Activating Automatic Record Maintenance Jobs

For: SEVIS Certified Academic Institutions Which Sponsor F/M Students

From: Jill Drury, Director of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)

Purpose

This message is to inform you that the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) will begin activating the remaining nightly automatic maintenance jobs in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) on 1 September 2004.

Background

The maintenance jobs are required to archive unnecessary records and to ensure that SEVIS runs efficiently. These automatic record maintenance jobs were originally designed to run in the system on a regular basis to ensure that in cases where a Principal/Designated School Official (P/DSO) is not required to take action, or fails to take required action, student records will be automatically changed to the appropriate status in a timely manner. SEVP decided not to run all of the automatic system functions to give new users of SEVIS more time to familiarize themselves with the reporting requirements and functions of SEVIS. Without this additional time, many new schools might have had large numbers of records inadvertently cancelled, completed, or terminated.

Discussion

Now that schools which enroll F-1 and M-1 nonimmigrant students are using SEVIS for both initial and continuing students and have had time to familiarize themselves with the system, these automatic record maintenance jobs will be activated in a phased approach beginning 1 September 2004, and, once activated, will continue to run on a nightly basis. By announcing the activation of these maintenance jobs prior to implementation, schools will have time in the interim to update all student records accordingly, and thereby avoid inadvertent or inaccurate student record status changes. Updating your records in a timely manner facilitates student processing at the ports of entry and service centers, as well as prevents the initiation of unnecessary compliance/enforcement actions against the students.

It is essential that all P/DSOs take advantage of this interim period to ensure that their SEVIS records are current and accurate, especially program end dates and the registration of student records in SEVIS. P/DSOs should also review the Alerts in SEVIS regularly. The alerts are intended to remind P/DSOs that immediate action must be taken on a particular record to avoid inadvertent termination or completion. The "Alert List Summary," which can be found on the SEVP website at http://www.ice.gov/graphics/enforce/imm/sevis/NoticesAndUpdates.htm , lists each alert and describes what action, if any, should be taken and the time-frame during which the action must be taken to avoid automatic completion or termination of the record.¹ These alerts will be far more accurate once these routine maintenance jobs resume. Additionally, schools will no longer have an indefinite period of time in which to manually update SEVIS records. Failure to maintain these records will not generally be considered as justification for subsequent data fix requests. Effective immediately, all data fix requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Additional SEVP guidance regarding key data fix issues will be distributed soon.

SEVP recommends that P/DSOs instruct their students to communicate their intentions for summer travel, optional practical training, etc., to their school officials at least 45 days prior to the end of the current session or their expected graduation date, so that the students’ SEVIS records may be updated appropriately. If the student's situation changes at any time prior to the program end date or next session start date, the student should immediately report his/her situation. P/DSOs should remind their students that if they fail to communicate their intentions, the P/DSO may not be able to update SEVIS correctly and the student may fall out of status. In these cases, the student will be held responsible for any and all consequences, including possible deportation, applying for reinstatement, paying the necessary fees, etc.

The table below summarizes the maintenance jobs that will be activated beginning 1 September 2004. Additional information on these automatic maintenance jobs and their associated impact to student records will be posted on the SEVP website at http://www.ice.gov/graphics/enforce/imm/sevis/index.htm prior to actual implementation.

For spouses and dependent children (J-2) exchange visitors
Ativation Date	Name	Description
September 1, 2004	Terminate Draft Status Transfer-In Records	SEVIS will automatically terminate any Draft records that have not been submitted by the transfer-in school within 6 months of the student’s transfer release date.
	Terminate Initial Status Records for No-Shows Who Have Entered Country	SEVIS will automatically terminate Initial records with a termination reason of "No Show - System Termination" 60 days after the program start date for student records that are recorded as having entry data but are not registered.
October 1, 2004	Terminate Initial Status Transfer-In Records	If a P/DSO does not indicate that a transferred-in F-1 student has registered within 60 days of the new program start date, SEVIS will automatically terminate that student’s record.
	Cancel Initial Status Records 60 Days After Program Start	SEVIS will automatically cancel all records for students who have no record of entering the country, have not registered 60 days after their program start date, and do not have a transfer request pending or a change of status pending.
November 1, 2004	Terminate Active Status Records 90 Days After Next Session Start Date	SEVIS will automatically terminate records in Active status 90 days after the next session start date if the student has not been registered; the next session start date is prior to the program end date; and the student is not currently in the transfer process. Records with Pending or Approved OPT will not be affected by this job.
	Terminate Initial Status Records with a COS Pending if Not Registered 60 Days After Program Start Date	SEVIS will automatically terminate records in Initial status 60 days after the program start date with a termination reason of "No Show" if the record has either a pending or approved change of status.

Questions can be forwarded to SEVP at toolbox.SEVIS@dhs.gov.

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¹Note: SEVIS Release 4.12 will include a modification to the SEVIS Alerts to remove the limit of listing 500 records. All records that meet the criteria for each alert will be displayed.

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