ICE consists of three directorates to accomplish the agency’s mission, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Management and Administration (M&A).
ICE's primary mission is to promote homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade and immigration.
Catch up on ICE’s most popular news stories from the week ending March 25, 2016
ICE executes its mission through the enforcement of more than 400 federal statutes, focusing on preventing terrorism, immigration enforcement and combating transnational crime.
If you are aware of student visa fraud or nonimmigrant students working unlawfully in the U.S., report it here: Email or Call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE
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Nonimmigrant students and schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) should abide by SEVP guidance originally issued in March 2020. Learn more.
Click here for latest guidance for nonimmigrant students
Per regulation, all SEVP-certified schools must be recertified every two years. The certification expiration date (CED) is exactly two years from the date of initial certification or the date of previous recertification.
In response to the March 2019 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendation for SEVP to more precisely establish a two-year recertification cycle, any school that is certified or recertified after March 1, 2020, will receive their next CED notice 180 days before the two-year deadline. Download Frequently Asked Questions: Updated Certification Expiration Date Process for answers to common questions about this change.
On Sept. 30, 2019, SEVP published new policy guidance titled, “Practical Training: Determining a Direct Relationship Between Employment and a Student’s Major Area of Study.”
Visit the Schools page to view the full guidance.
Download the new Curricular Practical Training Fact Sheet for reminders about the federal regulations governing curricular practical training (CPT) and answers to frequently asked questions about CPT.
On June 24, 2019, new and increased fees for international students, exchange visitors and SEVP-certified schools took effect.
Please read SEVP Final Fee Rule: Frequently Asked Questions for answers to common questions about the new fee rule.
On Nov. 21, 2018, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) permanently restored federal recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS).
SEVP accepts ACICS as an ED-recognized accrediting body for certification. If you have questions about how this development may impact your certification or nonimmigrant status, please contact the SEVP Response Center.
Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified schools are subject to a review of their certification at any time based on federal regulation. Upon this review, SEVP can exercise its authority to withdraw schools and/or terminate certain initial and active student records for noncompliance with SEVP regulations. Visit the School Alerts page for a list of schools that have been withdrawn and instructions students should follow.
December 2019 – Volume 10, Issue 4: Read the latest SEVP Spotlight on Study in the States. (posted: Jan. 2020)
Read the latest SEVIS by the Numbers report. (posted Aug. 28, 2020)
F-1 Students from Syria: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an extension of employment authorization for certain Syrian F-1 international students who are facing severe economic hardship as a direct result of civil unrest in Syria since March 2011. Read the full notice on the Federal Register to learn more about the extension of employment authorization for Syrian F-1 international students. Visit Study in the States to learn more about Special Student Relief. (updated: Dec. 2018)
F-1 Students from Nepal: DHS announced an extension of employment authorization for certain Nepali F-1 international students who are facing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the April 25, 2015, earthquake in Nepal. Visit Study in the States to learn more about the extension of employment authorization for Nepali F-1 students or read the full notice on the Federal Register. (updated: Sep. 2018)
SEVP is sending a “Notice of Intent to Terminate” to nonimmigrant students (F-1/M-1), exchange visitors (J-1) and dependents (F-2/M-2/J-2) who fail to comply with the Form I-515A, “Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor,” directive by the specified deadline. Recipients of the “Notice of Intent to Terminate” have 14 days, from the date the notice is sent, to respond to the Form I-515A. Failure to respond will result in the termination of their SEVIS record. For more information, download the Form I-515A Noncompliance Termination Procedure and visit Study in the States.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program Response Center has implemented a new callback feature for users to schedule a specific date and time for return calls from SRC. To learn more, read the blog post on the new feature on Study in the States.
When an individual enrolls at a U.S. school as an F-1 or M-1 nonimmigrant student or participates in the Visa Exchange Visitor Program, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) captures certain information about that individual in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The data included on this page has been extracted from SEVIS. It provides an overview of SEVP-certified schools, as well as active nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors during a specific calendar year. This data is updated annually.
For reference, F-1 students pursue academic studies and M-1 students pursue vocational studies in the United States. J-1 exchange visitors participate in the Visa Exchange Visitor Program, which is managed by the U.S. Department of State.
An nonimmigrant student or exchange visitor is deemed active once they enter the U.S. and engage in their program of study or exchange visitor program. Their status is designated as “active” in SEVIS.
nonimmigrant students can participate in various types of practical training related to their field of study.
Note: To participate in OPT, an nonimmigrant student must receive employment authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
For more information about the different types of practical training available to nonimmigrant students, please read the SEVP Practical Training Overview.
For detailed requests of SEVP data, please visit the SEVP section of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Library. For information on nonimmigrant student trends, please visit the SEVIS by the Numbers report and the interactive SEVIS Data Mapping Tool on Study in the States.
More information about the Exchange Visitor Program can be found on the U.S. Department of State’s website.
SEVIS by the Numbers is a biannual report on international student trends using data from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The report includes relevant information about international students studying in the United States and the schools that enroll them. The report highlights where international students come from, what they study and where they go within the United States to study.
Visit Mapping SEVIS by the Numbers on Study in the States to explore some of the raw SEVIS data that the report uses. This information is viewable at the continent, region and country level and includes information on gender and education levels for international students from geographical areas across the globe. You can review the information from a global or U.S. perspective.
You can find previous SEVIS by the Numbers reports in the Freedom of Information Act Library, under Student and Exchange Visitor Program.
