP Has Changed in 2020 CIP	SEVIS Action
Initial	Yes	SEVIS changes 2010 CIP to 2020 CIP.
Active	Yes	SEVIS changes 2010 CIP to 2020 CIP.
Draft	N/A	Will not allow RO/ARO to submit record until a valid code from the 2020 CIP is selected.

SEVIS will record a CIP code conversion event in the exchange visitor’s event history titled “CIP Code Conversion 2020.”

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

SEVIS Help Hub