What is SEVIS?
The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) is a computer system that monitors all aliens on the USA territory, including J1 Visa holders. Work and Travel program participants are obliged to register in SEVIS during 10-20 days since their program start date (depends on Sponsor requirements). Registration (by Internet or phone call) should be done by the students themselves
SEVIS is administered by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It is a computer database that maintains information on foreign students and exchange visitors before and during their stay in the United States. For more information about the SEVIS program, please visit the ICE website: www.ice.gov or follow here: http://exchanges.state.gov/jexchanges/sevis.html.
The student must register her/his details in SEVIS; it is a mandatory part of the program. The registration should be done within a definite period of time (from 10 till 20 days, depends on program Sponsor requirements) from the program start date (printed in Box 3 of DS-2019 form). Usually Sponsor companies held the orientation sessions for their applicants every year. There the students get precise details about SEVIS.
When registering for SEVIS, the following information is required:
- DS-2019 number
- The address where the students live in the U.S. (even temporarily)
- The address where the students work in the U.S.
- Email address.
There are 2 general ways to register with SEVIS:
- Go to Sponsor website; there's always the validation path (usually at the bottom of the page).
- Call the student's sponsor.
In both cases the procedure should be done by the student. You can help her/him with providing Internet or phone access if you wish.
What's Important about SEVIS:
- Not to register for SEVIS until the student is in the US;
- If the student does not register for SEVIS, s/he looses the sponsorship and the Visa will be cancelled;
- Also the applicant will not be able to get the Social Security Number if s/he is not validated with SEVIS.
Listed below are links to some of sponsors' SEVIS registration pages
- InterExchange
http://www.interexchange.org/sevis/sevis.php - CIEE
http://www.mysevis.com/
http://mysevis2.ciee.org/
1-888-COUNCIL (1-888-268-6245) - CCI
http://online.cci-exchange.com/ - CETUSA
https://www.cetusa.org/sevis/v2/ - IntoEdVentures
http://www.intoedventures.org/work_and_travel.cfm - CHI
http://www.wt.chinet.org/studentvalidationlogin.se - AWA
http://www.americanworkadventures.org/index3.php - ERDT
http://erdtworkandtravel.org/sevisStart.asp
