Monitoring Foreign Students in the United States: The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)

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Abstract:

There has been increased interest in monitoring foreign students while maintaining the long tradition of permitting international scholars to study in the United States. There are three main avenues for students from other countries to temporarily come to the United States to study, and each involves admission as a nonimmigrant. The three visa categories used by foreign students are F visas for academic study, M visas for vocational study, and J visas for cultural exchange. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security DHS implemented an electronic foreign student monitoring system. When Congress enacted the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act IIRIRA of 1996, it added statutory language mandating that the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretaries of State and Education, develop by January 1, 1998, a program to collect data on foreign students from at least five countries, and mandated that by 2003, the data collection include all countries. IIRIRA required the former Immigration and Naturalization Service INS to collect the information electronically where practical. The USA Patriot Act of 2001 included provisions to expand the foreign student tracking system and authorized appropriations for the system, which was supposed to be funded through fees, paid by the students. The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 increased monitoring of foreign students and closed perceived loopholes. The foreign student monitoring system created by the former INS, and mandated in IIRIRA, is referred to as the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System SEVIS. SEVIS, which automated an existing manual data collection process, became operational for all incoming students on February 15, 2003, the deadline for all institutions which had previously been approved to admit foreign students to apply for SEVIS certification and enter all new students into the SEVIS system.

Author(s):
Siskin, Alison
Author Organization(s):
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
Descriptive Note:
Congressional rept.
Supplementary Note:
CRS Report for Congress.
Pagination:
0013

Security Markings

DOCUMENT & CONTEXTUAL SUMMARY

Distribution:
Approved For Public Release
Distribution Statement:
Approved For Public Release; Distribution Is Unlimited.

RECORD

Collection: TR
Identifying Numbers
Report Number(s):
CRS-RL32188
Monitor Series:
CRS/DC
 Subject Terms
Joint Capability Areas:
JCA_5_Command and Control; JCA_5.2.3_Share Knowledge and Situational Awareness; JCA_5.2_Understand; JCA_1_Force Support; JCA_1.2_Force Preparation; JCA_1.2.3_Educating; JCA_6.4.1_Secure Information Exchange; JCA_8_Building Partnerships; JCA_6.4_Information Assurance; JCA_6_Net Centric; JCA_8.2_Shape; JCA_1.3_Human Capital Management; JCA_8.1.1_Inform Domestic and Foreign Audiences; JCA_8.1_Communicate; JCA_1.3.1_Personnel and Family Support
Communities of Interest:
Materials and Manufacturing Processes
Descriptor(s):
*FOREIGN, *MANAGEMENT, *STUDENTS, *LEGISLATION, *INFORMATION SYSTEMS, *MONITORING, UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, HOMELAND SECURITY, DATA ACQUISITION, AUTOMATION, TRACKING, HISTORY, EDUCATION
Field(s)/Group(s):
Government and Political Science, Sociology and Law, Humanities and History
Keyword(s):
*FOREIGN STUDENTS, *SEVIS(STUDENT AND EXCHANGE VISITOR INFORMATION SYSTEM), NONIMMIGRANTS, F VISAS, M VISAS, J VISAS, VISA VIOLATIONS, IIRIRA(ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION REFORM AND IMMIGRANT RESPONSIBILITY ACT), ACADEMIC STUDY, VOCATIONAL STUDY, CULTURAL EXCHANGE, LEGISLATIVE HISTORY, ENHANCED BORDER SECURITY AND VISA REFORM ACT, USA PATRIOT ACT, FEE COLLECTION
Report Date:
2005 Jan 14
Creation Date:
2007 Mar 21