SEVIS Student & Exchange Visitor Records Management 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When an F-1 student on post-completion OPT receives a STEM OPT extension, how must the employing company participate in SEVIS compliance?
- The employer must register in E-Verify and submit a Training Plan (Form I-983) with the DSO (Correct answer)
- The employer must file Form I-129 for each STEM OPT student they hire
- The employer must obtain separate SEVP certification as a training site
- No employer action is required; only the student and DSO have SEVIS obligations
Correct answer: The employer must register in E-Verify and submit a Training Plan (Form I-983) with the DSO
STEM OPT employers must be enrolled in E-Verify, and the student and employer must complete Form I-983 (Training Plan) which the DSO submits in SEVIS.
Question 2: What is the SEVIS consequence if an F-1 student's OPT employment authorization expires and they have not found a new job within the unemployment limit?
- The DSO must terminate the SEVIS record (Correct answer)
- The student automatically receives a 90-day grace period extension
- USCIS revokes the EAD card and issues a departure notice
- The student is converted to B-2 tourist status in SEVIS
Correct answer: The DSO must terminate the SEVIS record
Exceeding the unemployment limit (90 days for initial OPT, 150 days cumulative for STEM OPT) is a status violation requiring the DSO to terminate the student's SEVIS record.
Question 3: A student's F-1 SEVIS record shows a program end date that has passed, but the student is still enrolled. What must the DSO do immediately?
- Extend the program end date in SEVIS and issue a new Form I-20 before the student takes any further academic action (Correct answer)
- Do nothing until the student's next registration period
- File a reinstatement petition with USCIS
- Terminate the record and ask the student to apply for a new visa
Correct answer: Extend the program end date in SEVIS and issue a new Form I-20 before the student takes any further academic action
A SEVIS program end date must always reflect the student's expected completion; an expired end date must be updated promptly and a new I-20 issued to avoid a status lapse.
Question 4: Under SEVIS, what is the correct process for reporting an F-1 student who has been convicted of a felony?
- The DSO must immediately terminate the SEVIS record and notify SEVP via the school's compliance reporting function (Correct answer)
- The DSO issues a new I-20 with a notation of the conviction in the remarks field
- The DSO waits for ICE to independently discover and act on the criminal record
- The DSO files a police report with local authorities on behalf of SEVP
Correct answer: The DSO must immediately terminate the SEVIS record and notify SEVP via the school's compliance reporting function
Schools are required to report criminal convictions of F-1 students to SEVP; the DSO terminates the SEVIS record using the appropriate termination reason and uses SEVIS reporting tools or contacts SEVP directly.
Question 5: An M-1 vocational student wishes to change to F-1 student status to pursue a degree program. What SEVIS rule applies to this change?
- M-1 students may not change to F-1 status if the change is for a program they began studying while in M-1 status (Correct answer)
- M-1 to F-1 changes are freely permitted at any time by filing Form I-539
- M-1 students must first depart the U.S. and reenter on an F-1 visa
- No change of status is allowed between M-1 and F-1 under any circumstances
Correct answer: M-1 students may not change to F-1 status if the change is for a program they began studying while in M-1 status
Under 8 CFR 248.1(c), an M-1 nonimmigrant may not change to F-1 status to pursue a course of study for which the M-1 classification was obtained.
Question 6: A DSO at a large university needs to locate a specific student's SEVIS record quickly. Which combination of search fields is most efficient in the SEVIS system?
- Student's home country and major field of study
- Student's SEVIS ID number or full name combined with date of birth (Correct answer)
- Student's visa stamp number and passport country
- Student's on-campus address and phone number
Correct answer: Student's SEVIS ID number or full name combined with date of birth
SEVIS allows direct record lookup by SEVIS ID (the N-number) or by name combined with date of birth, which quickly isolates the correct record among common names.
Question 7: An RO learns that a J-1 exchange visitor has accepted unauthorized employment outside the scope of their DS-2019 program. What is the RO's required SEVIS action?
- Counsel the exchange visitor informally and update their DS-2019 to include the new employment
- Terminate the J-1 SEVIS record for program violation and notify the Department of State (Correct answer)
- Transfer the exchange visitor to a new sponsor program that permits the employment
- File a Form I-765 with USCIS to retroactively authorize the employment
Correct answer: Terminate the J-1 SEVIS record for program violation and notify the Department of State
Unauthorized employment is a serious J-1 program violation; the RO must terminate the SEVIS record for violation of program terms and is required to notify the Department of State.
SEVIS Student & Exchange Visitor Records Management 4
When an F-1 student on post-completion OPT receives a STEM OPT extension, how must the employing company participate in SEVIS compliance?