SEVP recognizes that the business structures of certified schools may evolve over time and seeks to provide guidance for how schools can properly comply with federal guidelines. In response to stakeholder requests and to provide clearer guidance, SEVP issued relevant policy guidance documents to help schools remain compliant with changes in business structure.

Most recently, in January 2017, SEVP released the Change in Ownership guidance, which covers change of ownership thresholds, the types of changes requiring reporting and determining the date of change. Currently, SEVP is reviewing the public comments it received on this guidance. However, because it was released in interim final status, it is considered official SEVP policy during the review period.

In October 2016, SEVP implemented a new Form I-17 filing process and updated its information on ICE.gov to include specific guidance about what constitutes the minimum evidence required for update requests, along with detailed instructions on how principal designated school officials must submit that evidence. This provided greater transparency to all updates processes. Also during October, SEVP released interim final guidance that outlines Evidentiary Requirements for Schools Not Meeting Eligibility Criteria in 8 CFR 214.3(b) and (c).

In March 2013, SEVP released final guidance addressing the types of instructional sites school officials need to report on the Form I-17, “Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant Student.” This guidance has a threefold purpose:

• Define what constitutes an instructional site and a separate record location.
• Clarify schools’ reporting requirements to SEVP.
• Narrow the scope of which instructional sites school officials must report at public schools and/or schools accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency.