Privacy Impact Assessment

The availability of information is made all the easier today due to the Internet, technological changes in computers, digitized networks, and the creation of new information products. The E-Government Act of 2002 recognized that these advances also have important ramifications for the protection of personal information contained in government records and systems. The Act mandates an assessment of the privacy impact of any new or substantially revised Information Technology System. The document that results from these mandated assessments is called a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA).

In addition, the Privacy Act of 1974 requires federal agencies to explain in a system of records notice the types of personally identifiable information that they will collect, use and maintain. A system of records notice also informs the public of the reason for collecting the information, how it will be safeguarded and how it will be used for agency purposes.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program has recently published both a Privacy Impact Assessment and a System of Records Notice for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and both are now available for review.

SEVP Privacy Impact Assessment (PDF)
Privacy Act of 1974 (SORN) (PDF)