Registration

Last updated: April 4, 2024

In this document:

School session refers to all academic terms, semesters, and/or school sessions between the start and end dates of an F-1 student’s program of study, as reflected in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and on the Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status.
For example, for a freshman who is starting high school in September 2017 and is expected to graduate in June 2021:
- SEVIS Program Start Date might be 9/1/2017 to reflect the mandatory orientation.
- SEVIS Initial Session Start Date might be 9/15/2017 to reflect the start of classes for the first academic term session.
- The Current Session End Date might be 12/20/2017 to reflect the end of the academic session, and the Next Session Start Date might be 1/10/2018.
- SEVIS Program End Date (PED) might be 6/1/2021 to reflect the date of the student’s graduation/program completion.

Registration refers to a specific action a designated school official (DSO) takes in SEVIS to confirm a student is or continues to be engaged full time in the program of study for a specific session. It is part of a school’s reporting requirements cited in 8 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 214.2(f).
This use of the term “registration” may differ from how schools use the term “registration” in their academic setting.

SEVIS registration must be completed on all appropriate SEVIS records no later than 30 days after the start of each session. Prior to completing a student’s registration, DSOs must decide if every Initial and Active F-1 and M-1 student attending their institution is eligible for SEVIS registration.

Specifically, DSOs should consider the following:

Has the student enrolled in a full course of study for the session, dropped below a full course of study without prior authorization from a DSO, or failed to enroll?
Is the current address for each enrolled student up-to-date?
Start date of each student’s next session, or are the students in their final session?
Are there any necessary changes to the student’s SEVIS program end date?

If a student is not eligible for SEVIS registration, please review these articles on the SEVIS Help Hub to determine the appropriate action:

Relevant Federal Regulations

Before acting on a student's record, DSOs must understand the federal regulatory, full course of study requirements for their type of school:

SEVP Policy Guidance for Adjudicators 1408-01: Academic Year
SEVIS Reporting Requirements for Designated School Officials (ICE.gov)
F-1 Full Course of Study, 8 CFR 214.2(f)(a)(6)
M-1 Full Course of Study, 8 CFR 214.2(m)(9)(i-vi)

SEVIS Registration Terminology

Terminology	Description
Program Start Date (PSD)	The date by which the student is expected to report to the school for required activities. Note: May be the same as or up to 30 days before the Initial Session Start Date.
Program End Date (PED)	The date the student is expected to complete the program.
Initial Session Start Date (ISSD)	The date the student’s first session will begin.
Current Session Start Date (CSSD)	The date the current session begins/began. For Initial records the CSSD reflects the ISSD. For Active records the CSSD reflects whatever was in the field after the previous registration event. Note: This date can be edited, including back dated.
Current Session End Date (CSED)	The date the student’s current session ends.
Next Session Start Date (NSSD)	The date the student’s next session will begin.
Initial Registration	Applies to a student who has either just: Arrived in the United States to attend school for the first time. Departed the United States and returned using a newly created Form I-20 issued for Initial Attendance after a SEVIS record termination or break in status. Been approved for a change of status to F or M status. Initial Registration indicates the student: Has checked in with the DSO and provided a current U.S. address. Is enrolled in a full course of studies or has been authorized for a Reduced Course Load (RCL). Noted changes are: Student’s SEVIS record status changes from Initial to Active. Form I-20 Issue Reason field changes from Initial Attendance to Continued Attendance.
Transfer In Completion Registration	Applies to a student whose SEVIS record has been transferred from a previous Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) certified school to a new SEVP certified school; including students who have graduated from one school and will continue studies at another. The DSO completes the SEVIS transfer during the SEVIS registration process. Noted changes are: Student’s SEVIS record status changes from Initial to Active. Form I-20 Issue Reason changes from Transfer to Continued Attendance. Note: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) process M-1 transfers, M-1 students must enroll in the new school and DSOs must register those M-1 student records in SEVIS even while the transfer is pending with USCIS. Code of Federal Regulations: 8 CFR 214.2(m)(11)(ii)(B)
Change of Education Level	Applies to a student who remains at the school but begins a new course of study. For example, the student: Moves from primary education to secondary education. Moves from a bachelor's to a master's degree. Begins a second master's after completing a first. Noted changes are: Student’s SEVIS record status changes from Initial to Active. Form I-20 Issue Reason changes from Initial to Continued Attendance.
Active Student Registration and Resuming a Full Course Load	Applies to a continuing student who has been enrolled for at least one session and already has an active SEVIS record. This indicates the student is enrolled per regulations. Note: The Form I-20 Issue Reason does not change.

All program and session dates entered in SEVIS must correspond to your school’s academic calendar.

Date	Action
30 days before Program Start Date	Earliest date that students in Initial status may enter the United States. Code of Federal Regulations: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(i)
Within 15 days of the Program Start Date	Students transferring into the school must report to the DSO within 15 days of the Program Start Date. Code of Federal Regulations: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(8)(ii)(C)
Initial Session Start Date in SEVIS	Deadline for all first-time Initial status students with port of entry (POE) records to the United States to report to the DSO.
30 Days after Initial Session Start Date (Initial Student Records)	DSO regulatory deadline to register all fully-enrolled: Initial status students who have reported to the school with POE records. Initial status students who have reported to the school with recently approved changes of status to F-1 or M-1. Transfer-in students. Change of level students. DSO regulatory deadline to register all Initial status students authorized for a Reduced Course Load. DSO regulatory deadline to terminate unenrolled Initial status records with POE records – No Show. DSO regulatory deadline to cancel or defer all Initial status records without POE records.
30 Days after Next Session Start Date (Active Student Records)	DSO regulatory deadline to register all active students, who are either: Enrolled in a full course of study. Authorized for a Reduced Course Load. DSO regulatory deadline to terminate records for active students who failed to enroll. DSO regulatory deadline to complete records for all students who have completed their program (and will not seek a school transfer, new degree, or Optional Practical Training and have departed the United States).
60 Days after Program Start Date	SEVIS terminates record for No Show: All Initial status records for students with POE records. All transfer-in records for students who have not reported to the DSO. SEVIS cancels all initial students without POE records.
90 Days after Next Session Start Date	SEVIS terminates for Failure to Enroll all active students who have not been registered by the DSO in SEVIS.

SEVIS will not allow registration for initial and continuing students whose records are missing certain information.

Initial Student Registration

SEVIS will not allow registration for students in Initial status if the record lacks:

I-901 SEVIS Fee.
U.S. Physical Address.

Active Student Registration

To be eligible for continuing registration, the student record must have:

I-901 SEVIS Fee payment.
U.S. Physical Address.
Properly formatted e-mail address. (This is not required for F-1 students in K-12 or for M-1 students under the age of 14.)
U.S. or foreign telephone number, or a confirmation that the student does not have a telephone. (This is not required for F-1 students in K-12 or for M-1 students under the age of 14.)

I-901 SEVIS Fee

Students who have not paid the I-901 SEVIS Fee will have a red I-901 Fee Due flag on their Student Information page. Once the fee is paid, the flag will change to a green I-901 Fee Paid flag.

SEVIS displays an error message if a DSO tries to register a record with an I-901 flag.

Personal / Contact Information

Continuing students without a valid U.S. address, email address, or confirmed telephone information will have corresponding red flags on their Student Information pages.

SEVIS will not allow the DSO to submit registration until the DSO enters the missing information. U.S. address, telephone and email information can be entered as part of the regular registration process or as an update to personal information.

Once the missing information is entered, the DSO can submit registration using either the regular process described in this document or via mass registration.

SEVIS will determine that a student is not eligible for registration if pertinent information is missing on the student’s record.

To find students who are not eligible for registration, check the following lists and alerts:

Initial Status Students List
Active Status Students List
Active Students Requiring Registration Alert List

The final column in each of these lists indicates whether the student is eligible for registration or still requires more information. A green check mark indicates registration eligibility. A red X indicates ineligibility. SEVIS displays the ineligibility reason when a DSO rolls his/her mouse over the red X.

After exporting these lists into Microsoft Excel format, the ineligibility reason appears in the final column of each record.

When international students are in the United States, their primary responsibility is to attend school. Regular student registration in SEVIS is necessary to track international student regulatory compliance. Therefore, DSOs will have to confirm session dates to particularly long school sessions or breaks.

The ability to confirm SEVIS registration for long sessions and breaks does not mean that it is something DSOs should do regularly.

SEVIS registration is the tool DSOs use to report full-time enrollment for their F-1 and M-1 students. It is best practice to conduct SEVIS registration at least two times during the school year. If there are not two distinct school sessions that are defined by a school registration or classes beginning and ending, then use the beginning of a common school break to mark the end of one session and the return from that break to mark the start of a new session.

Confirm Session Length

If during student SEVIS registration, DSOs request a session that lasts longer than 183 days, yellow in-line date error messaging and a confirmation check box will appear. The DSOs must either click the box to confirm the entered session dates are correct or correct the session dates.

SEVIS registration session length confirmation

Confirm Break Length

If during student SEVIS registration, DSOs request a school break that lasts longer than 152 days, yellow in-line date error messaging and a confirmation check box will appear. The DSOs must either click the box to confirm the entered session dates are correct or correct the session dates.

SEVIS registration confirmation of break length

Below is a timeline explaining a breakdown of Initial Registration events.

DSOs must not register Initial students in SEVIS before the student:

Has been admitted into the Unites States in F-1 or M-1 status, as appropriate.
Has enrolled in a full course of study at the school.
Provides the DSO their current U.S. residence address.

To avoid correction requests due to a change in student information or circumstances, DSOs should not register Initial students in SEVIS more than 30 days before their Program Start Date.

To register an Initial student in SEVIS:
1. Go to the Student Information page.

2. Click Registration. The Registration page opens.

3. Enter the registration information:

Fields	Relevant Information
Current Session Start Date (CSSD) *	Date the school’s current session begins: During initial student registration, this field will prepopulate with the ISSD. It can be edited. During active student registration, this field will prepopulate with the date that the DSO entered as the CSSD during the previous registration action. It can be edited and backdated. Allows a date in the past, as long as it is not before the Program Start Date. Allows a date on or after today’s date, as long as it is not after the Current Session End Date. This is a required field.
Current Session End Date (CSED) *	Date the student’s current session ends: Allows a date in the past, as long as it is not before the CSSD. Allows a date on or after today’s date, as long as it is not after the Program End Date. If the CSED is more than 183 days from the CSSD, SEVIS will request DSO-confirmation that the dates are correct. This is a required field.
Next Session Start Date (NSSD) *	Date the student’s next session begins: Allows a date on or after today’s date, as long as it is not after the Program End Date. Note: If this is the student’s last session, leave this field blank and click the Student is in the last session of his/her program check box. SEVIS uses this date to determine which records appear on various registration alert lists. When entering the NSSD, for data consistency the DSO should be mindful of the session start dates, which the school reported on the Form I-17. The DSO may need to update the Form I-17, if all session dates are not listed. Remember to account for session breaks and annual vacations. If the NSSD is more than 152 days from the CSED, SEVIS will request DSO-confirmation that the dates are correct. This is a required field.
The student is in the last session of his/her program	Click this check box if this is the student’s last session.
Study/Research Abroad	Click this check box if the student will be engaged in study and/or research abroad.
Thesis/Dissertation	Click this box if the student will be engaged in research or writing for a thesis or dissertation.
Foreign Address*	Student’s foreign address. All nonimmigrant students must have a foreign address, even if they are currently in the United States. This is a required field.
U.S. Address*	Student’s U.S. Address. This is a required field. Note: If the student is a commuter student whose country of citizenship is Mexico or Canada, click in the Commuter Student check box. A U.S. address is not required for border commuter students.
Remarks	Any useful remarks about the student’s situation. This field has a 1,000-character limit. These remarks display on the Student Information page and page 1 of the Form I-20. This is a required field. Note for transfer students: DSOs should indicate that the transfer was completed and provide the date it was completed. Example: “Transfer completed 08/20/2015.”

There are three auto-filled fields:

Current Session Start Date: During initial student registration, this will prepopulate with the Initial Session Start Date. This field can be edited.
Length of Session: Calculated from the Current Session Start Date and Current Session End Date. (Requires DSO confirmation if current session is more than 183 days.)
Length of the break: Calculated from the Current Session End Date and the Next Session Start Date. (Requires DSO confirmation if length of break is more than 152 days.)

4. Click Add/Edit Address to enter required U.S. Address information. The Add/Edit Address modal opens.

5. Enter address and click Submit.

6. Review the Initial student's registration information.

7. Click one of the following:

Cancel: Cancels the action and returns the user to the Student Information page.
Update Information: Submits the registration. An Update Successful message indicates the update was successful.

Print I-20: Prints the Form I-20. The Form I-20 Issue Reason changes from Initial to Continued Attendance.

The Form I-20 Issue Reason for F-1 transfer students changes from Transfer to Continued Attendance.
The Form I-20 Issue Reason for M-1 transfer students remains Transfer until USCIS approves the M-1 transfer.
DSOs are not required to print the Form I-20. If you choose to print the form, remember to sign it before giving the form to the student. The student should also sign the Form I-20.
Find more information on allowable electronic signatures and Form I-20 transmission in SEVP’s policy guidance Use of Electronic Signatures and Transmission for the Form I-20.

Return to View Record: Returns the user to Student Information page. The newly added information is now listed.

Below is a timeline explaining a breakdown of Active Student Registration events.

Student record timeline with Active Student Registration moments

DSOs report active student registration the same way they report initial registration. The following additional information is required upon continuing registration:

U.S. Physical Address.
Email address. (This is not required for F-1 students in K-12 or M-1 students under the age of 14.)
U.S. or foreign telephone number, or confirmation that the student does not have a telephone. (This is not required for F-1 students in K-12 or M-1 students under the age of 14.)

Records missing the above information will have a flag at the top of the Student Information page.

Screenshot of the Student Information page

DSOs can register Active students (continuing registration) with Needs: E-mail address and/or Telephone number flags by entering the student's email address and telephone number:

Into the Personal/Contact information and then registering the record.
Directly into the Registration: Active Student page at the point of registration. (See below.)

To register an Active student in SEVIS:
1. Go to the Student Information page.
2. Click Registration. The Registration: Active Student page opens.

Screenshot of the Registration: Active Student page

3. Enter the required registration information:

Current Session Start Date: Date the student’s current session begins.
Current Session End Date: Date the student’s current session ends.
Next Session Start Date: Date the students next academic session begins.
Telephone information: If necessary, and the field is not already completed.
Email information: If necessary, and the field is not already completed.

4. Enter any other information that may have changed.
5. Click Update Information. The Update Successful message displays.
6. Click Return to View Record, or Print I-20.

Mass Registration

It is possible to register groups of students simultaneously. For more information, see Mass Registration on the SEVIS Help Hub.

If the break between school sessions is more than 152 days, SEVIS will request DSO-confirmation that the dates are correct.

Annual Breaks

Schools have different annual breaks. These periods generally occur during school sessions, like Thanksgiving in the fall or spring breaks. These breaks can be included in school sessions without creating another registration event around them. F-1 and M-1 students are in legal status during annual breaks.

Here is an example of fall registration that includes a winter break:

Screenshot of current session start and end dates

Annual Vacations

Annual vacations vary between schools. F-1 students are in legal status during annual vacations once they have been enrolled for a full academic year. In addition to being eligible for annual vacation, the F-1 students must plan to register for the next session.

M-1 students do not have annual vacation periods. They must stay fully enrolled, except for any periods between back-to-back sessions.

Annual vacations should be reflected in registration dates. Here is an example of an F-1 summer vacation that is calculated into spring registration:

Screenshot of session start and end dates

Annual Vacation 8 CFR214.2(f)(5)(iii)
SEVP Policy Guidance for Adjudicators 1408-01: Academic Year

Student Alerts

SEVIS generates alert lists for schools with student records that need attention. Several of these alerts are related to the registration process.

DSOs are strongly encouraged to check the alert lists on a regular basis.
See the Alerts and Lists article on the SEVIS Help Hub

Alert Name	Description	Possible Actions to Be Taken
Active Students Requiring Registration	Continuing students whose records are in Active status. Next Session Start Date is in the past. Today’s date is prior to the student’s Program End Date.	Transfer students wishing to transfer to another SEVIS school. Register students enrolled in a full course of study and those authorized for a Reduced Course Load. Terminate or complete the remaining SEVIS records for students who are not enrolled.
Students in Initial Status with Port of Entry Records	Students in Initial status who have U.S. port of entry records and are attending your school.	Transfer students wishing to transfer to another SEVIS school. Register students enrolled in a full course of study and those authorized for a Reduced Course Load. Terminate the Initial status records for No Show.
Students Past Program Start Date Awaiting Change of Status	Students whose change of status to F-1 or M-1 is pending with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Note: DSOs must know which nonimmigrants are allowed to study while waiting change of status to F-1 or M-1.	Defer the Program Start Date and Initial Session Start Date to the next available session. Note: DSOs should not register students in SEVIS until their change of status to F-1 or M-1 has been approved. However, SEVIS will auto-cancel records in Initial status within 60 days after the Program Start Date. Therefore, the Program Start Date on these pending change of status records should be deferred until the next available session.
Transfer-In Students Not Registered By Program Start Date	Students who have transferred to your school and whose SEVIS records have been changed from Draft to Initial status.	Transfer students wishing to transfer to another SEVIS school Register students enrolled in a full course of study and those authorized for a Reduced Course Load. Terminate remaining Initial status records for Transfer Student No Show.

Students Lists

Each school has several lists that categorize their F-1 and M-1 students. The following lists are related to the registration process. The lists give an idea of how many students may need attention at the next registration process.

DSOs are strongly encouraged to check the alert lists on a regular basis.
See the Alerts and Lists article on the SEVIS Help Hub

List Name	Description/Explanation
Initial Status Students	Students in Initial status. Students who have not registered for the current session.
Active Status Students	Students who are registered and are in status.
Students With a Pending Change of Status Request	Students with a pending change of status to F-1 or M-1.
Students With a Requested or Pending Extension Request	M-1 students with a Requested or Pending extension request. These students are registered and in status.
Students Authorized to Drop Below Full Course	Students on a reduced course of study. These students are registered and in status.
Students Transferring In	Students in the process of transferring into your school. Note: This list may contain both completed Forms I-20 and Forms I-20 still in Draft status.
Students Requesting Reinstatement	Students waiting for reinstatement adjudication.

Defer Initial Students and Students with Pending Change of Status Applications

DSOs may need to defer a student’s Program Start Date to a later date to avoid SEVIS auto-cancellation for certain records in Initial Status. The Manage Initial Program and Session Dates section on the SEVIS Help Hub describes how to do this. For example:
- Student cannot arrive in time to begin the program as scheduled.
- USCIS has not approved the student’s change of status to F or M status in time to begin the session.
Deferring the Program Start and Initial Session Start Dates allows the student to continue to use the same SEVIS ID and I-901 SEVIS Fee payment.

DSOs cannot defer the program for transfer-in students. This requires a request to Correct Program Dates.

Cancelling Initial Students

DSOs should cancel a student’s SEVIS record if:
- Student will not attend the school.
- Student has not entered the United States.
Cancelling a student’s SEVIS record prevents the student from using that particular Form I-20 to enter the country at a later time.
See the Cancel SEVIS Record in Initial Status article in the SEVIS Help Hub.

Reduced Course Load

Before registering students who are not taking a full course load, determine whether those students are eligible for a Reduced Course Load. DSOs must know the school’s full course load policy, as it relates to federal regulations. If a student needs a Reduced Course Load, the DSO should complete an "Authorize to Drop Below Full Course" Action for the student’s SEVIS record when registering a student.

Full-time Enrollment, 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)-(ii)
M-1 Full-time Enrollment, 8 CFR 214.2(m)(9)(i)-(v)
Reduced Course Load SEVIS Help Hub

When DSOs need to see any previous registration actions, they can view the action in the student’s Event History.

The DSO uses the following, sortable Event History columns to get details about a specific registration event:

Column	Description
Event Name	Registration, either Initial or Active.
Event Date	Date and time the action (registration) was conducted.
Resulting Status	Student’s record status after the action was taken.
Performed By	School official who took the action (registration).

To open the correct registration action, click the green plus sign to open the field. SEVIS displays the old (previous) value and the new (current) value for the following fields:

Initial Session Start Date.
Current Session End Date.
Next Session Start Date.
Remarks.
Last Session – Indicates if the student is/was in the last session of the program.
Thesis/Dissertation – Indicates if the student is/was working on a thesis or dissertation.
Study/Research Abroad – Indicates if the student is/was studying or conducting research outside of the United States.
Length of Next Break/Vacation.
Current Session Start Date.

Displayed fields vary depending on the student's registration type.

DSOs can correct or update registration session dates by entering another registration.
However, if a DSO finds a student record that is in the wrong status, there are several ways to correct this data in a student record.

See Correction Requests Overview for more information.
For more complicated data fixes, DSOs can contact the SEVIS Response Center (SRC) via phone at 703-603-3400 or 1-800-892-4829, or via email at SEVP@ice.dhs.gov.

SEVIS Help Hub

Registration

Registration