Sevis 2005 Pia

The Student And Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
Privacy Impact Assessment
February 5, 2005

1.1.1.1 SEVP
Student And Exchange Visitor Program
United States Immigration And Customs Enforcement

PRIVACY IMPACT ASSESSMENT ......................................................................................... 3
1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................... 3
2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 3
WHAT IS SEVIS:.......................................................................................................................... 3
WHAT INFORMATION IS BEING COLLECTED:................................................................................. 4
WHY THE INFORMATION IS BEING COLLECTED:............................................................................ 4
WHAT IS THE INTENDED USE OF THE INFORMATION: .................................................................... 5
CAN INDIVIDUALS, SCHOOLS OR PROGRAM SPONSORS DECLINE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, OR
CONSENT TO ONLY PARTICULAR USES OF THAT INFORMATION: .................................................... 5
3. INFORMATION SECURITY, SHARING AND ACCESS:................................................. 6
WITH WHOM WILL THE INFORMATION BE SHARED: ...................................................................... 6
WHO WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE DATA: ...................................................................................... 8
HOW WILL DATA QUALITY BE MAINTAINED ................................................................................. 9
HOW WILL SYSTEM/DATA SECURITY BE MAINTAINED ................................................................ 10
INFORMATION RETENTION AND DESTRUCTION:......................................................................... 11
4. REDRESS:.............................................................................................................................. 12
5. APPLICABLE SYSTEM OF RECORDS NOTICE (SORN): .......................................... 12
6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................... 12
7. CONTACT INFORMATION............................................................................................... 13
APPENDIX A: LIST OF REFERENCES ................................................................................ 14
APPENDIX B: LIST OF ACRONYMS................................................................................... 16
APPENDIX C: SEVIS DATA SOURCES, FIELDS AND INTERFACES .......................... 18

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)

Privacy Impact Assessment
Student And Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)

1. Introduction
Congress has mandated that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in
consultation with the Departments of State (DoS) and Education, develop a national
system to collect and maintain pertinent information on nonimmigrant students and
exchange visitors, and the schools and exchange visitor sponsors that host these
individuals in the United States.
To comply with Congressional mandates, DHS and, more particularly, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within DHS, have created the Student and
Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). SEVIS maintains information on
nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors (F, M and J Visas) and their dependents,
and also on their associated schools and sponsors. In order to assess the privacy
issues associated with the collection, maintenance and use of SEVIS, which includes
necessary sharing with other agencies, the DHS Chief Privacy Officer directed that a
Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) be performed in accordance with the guidance issued
by OMB on September 26, 2003, and that the PIA be periodically updated as necessary
to reflect future changes.

2. System Overview
What is SEVIS:
SEVIS is an Internet-based system that allows DHS to collect, maintain and use
accurate and current information on nonimmigrant students, their dependents, and the
approved schools and designated United States sponsors that host nonimmigrant
students.
SEVIS enables schools and sponsors to transmit information, via the Internet, to DHS,
ICE, and DoS throughout a student or exchange visitor 's stay in the United States.
SEVIS receives event notifications (electronic updates to SEVIS records on students
and exchange visitors) and maintains up-to-date information about events involving
nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors, such as visa issuance, admission at the
Port-of-Entry (POE), registration at the school or validation of an exchange visitor’s
participation in their exchange program by the sponsor, changes of U. S. address,
program extensions, employment notifications, and changes in program of study. SEVIS
will also provide system alerts, event notifications, and reports to the end-user schools
and sponsors.

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SEVIS applies to F, J, and M nonimmigrants and their dependents only. F
nonimmigrants are foreign students pursuing a full course of study in a college,
university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, private elementary school,
other academic institution, or language training program in the United States that has
been approved to enroll foreign students. J nonimmigrants are foreign nationals who
have been selected by a sponsor designated by the DoS to participate in an exchange
visitor program in the United States. M nonimmigrants are foreign students who are
pursuing a full course of study in a vocational school or other recognized nonacademic
institution in the United States that has been certified to enroll foreign students.
SEVIS also maintains information on each of the certified schools and designated
sponsors and the SEVIS officials administering their programs. This information is used
by DHS and DoS to monitor compliance with regulatory requirements. The schools and
exchange visitor programs that participate in SEVIS include, but are not limited to, high
schools, universities, two-year colleges, vocational training schools, flight schools,
language schools, and public and private sector academic organizations. Exchange
visitor sponsors can be involved in the following categories of programs: student (high
school/college); trainee; teacher; professor; research scholar; short-term scholar;
specialist; international visitor; alien physician; government visitor; au pair; camp
counselor; and summer work/travel. DHS certifies the schools that are part of SEVIS,
while DoS designates the exchange program sponsors.

What information is being collected:
Nonimmigrant Students and Exchange Visitors
In most cases, information about nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors is
collected by a certified school or designated sponsor and entered by those entities
directly into SEVIS. The information collected includes the nonimmigrant's name,
country of birth, date of birth, country of citizenship, educational background,
information on the education/program activity for which the individual is seeking
admittance, and passport and visa information. A complete list of information collected
and maintained in SEVIS on all nonimmigrant students, exchange visitors, and their
dependents is listed in Appendix C.
Certified Schools and Designated Sponsors
Certified schools must provide specific information regarding the school, the nature and
requirements of the educational program, location and contact information, and costs to
attend. Designated sponsors must provide similar information regarding their exchange
visitor programs. A full list of information collected from schools and sponsors is listed in
Appendix C.

Why the information is being collected:
The information is being collected pursuant to statutory mandates. (Appendix A lists
these authorities.) Collection allows DHS to have current information relating to

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nonimmigrant foreign students and exchange visitors during the course of their stay in
the United States. The information, which is required to be continuously updated,
facilitates DHS oversight and enforcement activities concerning nonimmigrant students
and exchange visitors.

What is the intended use of the information:
DHS, primarily the components of the Directorate for Border and Transportation
Security and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, uses the
information collected and maintained by SEVIS to carry out portions of its national
security, law enforcement, and immigration control functions. Through SEVIS, DHS can
enhance enforcement capabilities by providing accurate and timely information to
support informed decisions, data analysis and the identification of status violators.
Specifically, SEVIS information enhances enforcement capability by:
•

Ensuring the entry of legitimate, eligible F, M and J nonimmigrant students and
exchange visitors,

•

Providing DHS officers with easy access to real-time SEVIS data to support
compliance and adjudicative efforts.

•

Enhancing data analysis and intelligence collection for investigators and
intelligence analysts.

•

Enhancing the capability to identify document fraud and take appropriate actions.

•

Facilitating the monitoring and periodic review of certified schools and designated
exchange visitor program sponsors.

SEVIS information is also used by other agencies beyond DHS for functions related to
nonimmigrants' presence in the United States. For example:
•

SEVIS supports the visa process by providing officials at the DoS Bureau of
Consular Affairs advance electronic data on nonimmigrant visa applicants prior to
visa issuance and prior to a nonimmigrant’s entry into the United States.

•

SEVIS information supports the efforts of federal law enforcement partners of
DHS, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation within the Department of
Justice, for enforcement, counter-terrorism and national security purposes.

Can individuals, schools or program sponsors decline to provide
information, or consent to only particular uses of that information:
No. The admission into the United States of any F, M and J nonimmigrant is contingent
upon submission of the required information. Anyone who does not provide the required
information will not be able to obtain the appropriate visa from DoS. Additionally,
schools and sponsors must submit the required institutional information in order to be

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certified by DHS or designated by DoS to host F, M and J nonimmigrants. Only those
institutions that have been certified or designated by the SEVIS Program may host
nonimmigrant F, M and J students and exchange visitors.

3. Information Security, Sharing and Access:
With whom will the information be shared:
SEVIS interfaces and shares updated information with other systems that collect and
maintain data on students and exchange visitors as they flow through various
government processes. The following is a simplified representation of an F, M or J
nonimmigrant’s progression, and the systems that share information along the way;
1. A SEVIS record is created on a prospective F, M or J nonimmigrant when he or
she applies and is accepted by a school or sponsor to participate in a program.
2. Specific information on these nonimmigrant applicants is provided to the DoS
Consular Consolidated Data system to support the visa issuance process. If
approved, the nonimmigrant is granted an F, J or M visa.
3. When the nonimmigrant departs for the United States, his or her departure
triggers additional sharing of information. The Interagency Border Inspection
System (IBIS), under the auspices of Customs and Border Protection within
DHS, receives information on the nonimmigrant from the DoS Office of Consular
Affairs, as well as advance passenger information (API) from carriers. IBIS then
passes this information to two other DHS systems: Arrival and Departure
Information System (ADIS) and SEVIS.
4. CBP officials have access to SEVIS information on a nonimmigrant when he or
she enters through a port of entry (POE), to assist CBP in the admission process.
Entry information is recorded in the ADIS system, which then passes the updated
information to SEVIS.
5. The nonimmigrant reports to his or her respective school or sponsor and begins
participation in the program. At that point the school or sponsor activates that
individual’s record in SEVIS by noting that the individual has commenced the
program. During the nonimmigrant's stay in the United States, the school or
sponsor constantly updates the SEVIS record. If the nonimmigrant falls out of
status for any reason, that information is made available to the Compliance
Enforcement Unit within ICE in support of investigative action. If the
nonimmigrant is eligible for and requests (among other things) reinstatement, a
change of status, or employment (i.e. Optional Practical Training or OPT) the
approval or denial of that application is recorded in another DHS system, the
Computer Linked Applications Information Management System (CLAIMS 3) and
passed to SEVIS to update the individual’s record.
6. When a nonimmigrant completes participation in his or her program, the
nonimmigrant is required to leave the United States. SEVIS is updated to
indicate program completed. The nonimmigrant’s exit information is recorded in
the ADIS system.

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Additionally, SEVIS provides information to the (US-VISIT) system on students,
exchange visitors, and dependents that are no longer eligible to remain in the United
States under the student and exchange visitor category. SEVIS receives a log file from
US-VISIT as feedback on the data sharing process, which contains statistical
information from processing the SEVIS data.
The DHS Password Issuance Control System (PICS) interfaces with SEVIS to update
identification/user role information on “authorized” users of the system. This system
also provides updates to SEVIS when a user has been removed from the authorized
user list. Additionally, SEVIS interfaces with the DHS I-901 fee payment processing
system and with the DoS Consolidated Consular Database (CCD) in order to validate
individual payments. This interface uses the SEVIS ID and last name, or SEVIS ID and
date of birth to match the I-901 record with the SEVIS record.
The diagram below depicts the system architecture with respect to the current
interfaces with other systems, and illustrates the flow of information and the connections
and relationships between SEVIS and external systems.
Note: Appendix C lists the specific nonimmigrant, school and sponsor data that is
captured by the system and its associated interfaces.

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S E V IS In tero p erab ility

V is a
A p p lica tio n

S ing le -co p y
P a p e r I-2 0 /
D S -2 0 1 9

E d uca tio na l
Institutio n

DoS
C o nsula te
S yste m s

AP I

F , M , J V isa d a ta
S E V IS ID #

I-2 0 /D S -2 0 1 9
d a ta

D a ta inp ut/up d a te
A le rts

N IV
D a ta sha re

S E V IS

IB IS
E ntry/E xit d a ta
(F , M , J a lie ns)
C ha ng e -o f-S ta tus;
B e ne fits
A p p lica tio n(s)

AD IS

E n try /E x it
D H S S e rvice
C e nte r(s )

VWPPA
(P ha se 1 )

A D IS :
A rriva l D e p a rture Info rm a tio n S yste m
A P I:
A d va nce P a sse ng e r Info rm a tio n
C L A IM S : C o m p ute r L inke d A p p lica tio n
Info rm a tio n M a na g e m e nt S yste m
IB IS :
Inte ra g e ncy B o rd e r Insp e ctio n S ys te m
NIV :
No nim m ig ra nt V isa
V W P P A : V isa W a ive r P e rm a ne nt P ro g ra m A ct
S up p o rt S yste m

C L AIM S 3

(A lie n in sid e U n ite d S ta te s )

Who will have access to the data:
The following government agencies have direct access to SEVIS data:
•
•
•

DHS - ICE, CIS, and CBP
DoS - Office of Exchange Coordination and Designation, Office of Consular
Affairs
DOJ -FBI

The following non-government entities have direct access to appropriate portions of
SEVIS data:
•

Schools that have been certified by DHS to use SEVIS and create/update the
records of F&M visa holders

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•

Sponsors that have been designated by DoS to use SEVIS and create/update
the records of J visa holders

Non-government users of SEVIS information include Principal Designated School
Officials (PDSOs) and Designated School Officials (DSOs) at DHS-certified educational
institutions, and Responsible Officers (ROs), and Alternate Responsible Officers
(AROs) of DoS-designated exchange visitor program sponsors. PDSOs, DSO and ROs
are the individuals responsible for entering nonimmigrant data into SEVIS, and for
updating that data as required.

How will data quality be maintained
Information is checked for accuracy at multiple stages throughout the life cycle of the
data. Each school and sponsor that is entered into the system undergoes a thorough
approval process to ensure that the entity is identified correctly and the information
supplied on the institution is accurate. The schools and sponsors enter student,
exchange visitor and dependent data. This information is then printed out on either
Form I-20 (for F & M) or Form DS-2019 (for J). If any information on this form is
inaccurate, the errors may be identified by the student/ exchange visitor himself/herself
upon receiving the form, at the DoS Consular office where the individual applies for a
visa, at the POE when entering the country, or at the school/sponsor itself during
registration and attendance. In addition, information received through electronic
interfaces from other DHS and DoS systems is monitored on a daily basis. A dedicated
production support team within DHS monitors the interfaces and reports on any errors
encountered, including discrepancies in the data. If the data is not consistent with the
information already in SEVIS, the record is rejected, the data is documented in an
interface error log, and the error log is made available to the other DHS and DoS
systems.
Specific data that has been identified as erroneous can be corrected by a process
called “data fix”. A data fix can only be registered with DHS by the school or sponsor.
Data fix requests are registered with the SEVIS help desk and given a help desk ticket
number, which is used to track the case through resolution. After a comprehensive
review of the alleged error and other actions related to the data fix, the request is either
denied or the record is corrected to reflect the proper information. This review adds a
level of control, or quality assurance, to the process in place. Only specifically
designated system administrators at DHS can perform ”data fixes." Prior to applying the
update to a record, each “data fix” request must be reviewed and approved by DHS
(The SEVIS Program for F & M records) or DoS (Office of Exchange Coordination and
Designation for J records).
Individuals accepted for participation by multiple schools and sponsors
have multiple SEVIS ID numbers/records. To ensure accuracy of data, however,
SEVIS automatically performs nightly maintenance that cancels unused SEVIS
IDs/records, when certain pre-set conditions are met. Eventually this leaves only
one valid and current ID/record for the individual.

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How will System/data security be maintained
DHS appreciates the sensitivity of the personal data supplied by individuals, regardless
of their nonimmigrant status, and applies safeguards to this information to protect it from
unauthorized access.
Physical Security: SEVIS is physically housed in a Government-secured facility located
in Rockville, Maryland and at a contingency site in Dallas, Texas. Web and application
servers for the DHS Web Services reside in the Justice Online Information Network at
JDC-W. Access to the Web Services infrastructure is from the public Internet through
equipment maintained by the Department of Justice (DoJ), and from the ICE Intranet,
through servers, routers, switches, and firewalls, some maintained by DoJ and some
maintained by DHS network staff.
Data Security: SEVIS is managed at a single data center, but operates under two
separate environments—the DHS Web Services in the DoJ eGov area for Internet
connectivity and the DHS Intranet Web cluster on the application servers. All DHS
users access SEVIS via the Intranet. DoS users may access via the Internet.
Non-Government users access SEVIS through an Internet connection. Access to the
SEVIS batch interface from an authorized school or sponsor requires that the
school/sponsor has obtained and submitted to SEVIS a digital certificate from VeriSign.
All Internet sessions are available only through an encrypted session.
SEVIS has been granted an Interim Authority to Operate under the Federal Information
Security Management Act (FISMA). All systems are required to undergo system
security certification and accreditation (C&A); SEVIS currently has been granted an
Interim Authority to Operate until April 15, 2005, based on the last approved C&A in
October 15, 2004. SEVIS is currently in the process of pursuing a full C&A based on
Release 4.14, which was released January 2005. The full C&A provides that SEVIS is
meeting those DHS current system security requirements that are within the scope of
SEVIS.1 Additionally, the system undergoes constant review by the Computer and
Telecommunications Security group within DHS. This group participates in regularly
scheduled release meetings in order to stay abreast of upcoming changes related to
system security. Any time a change involving system security is made to the system,
the effects are noted in relevant security documents. This process includes a risk
assessment, as well as a security test and evaluation process. The findings of each are
provided in a security report document.
Secure Identification/Password Access and Monitoring: PICS provides SEVIS user
identifications (IDs) for all DHS and DoS approved users. Once approved, users are
prompted to create their own unique password in order to obtain access. User IDs &
passwords are recorded and monitored by PICS. A SEVIS user has to go through an
authentication process using his or her specific ID and password, before retrieving data
from the system. ID and password inactivity for a period of 30 days or more will
1

There are some requirements that will necessitate a global solution from DHS for all IT systems and which
cannot be implemented at this time.

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automatically lock a user out of the system and require a reset of the password by
PICS, before access can be regained. Additionally, three unsuccessful attempts to
access the system with an incorrect combination of ID and password will also lock a
user out of the System.
SEVIS records and maintains information on session activity (user ID, log on time,
duration of session, log off time, etc.) each time a user accesses the system.
Additionally, SEVIS maintains a record of all changes that a user makes to the data in
the system. These features provide an audit trail of all user actions, which can be
utilized to monitor and analyze user activity for compliance. These features also
provide a means to ensure data integrity.
Risk Mitigation: DHS recognizes the privacy risks associated with allowing nongovernment access to a government system. However, SEVIS was specifically
designed to be accessed by non-government users (schools and sponsors) so they
could create the students’ and exchange visitors’ records and keep them up to date in
the database. The measures and processes put in place for school certification, sponsor
designation, and ID/password issuance offset and minimize this privacy risk.

Information Retention and Destruction:
In accordance with the provisions of 44 U.S.C. 3303a, SEVIS records are retained and
disposed of according to Disposition Schedule N1-563-04-1, approved by the Archivist
of the United States on February 11, 2004.
Specifically, there are three types of data files that are retained for SEVIS:
1. The batch data temporary files (containing student records) are retained for a
period not to exceed 1 year. These files are held temporarily on a server
within the DoS data center and electronically purged.
2. Beta test files are retained for 60 days on-line and electronically purged.
3. Student/ exchange visitor data files residing in SEVIS proper are backed-up
daily and retained/archived for 75 years.
Outputs (data sets pulled from the database for specific uses) are destroyed when no
longer needed for agency business.
For historical purposes, and because specific immigration law enforcement or benefit
case file research can span decades DHS/ICE maintains student/exchange visitor data
files in accordance with the above disposition schedule for their entire 75-year retention
period. If the data becomes too large it will be copied onto electronic media and stored
at the DOJ Data Center in Rockville, MD or Dallas, TX. At the end of the retention
period, files are electronically expunged from fileservers and Compact Disks (CDs)
through a method called degaussing, which is a means of erasing magnetic media and
removing the remnants of previously recorded signals. The degauss process is
achieved by passing magnetic media through a magnet field more powerful than the
media itself in order to rearrange the magnetic particles.

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4. Redress:
Individuals: Students and exchange visitors can view their own personal information
contained in SEVIS at any time simply by contacting the applicable school official or
sponsor. In fact, it is essential for SEVIS data integrity that individuals continuously
interact with school and program officials to ensure that the information in SEVIS
remains current. Corrections to portions of the personal information on nonimmigrants
in SEVIS can be supplied to the respective DSO/RO, who will update the record in
SEVIS. However, only DHS headquarters personnel can update certain portions of the
record via a data fix (described previously), such as changing a “terminated” record
back to “active”. Host families can continuously update the information in SEVIS
relating to them through the nonimmigrant they are hosting, or by contacting the
DSO/RO at the nonimmigrant’s school or sponsor. Additionally, nonimmigrant students
can file for “reinstatement” of their status, if they feel that their record was terminated
incorrectly, or if they have mitigating information affecting their status. Reinstatements
are filed with the appropriate USCIS District Office. Exchange visitors do not have the
option of applying for reinstatement.
Institutions: Corrections to information on schools or sponsors can be submitted to
DHS/DoS via an updated certification/designation petition from the school or sponsor.
DHS will review the request and update the record in SEVIS as appropriate.

5. Applicable System of Records Notice (SORN):
Because SEVIS maintains and uses information about nonimmigrants whose status
may change, and includes historical records on former F, M and J nonimmigrants, and
because SEVIS maintains information on the sponsors for nonimmigrant students,
SEVIS has created its own system of records. This decision reflects the DHS policy to
apply robust privacy protections to all individuals and is consistent with guidance issued
by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) encouraging agencies that maintain
record systems containing commingled information about citizens and aliens "to treat
such systems as if they were, in their entirety, subject to the Act." OMB, Privacy Act
Implementation: Guidance and Responsibilities, 40 Fed. Reg. 28948, 28951 (July 9,
1975). A Privacy Act notice for this system is being published contemporaneously with
this PIA.

6. Summary and Conclusions
SEVIS collects personal information on nonimmigrant students, exchange visitors (F, M,
and J visas), and certain USCs and LPRs, and shares it internally and externally with
agencies that have a need for the information in the performance of their duties. In
operating this system, SEVIS program managers are mindful of the privacy concerns
surrounding the information that is collected and have taken steps to ensure that any
privacy risks are mitigated to the extent possible.

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Because the data is obtained in the first instance from nonimmigrant students and
exchange visitors and is updated based on information they provide to their schools and
sponsors, data integrity is enhanced and the likelihood of an incorrect determination
being made is substantially reduced. Once obtained, moreover, the SEVIS Program
takes steps to ensure that the data is shared in strict conformity with memoranda of
understanding detailing privacy and security requirements.

7. Contact Information
The SEVIS Program is committed to a continuous process of improvement. Please
contact us with your comments, concerns, or suggestions:
•

By mail: SEVIS Program 800 K Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, D.C.
20536

•

By email: [email protected]

•

By phone: 202-305-2346

•

By fax: 202-353-3723

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Appendix A: List of References
1 Statutory Authority
1.1 Statutory Authorities for Protection of Information and of Information
Systems
5 U.S.C. § 552, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of 1966, As Amended
5 U.S.C. § 552a, Privacy Act of 1974, As Amended
Public Law 100-503, Computer Matching and Privacy Act of 1988
Public Law 107-347, E-Government Act of 2002, Section 208, Privacy Provisions, and Title III,
Information Security (Federal Information Systems Management Act (FISMA))

1.2 Statutory Authorities for SEVP/SEVIS
Public Law 104-208, Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996
Public Law 106-215, The Immigration and Naturalization Service Data Management
Improvement Act of 2000 (DMIA)
Public Law 106-396, The Visa Waiver Permanent Program Act of 2000 (VWPPA)
Public Law 107-56, The U.S.A. PATRIOT Act
Public Law 107-173, Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 (“Border
Security Act”)

1.3 Other Supporting Documentation and Guidance
Arrival Departure Information System Data Elements Document (Sensitive but Unclassified)
(Draft), November 10, 2003.
DHS/ICE Baseline Security Requirements for Automated Information Systems, July 18, 2003.
ICE Security Requirements, printed October 30, 2003.
Interagency Border Inspection System (IBIS) Security Features User Guide, Official Use Only,
October 2, 2003.
IT Security Program Handbook, Version 1.3, Sensitive Systems, Department of Homeland
Security, ID-4300A, June 20, 2003.
Security Evaluation Report (SER) for the Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT),
SMI-0039-SID-214-RG-40391, March 10, 2003.
Security Evaluation Report (SER) for the Visa Waiver Permanent Program Act Support System
Arrival Departure Information System (VWPPASS/ADIS), SMI-0039-SI-214-DTR-50446,
October 8, 2003.
System of Records Notice for Arrival and Departure Information System (ADIS),
DHS/ICE-CBP-001, 68 FR 69412 (Dec. 12, 2003).
System of Records Notice for Enforcement Operational Immigration Records
(ENFORCE/IDENT), DHS/ICE-CBP-CIS-001, 68 FR 69414 (Dec. 12, 2003).
System of Records Notice for Nonimmigrant Information System (NIIS), JUSTICE/INS-036, 68
FR 5048 (Jan. 31, 2003).
Federal Trade Commission, Privacy Online: A Report to Congress, June, 1998.

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OMB Guidance for Implementing the Privacy Provisions of the E-Government Act of 2002,
Memorandum M-03-22, September 26, 2003.
Risk Management Guide for Information Technology Systems, NIST Special Publication
800-30, January 2002.

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Appendix B: List of Acronyms
ADIS
ARO
API
APIS
BTS
CBP
CEU
CIS
CLAIMS 3
CCD
CPT
CRU
DHS
DO
DOB
DoJ
DoS
DSO
FBI
FTP
HQ
IBIS
ICE
ID
IIRIRA
INA
JDC-W
LPR
MOU
NIIS
NIV
NTE
OMB
OPT
PA
PDSO
PICS
PIA
Pub. L.
POE
RO
RTI

Arrival Departure Information System
Alternate Responsible Officer
Advance Passenger Information
Advance Passenger Information System
Border and Transportation Security
Customs and Border Protection
Compliance Enforcement Unit
Citizenship and Immigration Services
Computer Linked Applications Information Management System
Consular Consolidated Database
Curriculum Practical Training
Case Resolution Unit
Department of Homeland Security
District Office
Date of Birth
Department of Justice
Department of State
Designated School Official
Federal Bureau of Investigation
File Transfer Protocol
Headquarters
Interagency Border Inspection System
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Identifier
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act
Immigration and Nationality Act
Justice Data Center Washington
Lawful Permanent Resident
Memorandum of Understanding
Nonimmigrant Information System
Nonimmigrant Visa
Not to Exceed
Office of Management and Budget
Optional Practical Training
Privacy Act
Principal Designated School Official
Password Issuance Control System
Privacy Impact Assessment
Public Law
Port of Entry
Responsible Officer
Real-Time Interface

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SBU
Sensitive But Unclassified
SEVIS
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System
SEVP
Student and Exchange Visitor Program
SORN
System of Records Notice
SSA
Social Security Administration
SSN
Social Security Number
U.S.
United States
USA PATRIOT ACT Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools
Required to Interrupt and Obstruct Terrorism Act
US-VISIT
United States Visitor Immigrant Status Indicator Technology

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Appendix C: SEVIS Data Sources, Fields and Interfaces
Student Data (F & M visas; Form I-20)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Family Name
First Name
Middle Name
Suffix
Country of Birth
Date of Birth
Gender
Country of Citizenship
Certificate issued for reason
Level of education (text if other level of education)
Major
Secondary major and a minor
Program start and end date
Normal length of study
English proficiency required indication
Students average cost for tuition and fees
Living expenses
Expenses of dependents (if dependents are listed)
Total and number of months in academic term
Estimate of number of months in academic term
Students personal funds
Foreign address
Funds from this school and Funds from another source.
Additional On-campus employment
Remarks text
U.S. address or commuter student indicator (required for continuing students)
Driver’s license number and issue state
Social Security Number
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
Current session end date
Next session start date
SEVIS status
CPT employment
OPT Employment
Off campus employment
Extension request

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Transfer information
Class of Admission
Registration information
Registration remark
Passport Number
Passport Issuing country
Passport Expiration date
Visa Number
Post/Country of Visa Issuance
Visa Expiration date
I-94/Admission Number
Port of Entry
Date of Entry
Re-print reason for I-20
Drop bellow full course information
Authorization reason
Authorization start date
Authorization end date
Authorization remark
Change of education level information
Program completion information
Disciplinary action information
If convicted of crime or not
Program extension request
Shortening of the program information
Reinstatement information
SEVIS Status
Termination information
Transfer information
Employment type
Employment start date
Employment end date
Employer name
Employer address
Full time/Part time Employment
How/Why employment is related to curriculum
Employment remark
Recommended for authorized employment
Off campus employment type

Exchange Visitors Data: (J visa; Form DS 2019)
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Family Name

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First Name
Middle Name
Suffix
Country of Birth
City of Birth
Date of Birth
Gender
Country of Citizenship
Program start and end date
SEVIS status
Country of legal permanent resident
Exchange Visitor category
Subject/field description
Subject/Field remarks
Creation reason
Name and address of site of activity
Funding information
Change of category request information
Correct minor or technical infraction request information
Program end information
Completion reason
Completion date
Completion remark
Extension beyond the maximum duration of participation request information
Extension within the maximum duration of participation request information
Reprint reason for DS-2019 form
Termination information
Total estimated financial support
Indicator for receiving funding for international exchange from U.S. Government
Financial organization name and support amount
Personal funds
Transfer Information

Dependent data:
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First Name
Middle Name
Suffix
Date of birth
City of birth
Country of birth
Country of legal permanent residence
Country of Citizenship

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Gender
Relationship
Remarks
SEVIS Status

School Data: (Form I-17)
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Name of school
Mailing address of school
Phone number
Public/Private school type indicator
Education school is engaged in
School's sessions are based on
Registration begin date(s) - up to 20
Date school was established
Location of school
Mailing address of campus
Name and address of owner
Purpose of Petition
Authorization under which school operates
Association or agency that approved school
Nature of subject matter taught
Degrees available
School is engaged in
Sessions are held
Requirements for admission
Courses of study and time necessary to complete each
Requirements for graduation
Causes for expulsion
Average annual number of students
Approximate annual total cost
Role
For each school official: name; title; address; phone number, e-mail address;
citizenship (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR))
A-Number
Campus name
Campus address
Location
Mailing address of the school
Creation date
Update date
Last updated by user

Sponsor Data: (Forms DS-3026 and 3037)

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Name of sponsoring organization
Business Address Line 1 of sponsoring organization
Business Address Line 2 of sponsoring organization
Business city of sponsoring organization
Business state of sponsoring organization
Business zip code +4 of sponsoring organization
First name of the responsible officer
Last name of the responsible officer
Title of responsible officer
Telephone number of responsible officer
Type of application
Existing program number if type is Currently Designated Sponsor (is being
removed in release 4.14)
Number of DS-2019 submitted
Number of DS-2019 allowed
At least one category along with its number of participants and corresponding
duration
The method of selection and arrangements for financial support of exchange
visitor while in the U.S.
Purpose or objective
Outline of proposed activities
Arrangements for supervision
Role of other organizations associated with program
First name of chief executive officer or equivalent
Last name of chief executive officer or equivalent
Title of officer
Name of authorizing body
Question if officer is U.S. citizen or LPR
A-Number (if officer is an LPR)
Question if officer is already participating in SEVIS
User ID of officer
Officer’s e-mail address
Questions regarding the program
Mailing Address Line 1 of organization
Mailing Address Line 2 of organization
Mailing city of organization
Mailing state of organization
Mailing zip code +4 of organization
Middle name of the responsible officer
Suffix of the responsible officer
Fax number of responsible officer
First name of alternate responsible officer
Middle name of alternate responsible officer

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• Last name of alternate responsible officer
• Suffix of alternate responsible officer
• Telephone number of alternate responsible officer
• Fax number of alternate responsible officer
• The number of secondary students participating
• The duration of participation of secondary students
• The number of college/university students participating
• The duration of participation of college/university students
• The number of trainee – specialty category participating
• The duration of participation of trainee – specialty category
• The number of trainee – non-specialty category participating
• The duration of participation of trainee – non-specialty category
• The number of teachers participating
• The duration of teachers
• The number of professors participating
• The duration of participation of professors
• The number of international visitors participating
• The duration of participation of international visitors
• The number of alien physicians participating
• The duration of participation of alien physicians
• The number of government visitors participating
• The duration of participation of government visitors
• The number of research scholars participating
• The duration of participation of research scholars
• The number of short-term scholars participating
• The duration of participation of short-term scholars
• The number of specialists participating
• The duration of participation of specialists
• The number of camp counselors participating
• The duration of participation of camp counselors
• The number of summer work/travel participants
• The duration of participation of summer work/travel
• The number of au pairs participating
• The duration of participation of au pairs
• Middle name of chief executive officer or equivalent
• Suffix name of chief executive officer or equivalent
• Mailing address
Sources of SEVIS information:
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Officials at certified schools
Sponsor officials at designated programs
DHS users
DoS users

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