University enrolls in SEVIS program

by Amber McLaughlin
Staff Writer

The University of La Verne recently enrolled in the Student Exchange Visitor Information System, which tracks all international students and their dependents present in the United States on an F or J visa.

This tracking takes place through an Internet interface among institutions that admit foreign nationals and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. The U.S. State Department will also have access to the data in SEVIS.

Through SEVIS, many actions of students will be recorded and transferred to the INS.

Philip Hofer, director of the International and Study Abroad Center, said, "This includes the request for the document used to secure a visa to study in the U.S. registration at the University, dropping below full time status, moving residence, extension of a stay in the U.S. and authorization for work through practical training."

ULV prepared for SEVIS by scheduling a meeting of representatives from the International and Study Abroad Center, undergraduate admissions, the registrar's office, graduate admissions and the Office of Information Technology.

"The OIT, through the helpful leadership of Tim Fraser and Joanne Ashcroft, has advised the ISAC on Banner capabilities to meet SEVIS requirements," Hofer said. "And I have attended a number of professional meetings and conferences that included preparatory information related to SEVIS."

Angela Burt joined the ISAC in October and has familiarized herself with SEVIS. Her job consists of day-to-day information gathering.

She is presently working with student assistants in collecting data to be entered into SEVIS.

"The purpose of this is to control foreigners in the U.S. It has been in development for a while, although after the events of Sept. 11 the process was sped up since some attackers were students in flight schools," she said.

ULV met the deadline to register with SEVIS to assure it can continue to host international students after Jan. 30. Registering included a payment of $230 for enrollment and $350 for a site team to visit both the centers where ULV hosts international students, the central campus and the College of Law.

After certification is received, ULV will be notified of the date for an on-site visit by representatives of the INS. Officials will review the campus, inspect the record system, review specific student files and assess the general compliance with SEVIS. ULV will then issue all documents to new students with SEVIS.

After January, both continuing and new students will be entered into SEVIS.

The Department of Justice and the INS published a notice in the Federal Register on Nov. 22 expanding the number of countries subject to special registration procedures.

Willful failure to comply constitutes a failure to maintain non-immigrant status and the individual is subject to deportation as well as being inadmissible in the future.

"The most important thing we are going to have to do is have very accurate and up-to-date records," Burt said. We have more of a responsibility to track students now."

Hofer said that together with their colleagues in OIT they will be evaluating the way Banner meets their needs with regards to SEVIS.

"We are hopeful that Banner will provide what we need in response to this dramatic change in the way our office works with international student records," he said.