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SEVP continues to monitor developments with the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is the primary resource for up-to-date information on all diseases and biological threats. Find more information about this virus, including symptoms, prevention and treatment, and frequently asked questions on the CDC website.
New Guidance: SEVP-certified schools may need to adapt their procedures and policies to address the significant public health concerns associated with the COVID-19 crisis. In evaluating these changes, SEVP is focused on ensuring that nonimmigrant students are able to continue to make normal progress in a full course of study as required by federal regulations. SEVP intends to be flexible with temporary adaptations.
SEVP recognizes that the COVID-19 crisis is fluid and rapidly changing. For that reason, SEVP is not requiring prior notice of procedural adaptations, leaving room for schools to comply with state or local health emergency declarations. However, as noted in the March 9th Broadcast Message, “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Potential Procedural Adaptations for F and M nonimmigrant students”, SEVP must be notified of procedural adaptations within ten business days of the change.
Resources:
 The SEVP Government Voices Webinar: Get to Know CBP aired on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, and reached more than 500 attendees from across the academic community. As part of SEVP’s Government Webinar Series, this installment featured our government partners from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). During the webinar, CBP presenters from the Office of the Intergovernmental Public Liaison and the Office of Field Operations discussed hot topics for students and members of the academic community, including:
- Admissibility and port of entry processes;
- What students can expect during primary and secondary inspection;
- Responding to the Form I-515A, “Notice to Student or Exchange Visitor;”
- CBP trends and data; and
- CBP and U.S. Department of Homeland Security DHS resources to assist international student travel.
CBP and SEVP representatives also responded to more than 50 questions during the live question and answer session, allowing the academic community the opportunity to receive responses to their questions about U.S. port of entry processes directly from government subject matter experts.
To watch the webinar, and access a copy of the webinar presentation, hyperlink appendix and glossary, please visit the Government Voices Webinar: Get to Know CBP page.
 In February 2020, SchoolSafety.gov launched to provide a one-stop-shop of resources for K-12 administrators, educators, parents and law enforcement to use to prepare for and address various threats related to safety, security and support in schools.
SchoolSafety.gov includes:
- The School Safety Readiness Tool, an assessment tool that assists users in evaluating their respective school’s safety posture across ten foundational elements of school safety.
- A Secure Information Sharing Platform for designated school personnel to share school safety ideas, practices, plans, and tactics in a protected environment.
- A wide array of resources and best practices on key school safety topics to assist with building awareness within the school community to promote vigilance and build capacity to respond to incidents.
Tune In! The Federal School Safety Clearinghouse will host an upcoming webinar on Monday, March 16, 2020, from 4 to 5 p.m. EDT for the school safety community interested in learning more about the tools and resources highlighted on SchoolSafety.gov. Presenters will provide an overview, demonstrate the website's functionality, and update participants with future state information. A question and answer session will follow.
To register for the webinar, click here.
SEVP engages with stakeholders across the international academic community by attending numerous conferences and outreach events. SEVP staff present on a range of subjects, from program updates to specific topics, and through a variety of methods, including in person, webinar, teleconference or a combination of these approaches.
If you’d like SEVP to attend or present at your upcoming event, please fill out an event participation request at least 10 weeks prior to your event at StudyintheStates.dhs.gov/Conferences.
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