MSU is preparing for one of the most significant policy changes to occur with nonimmigrant students and visiting scholars holding student visas, officials say.
Starting Jan. 30, colleges and universities in the United States will be required by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to be fully compliant with the Internet-based Student Exchange Visitor Information System, known as SEVIS.
About 3,000 international students are enrolled at MSU, representing about 7 percent of the student population.
“Within the international community it is by far the biggest change we have ever experienced in my 25 years,” said Peter Briggs, director of MSU’s Office of International Students and Scholars.
Mathematics masters student Chinthaka Hettitantri, a Sri Lanka native, said he was concerned with the uncertainty of many of the rules.
“I don’t know if I can follow the regulations,” Briggs said. “But I guess it is for our protection since it is the easiest way to get into the country.”
He said MSU expects to electronically transfer the required data for all students with F, M and J visas, within 30 days of the deadline.
Schools have been required by The USA Patriot Act, signed in October 2001, to keep records on F, M and J international students and visiting scholars for years. In 1996, the Illegal Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act mandated INS create SEVIS.
“We’re really working to protect the students, but there are responsibilities they need to be aware of,” he said.
Briggs said international students need to make sure they file change of address forms and watch the amount of credits they take.
“Undergraduate students are only allowed one semester to drop below a full class load,” he said.
He said the requirement creates a challenge because some students come to MSU and struggle with language barriers, forcing them to drop a class and leaving them below a full class load of 12 credit hours.
With the new database, I-20 forms, which prove that students are enrolled in class full-time, will now be issued through SEVIS and not have to be printed out.
Within 21 days, schools must report students’ enrollment status, change of legal name, change of address and if students will graduate early. Within 30 days after class registration, schools must report if students enroll, current address and start date of next semester.
Patty Croom, student academic records team leader in administrative information services, said while many other schools are using vendors or buying software, MSU chose to create their own database. Croom said her team is now building software that will process the electronic transfer that INS is requiring.
“It is a very tight deadline even for the vendors,” Croom said. “We looked at the other options and decided with the costs it would be in our best interest.”
Briggs said international students need to pay close attention because there are many regulations to know, monitor and administer in terms of SEVIS regulations.
Pathology doctoral student Markus Rick, a German native, said when he first heard about SEVIS he was scared about privacy issues, but after attending a SEVIS seminar he gained confidence.
“It sounds like if I do things proper, then things will be OK,” he said.
Brian Charlton can be reached at charlt10@msu.edu.
