{
  "id": "RL32188",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL32188",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 311801,
      "date": "2006-01-24",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T19:18:22.818029",
      "title": "Monitoring Foreign Students in the United States: The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)",
      "summary": "There has been increased interest in monitoring foreign students while maintaining the long\ntradition\nof permitting international scholars to study in the United States. There are three main avenues for\nstudents from other countries to temporarily come to the United States to study, and each involves\nadmission as a nonimmigrant. The three visa categories used by foreign students are: F visas for\nacademic study; M visas for vocational study; and J visas for cultural exchange. Recently, the\nDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS) implemented an electronic foreign student monitoring\nsystem.\n When Congress enacted the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act\n(IIRIRA) of 1996, it added statutory language mandating that the Attorney General, in consultation\nwith the Secretaries of State and Education, develop by January 1, 1998, a program to collect data\non foreign students from at least five countries, and mandated that by 2003, the data collection\ninclude all countries. IIRIRA required the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to\ncollect the information electronically \"where practical.\" The USA Patriot Act of 2001 included\nprovisions to expand the foreign student tracking system and authorized appropriations for the\nsystem, which was supposed to be funded through fees, paid by the students. The Enhanced Border\nSecurity and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 increased monitoring of foreign students and closed\nperceived loopholes.\n The foreign student monitoring system created by the former INS, and mandated in IIRIRA, is\nreferred to as the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). SEVIS, which\nautomated an existing manual data collection process, became operational for all incoming students\non February 15, 2003, the deadline for all institutions which had previously been approved to admit\nforeign students to apply for SEVIS certification and enter all new students into the SEVIS system. \nThe educational institutions were given until August 1, 2003 to enter all continuing students into the\nsystem, and to have their SEVIS certification completed. Currently, there are 599,617 active\nstudents in SEVIS. \n There have been few stories in the press of foreign students having problems entering the\nUnited States as a result of the implementation of SEVIS. Nonetheless, schools have reported\ntechnical difficulties operating SEVIS, and reported discrepancies between information received\nfrom different bureaus in DHS regarding SEVIS operations and requirements. Additionally, some\nhave noted delays in student visa processing. Prior to the implementation of SEVIS it was difficult\nto know when foreign students overstayed their visas. Through SEVIS, DHS should be able to\nidentify students who have violated the terms of their visas; however, some question whether DHS\nhas the staff to locate all student visa violators, and whether it is a beneficial use of DHS resources\nto do so. Others are concerned that clerical errors will lead to unwarranted enforcement actions. \nThis report will be updated as needed.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "encoding": "utf-8",
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL32188",
          "sha1": "613aede23a2c081bf29a80dc230aeddbf1bd4f3f",
          "filename": "files/20060124_RL32188_613aede23a2c081bf29a80dc230aeddbf1bd4f3f.html",
          "images": null
        },
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "encoding": null,
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL32188",
          "sha1": "1f50d1cf24fb433ec11ae5aaadf34d2ef340491f",
          "filename": "files/20060124_RL32188_1f50d1cf24fb433ec11ae5aaadf34d2ef340491f.pdf",
          "images": null
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc813234/",
      "id": "RL32188_2005Jan14",
      "date": "2005-01-14",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Monitoring Foreign Students in the United States: The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20050114_RL32188_3b6b0d714ad6aef38f1ea7ce13a65e228a6b1975.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20050114_RL32188_3b6b0d714ad6aef38f1ea7ce13a65e228a6b1975.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs5866/",
      "id": "RL32188 2004-10-20",
      "date": "2004-10-20",
      "retrieved": "2005-06-11T06:33:51",
      "title": "Monitoring Foreign Students in the United States: The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20041020_RL32188_29dd8688eff5789fca2ec442d7155278f502d544.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20041020_RL32188_29dd8688eff5789fca2ec442d7155278f502d544.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Elementary and secondary education",
          "name": "Elementary and secondary education"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Foreign students",
          "name": "Foreign students"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Immigration",
          "name": "Immigration"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Higher education",
          "name": "Higher education"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc809917/",
      "id": "RL32188_2004Jan08",
      "date": "2004-01-08",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Monitoring Foreign Students in the United States: The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20040108_RL32188_e88556d966e786a70278ed4e464d520944bd4937.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20040108_RL32188_e88556d966e786a70278ed4e464d520944bd4937.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Appropriations",
    "Immigration Policy",
    "Intelligence and National Security"
  ]
}