Elevated
Significant Risk of Terrorist Attacks
March 17, 2004
DHS now uses the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) as an alternate means to conduct status inquiries on students and exchange visitors who have applied for a social security number. SEVIS supplements the current verification process, and may result in students and exchange visitors receiving social security numbers in a more timely fashion.
Existing Process:
New Steps - Effective January 5, 2004
If information not validated using process above, case is faxed to DHS Status Verifiers in Los Angeles
Some of the actions to facilitate Social Security number issuance involve the cooperation of the student or the exchange visitor. If eligible to work in the United States, students and exchange visitors should report to their school or to their exchange visitor program as soon as possible after arrival in the United States. Students and exchange visitors will need to provide the school or program sponsor with their U.S. address. The school official or responsible officer will then register or validate the student/exchange visitor as an active participant in SEVIS. Once the student/exchange visitor has been properly registered or validated in SEVIS, status verifiers will be able to successfully search SEVIS and provide the necessary validation information to the SSA.
# ICE #