The proposed changes to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, an online system run by ICE that keeps track of international student records, would require more data collection and additional reporting requirements for schools such as CU Boulder. Among the changes are revisions to Form I-20, a required document to receive a student visa, to collect contact and other information on legal guardians of minor students, the date of graduation and degree awarded, clarifying details on the source and type of the financial support for the international students and information about online education, on-campus employment and employment training.
“Overall, the information request would create a significant and ongoing administrative burden for schools, especially those such as CU Boulder that host thousands of international students in F-1 status,” Chancellor Justin Schwartz wrote in a letter regarding the proposed changes. “It would require the development of new data-collection processes and modifications to existing internal systems. Clearer rationale provided in the request to explain why these additional data collections are necessary would be helpful and, how they would be practically useful for administering the F-1 student visa program, or why the information is not already available to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) through existing channels.”
An F-1 visa allows international students to come to the United States as full-time students at an academic institution, such as a college or high school.
Schwartz specifically pushed back against the on-campus employment reporting requirement and the online education reporting requirement. He wrote that schools already have various systems in place to ensure international students don’t exceed the 20-hour per week work limit and that they remain on track with their credit hours.
“In conclusion, while CU Boulder understands the importance of maintaining accurate records and ensuring compliance with federal regulations, the proposed changes to the Form I-20 introduce substantial new reporting requirements without clear justification or benefit to the administration of the F-1 visa program,” Schwartz wrote.
Schwartz urged the Department of Homeland Security to reconsider the potential changes, provide a more detailed explanation of their necessity and engage with stakeholders to explore other alternatives “that uphold regulatory goals without unduly burdening schools and students.” ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
For more information, visit regulations.gov/document/ICEB-2021-0001-0004.
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