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January 9, 2003
SEVIS Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
Update on UIS and ISSO SEVIS Working Group Meetings
- UIS had a successful transmission of data from UIS
to fsaATLAS
- On Jan. 24, all records will be moved from fsaATLAS
5 to fsaATLAS 6.05
- Training for all DSOs, ISSO Staff, International Admissions
and CELOP will occur around Wednesday Jan. 29 and Thursday,
Jan. 30. The training will include fsaATLAS 6.1, RTI,
and UIS Web screens
- ISSO plans to stop issuing I-20s on Friday, January
24. For one-week there will be no document issuance
so that the data downloaded will be clean.
- The ISSO has not been contacted for a site visit yet. USCIS
is overwhelmed and we believe that USCIS may start approving
schools for RTI use without site visits as of Jan. 30.
- The batch system is not ready and we are not sure when
it will be ready for use. Once it is up, we will test
data before we plunge in. If the batch system is ready
at the end of January, the plan is to test data throughout
February and begin using it in March if all tests go
well.
- After Jan. 29, we can no longer use the current system,
so anyone needing a new document will be entered and
issued a document in SEVIS. We have determined our last
day if issuance will be January 24 to give us some time
to migrate data.
- The ISSO plans to integrate all continuing students
in April and May, in time for our students to travel
provided the batch system is working.
- The ISSO has not received any information about the
J application but will receive an approval and a password
through e-mail, which has not been received yet.
- DSOs (F) and ROs (J) are separate and still have to
follow separate regulations.
- Once BU is in the RTI system, DSOs can be changed and
it will be effective immediately. (Previous regulations
allowed them a 60-day grace period within which to apply).
- January graduates are required to apply for OPT by
January 25 according to the new regulations and the ISSO
is contacting students immediately.
- The ISSO is informing students about SEVIS regulations
through e-mail, direct mailings and handouts when students
cont to the ISSO. As the ISSO contacts students to pick
up new SEVIS documents, there will be mandatory group
sessions, which students will attend and be given additional
information.
- Grad Admissions screens have been enhanced by UIS. New
screens have been developed for the ISSO, International
Admissions and CELOP and may be available for other offices
at a later date.
- In RTI, UIS can create cheat sheet reports so that
data entry, processing, etc can be streamlined if necessary
for undergrad admissions data entry.
- Data entry in RTI is limited to the DSOs and according
to government regulations, passwords and ids cannot be
shared. Don't want to jeopardize BU's status with the
government
- UIS will be Beta testing with Newfront Software, possibly
in February. They will use real data, real population.
- Grad Admissions/Application Process
- Graduate
Admissions already asks for all the information that is
needed for SEVIS
- The
ISDF collects all of the correct data but it depends on
when the school/college requests the ISDF.
- International
Undergraduate Admissions will begin collecting city of
birth and foreign address information via e-mail for fall
2003 admissions and then modify application forms for the
future.
Special Registration
- 1st phase - 5 countries
- 2nd phase - additional 13 countries
- 3rd phase - Saudi Arabia and Pakistan added
(Total of 20 countries)
- Students have told us that they have waited in long
lines but they are treated with respect. The ISSO suggests
that students check in with them before they go down
to the USCIS. The ISSO has found a few students to be
out of status and has helped them get into status before
going down to register at USCIS.
- Students must register their presence at the USCIS in
Boston or when entering the US at the airport. If they
are at the airport, they are photographed and fingerprinted
and told that they must go to their local USCIS.
- The ISSO gives out Certificates of Attendance verifying
students full-time status.
- All students are required to return to the USCIS on or
around their one-year check-in anniversary.
- There are still likely to be more countries but it
is only males between the ages of 16 and 45. This includes
anyone born in any of those countries and excludes those
born in one of the 20 countries listed but are US Permanent
Residents or Citizens.
- All non-immigrants must register, not just Fs and Js. This
includes H-1Bs, TNs, O-1s, etc.
- We are not sure what will happen to students who register
late, after the deadline. They may be considered out
of status.
Update from the Records Issues Subcommittee
- Kathy
Hynes of Student Accounting attended the last Records Meeting.
- Bursar
holds were discussed and they are not as serious as previously
thought. There is no concern for 3rd party
billing, as these student's records are not placed on hold.
- If
a student doesn't pay their bill, they can't register for
classes, they are considered out of status.
- RA
and GTF's don't pay their health insurance. Student accounts
can set up a payment plan.
- Student
Accounts will run some numbers to determine whether we
should evaluate bursar holds further.
Update on Scholars
- January 21, 1pm meeting with he Office of personnel,
Payroll, ISSO, UIS, Provost's Office, etc. to continue
to discuss J-1 scholars and employee screens and processing.
- Screens for J-1s will be used by the ISSO and eventually
distributed to other BU administrators.
- Elizabeth Ancarana from the Office of the Provost is
supposed to be joining the meetings
- ISSO will set up IDs for scholars until everyone on
campus is trained on the system.
- Dependents - not much reporting. Terminated when
principal is terminated.
- Scholars - ISSO is not always informed when a scholar
leaves. Now this will be systematic, at least for paid
scholars as they are in UIS. We will rely on department
notification for unpaid scholars.
- Continuing scholars will be integrated into SEVIS in
June.
- Students and scholars can travel with their old document
until August 1, 2003 but they must have a valid visa
stamp in their passport otherwise they need a new SEVIS
document to apply for a new visa.
Next SEVIS Steering Committee Meeting:
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
9-11am
4th Floor Conference Room, Provost's Office
145 Bay State Road
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