 together, we work together, and we prosper together. I would like to welcome the international students who are joining us from around the world for the first in a series of EducationUSA interactive study in the USA programs, and a special welcome to our virtual audience in Mexico City. I'm Kevin Barda from EducationUSA, a US Department of State network of more than 400 advising centers in 170 countries that promotes higher education in the United States. Most likely there's a center near you. We are here today to provide you with information on your student visa status and entry into the United States. This information should be especially useful to those of you who are about to begin your studies in the United States. As you know, there are procedures for entering and remaining in the United States. We realize that this process is new to most of you, so here to explain it, we have two Department of Homeland Security officials who will discuss how you can prepare for your departure to the United States, what to expect upon arrival, and how to maintain your non-immigrant student status while pursuing your education in the United States. Throughout this discussion, you will hear several acronyms, and we'll discuss documents that are identified by letters and numbers such as an I-20 or a DS-2019. We have uploaded a glossary of terms in the resources area on this page to help you navigate some of the more technical terms we mentioned today. For further clarification, please feel free to log into the live chat area and ask any questions you might have. We'll have other officers who will be looking at that as we're taking live questions as well. So let's jump right into the discussion with Jason Conno, who represents SEVP. Thank you for joining us, Jason, and maybe you can start off by just giving us a little bit of information about SEVP. Well, first of all, Kevin, thank you for having me here today. I'm happy to be participating in today's discussion. To answer your question, SEVP stands for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. We are part of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, which falls under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. We help students identify U.S. schools that are SEVP-certified institutions. We are also the primary program that monitors school and student compliance using the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, otherwise known as SEVP. Wow, it sounds like some real serious but necessary work. Considering right now we have around 960,000 international students studying in the United States each year. But SEVP is not the only government organization represented here today. Also joining us is Guy Conjé from Customs and Border Protection, or CBP. It's great to have you with us, Guy. Can you please tell us a little bit about CBP? Sure, Kevin. CBP's mission is to facilitate the entry of legitimate travelers such as students like those of you watching today, while also preventing high-risk individuals and improperly documented travelers from entering the United States. The CBP officer is the first official you will meet when arriving at a United States Port of Entry. We are here to help you make your entry into the United States as seamless as possible. Wow, so as you can see, we're really fortunate to be joined by two experts on how you can enter the United States as an international student and maintain the appropriate documentation. That brings us to one of our top questions that we've seen funneling into our chat area over the past few days. And that is, what type of documents do students need to have with them when arriving in the United States? I think, Jason, this would be a question best answered by you. Once you are accepted to an SUVP-certified school, your international student advisor or designated school official, also known as a DSO, will send you a document called a Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Status. The Form I-20 is a paper record of your information in the CBIS database. Each school that accepts you will send you a Form I-20. We are all familiar with passports, and most of you know that your visa is placed inside your passport. However, there are a few things you want to keep in mind about these documents. First, you should confirm that your passport and non-immigrant visa are still valid for entry into the United States. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your expected stay in the United States. It is also important to verify that your visa accurately reflects your correct visa classification, as well as the name of the institution or exchange program you will attend. If you find any discrepancies on your visa, you need to visit your nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate to obtain a new one. Wow, it sounds like some very important things to know. I guess what are some other documents that students should be aware of? Other documents with you include proof of school enrollment or your acceptance letter. You should also carry the name and contact information of your school official, as well as a 24-hour emergency contact telephone number at your school. If you have any questions about these documents, you can contact SCVP by phone or email. Great, well, thanks, Jason. So now we'd like to go to our audience in Mexico City and we'll take a live question from them. Do we have any questions coming up? Mexico City, do we have any questions? Hi, can you hear me? Oh, no worries yet. We can hear you. Hi, my name is Andrea Nunez. I'm a Fulbright grantee. I will start next for my master's degree. I'm a student at Columbia University. So as you probably know, in Mexico City at the embassy, there has been a problem with the visa. With the J1 visa and the tourist visa with the system. So what happened if I don't get my J1 visa at the time? Can I travel with a visa tourist to the US and then change to a student visa, to a J1 visa? Okay, it's an interesting question. I think that's almost a combination from different people. But Guy, do you have something you could talk about that? Oh, yes, I'm going to. CVP is working with the State Department and CVP has set up a support operations center to actually help the State Department with their visa issuance. We know they have difficulty issuing visa at the moment so we're actually working with them. So I'm not sure exactly when you plan on traveling. If you plan on traveling soon, you can actually contact the embassy in Mexico City and they will work with us so we can facilitate your entry to the United States. So you say don't travel in on a tourist visa, but wait for it. Yeah, exactly. Okay, okay, great. Well, thank you. We're going to ask for another question. We're going to again go back to our group here at Mexico City. Can someone else ask a question that you may have about coming into study in the US? Here we go. Hi. Can you hear me? Yeah, we can hear you. Great. Okay, hi. My name is Fanny. I work at the Fulbright office in Mexico. And my question is J1 students are subjected to the two-year home residency requirement always. Or is there a policy or a rule that I remember some years ago? Maybe J1 visa holders were not subjected to this two-year home residency requirement if their program was three months or less. Can you please, you know, explain this to me? There would be a Jason question, right? Actually, this is a question that's best directed to the Department of State's Exchange Visitor Program. SVP deals with F1 and M1 visa holders. So that's a question that's better directed towards the Department of State. We can, some of these questions, too, if they're more directed at other audiences than we have, we can feel free to try to follow up with you guys after this as well and try to answer some of those questions. So I guess we have another question that may be directed for CBP or SEVP? We'll take one more for a moment. Hi, good morning. I just wanted to ask a bit more information about the SEVP's number. I'm not really sure how does that work? In regards to just what the number is or what's your, can you go into it a little bit more? Yeah, what's the number? How are we supposed to use it? How are we supposed to use the SEVP's number? Well, the SEVP's number, are you referring to the number that starts with the letter N at the very beginning followed by two or three zeros? Yes, that's right. OK, that number helps us identify you as an individual in the SEVP's database. So basically when a school issues you, your former I-20, the SEVP system automatically generates that number and all the information that's been put in this system regarding your personal information. So anytime any authorization you need for say work or travel, we're going to use that number to basically know that either you have that work authorization or you're traveling. OK, great. Well, thank you for that answer, Jason. So thank you for those questions from Mexico City. Now let's take some questions from some of our online viewers. A viewer joining us in the live chat wants to know if they can travel within the US after completing their program. Is this possible? Yes, you have a 60-day grace period after the completion of your program study. Once you've graduated or once you've completed the program, you have those 60 days in which to travel or really do anything, but you have 60 days basically, yes. OK, so we have another question for Jason. You're getting a lot today. Elmer from El Salvador asks, what are the steps for working with a student visa? Well, the most important thing to keep in mind if you're seeking work authorization is that you need to speak with your designated school official first. They're the person that's going to actually work with you to get that authorization. Without that, you are not allowed to work. There are many different kinds of work authorization. You're going to have to speak with your international student advisor in order to determine what authorization is most appropriate. But the most important thing is to first go to your DSO and work that out from there. Great. So another view is asking, what is a Form I-20? So I guess what's a general Form I-20? Form I-20 is the form that you get that is generated from the information that your DSO has input into SEVUS. Includes your name, your program of study, where you're from. And basically, it's your form that basically tells SEVP, CBP, and other government agencies that you are a F1 or M1 student and that you are studying in the United States. Great. Thanks. Just a reminder, too, some of those terms like the I-20 are in the glossary that you can see in the resources area on the web page. Thanks for all of your questions so far. Don't forget to keep submitting questions to the live chat area. We're going to keep going through those. We're going to go back to, so Guy, I guess I've been hearing about a new program at CBP called Know Before You Go. Can you tell us a little bit more about that and how it can help students? Sure, Kevin. Approximately one million travelers enter the United States daily. The goal of CBP Know Before You Go initiative is to help them know what to expect when arriving in the United States. You can visit CBP.gov for more information about Know Before You Go and requirements for international travelers arriving and departing the United States. Great. That seems like a really good resource. So what are some of the key things that students should know before they go? Well, prior to arriving at a United States Port of Entry, you will need to complete the CBP declaration form 6059b. This form provides CBP with basic information about who you are and what items you are bringing into the country. For a list of prohibited item, visit CBP. www.cp.gov. travel. You'll receive form 6059b on your international flight to the United States. Another critical document is the form I-94, the arrival departure record. The form shows that you are admitted to the United States legally, your class of admission in your authorized period of stay. Those of you arriving to the United States by air or sea do not need to complete the paper in any form. CBP will create an electronic automated arrival record for non-immigrants entering the United States. If you need to prove your legal status, for example, to employers, school, universities, or government agency, you can access your electronic arrival departure record at www.cp.gov.in84. For those of you arriving at a land border part of entry, CBP will provide, well, CBP will continue to provide the paper in any form for you. Remember to check all the information on your electronic admission record is correct. This will help you secure benefits such as social security number. If you find any errors on your I-84 record, visit the nearest deferred inspection site, a list of the deferred inspection sites on CBP's website. Great, that's really good to know. So when students step off the plane or cross the border for the first time, what can they expect at the inspection area? At a primary inspection booth, also referred to as passport control, a CBP officer will ask you questions to verify your documentation, examine your luggage, and determine where to admit you into the US, into the United States. An officer may ask you some basic question about your state in the United States, such as the purpose of your trip, how long you plan on visit, and where you'll be staying. The most important thing is to have your forms ready, be straightforward, and be honest with the officer. Great, thanks again. That's some really useful information. So, Guy, let's get back to our viewers, and I think we're gonna be taking some more questions, I believe. So we got a few live questions. So maybe the first one, do we have a live question as of yet? Any online questions? No, so okay, we don't have any questions as of yet. So I guess we could talk about, I had a question myself, I guess, about secondary inspection. So I've heard some students, when they get to secondary inspection, they're not sure what happens to that. Can you tell us a little bit about that? Secondary inspection, it's an inspectional area that resolve issues that cannot be done at the primary boot. The primary officer will refer you to secondary, because in secondary, you get a little bit more, the officer get a little bit more time to ask you further questions, to do a little bit more research. Okay. So what do I do after inspection? There'd be something more I'd have to do, or? No, after you complete the inspection, if you were a process on primary, you were actually admitted to the United States, if you were referred to secondary, and you were admitted into the United States, you go, retrieve your luggage, and you're on your way out. Okay, great. So I guess after that, I think it's a great question for Jason. So as an international student, if I'm arriving in the US, I've made it through customs and that, okay. What are my next steps of going to campus? I know I'm really excited at that point, probably. What do I do to make sure that I'm meeting all the correct things? Well, the first thing you wanna do, even before you get to campus, is to call your DSO. Just let them know that you have arrived in the United States. The next thing that you wanna do once you've arrived on campus, the first thing that you wanna go do is go see your DSO. When you're an issue to form my 20, you're issued that with a program start date. Basically, that program start date indicates to SCVP and the rest of the US government that you are starting your program on this date. So as soon as you arrive on campus, go see your DSO, tell them that you're here, you're ready to start studying, you're ready to start classes, ready to move into your dorm. And they'll basically know that this person has arrived on the date that's the program start date and they're ready to go. Great. So I guess another live question I've received. I've received forms like 20 from more than one school. So basically I've applied to multiple schools, they've all sent me different I-20s. Which one do I use for entering the United States? I know it's confused some students. It's actually a very good question. You should really use the form I-20 for the school that you intend on actually attending. It might be a little bit confusing both to SCVP and maybe even CBP. If you entered the United States with a form I-20 that doesn't match the school that is notated in your visa. So the best thing that you can do is enter with the form I-20 for the school that you're going to attend. I would even add something. It's very important that you use the I-20 that for the school that you plan to attend. If you plan to attend a specific school, use that I-20 for that specific school because that's okay. So another question we've had come in kind of writing on this one is who can I contact if I need help when arriving in the United States? Like if they have any problems. Do they contact you? Do they contact their DSO at the university? What would you guys say to that? I think the first thing you want to do is contact your DSO. They are basically our boots on the ground for any problems or any concerns that our non-agreed students might have. They will have the best resources to help you. They will have the best information. If they are not available, you can contact SCVP. We have a call center, our response center. Their phone number is 703-603-3400. So I guess another question we've seen kind of come up in some students were like what is an I-515A? It's kind of a long one. I think maybe this, maybe you could help us a little bit with this one. But an I-515A, can you explain that a little bit? The I-515A is a document that the CVP will issue in secondary when a student has some document deficiencies, which means all their documents are not correct, I would say. We issue the I-515 for the students. And the I-515A, I mean like we'll check the box for the document that the student need to present to SCVP. The document is issued for 30 days, which means the student is admitted for a period of 30 days. But in the 30 days, the student will actually go to their designated school official, and the designee school official will actually work with them. And when they've actually got it all, the required document, they will mail the document to SCVP. Great, very interesting. I know some students worry about some of those kind of things and what happens kind of after the fact. So I guess another thing, another question we've had come in, and personally myself, I've seen this working at a university, is what happens if I just forget a document? Am I going to be told to go back home into my country? Or what would happen if say I forgot my I-20 or something like that happened? I think maybe that bends a little bit on the question you just answered, but. If you forget your I-20, you have a valid visa. And on primary, the officer will refer just to secondary. On secondary, that's where CVP will actually issue the I-515A. And you can bring that I-515 to your school as a needle official, and they'll work with you. OK, OK. Another question we've seen kind of come up here and there from students is in regards to online courses. A lot of universities are now offering some of these online courses, but we know that there's some regulations surrounding them when studying in the United States. And maybe, Jason, can you talk to us a little bit about what is allowed for online courses and what's the expectation there? So online courses, students are allowed to, everyone's students are allowed to take online courses. However, they're only allowed to take one online course per term or session. Any more than that, and the student is no longer maintaining their non-immigrant status. So you're allowed to take one online course only. Great, great. Maybe we can talk a little bit and switch it up to talking about just maintaining status in general. I know as a student, we're working with international students that there's some markers that they have to hit each semester. And maybe you can talk about what is required of a student to keep that status going. Anything like that? Sure. The most important thing is that you enroll in a full course of study. Your DSO will have information as to what those requirements are. And to continue making progress within your program. It's really as simple as going to class and continue doing the studying that you came here to do. Great, great. I guess some other questions we could talk about, too. One that comes up very frequently for us is, Jason, maybe you can talk about what is OPT? I know that I believe that's in the glossary terms as well. But if you can give just some basics on what it is, I know a lot of students have questions on that. OPT is otherwise known as optional practical training. It's a form of work authorization that can come either during or after your program of study. You have an aggregate of 12 months of OPT. Typically, F1 non-inverend students will take their OPT after they've completed their program of study. You have 12 months of OPT. You have to apply first with your DSO. And then you and your DSO will put in an application with US Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, using a form I-765. Once you've put that in, the adjudicators over at USCIS will determine whether or not you are eligible for OPT. And once they have made that determination and if they find you eligible, they will send you an employment authorization card. And from there, you have 12 months in which to work. Great, thanks. And again, with that, I believe you work with your DSO or your school official. The only way you're going to be able to get this is to work with your DSO. OK, OK. So that's a good point to always remember. So OK, it seems like we have some more questions coming in from our live audience in Mexico City. So let's go to them. Mexico City. Hi, again. Hi, guys. Some students have some problems differentiating or understanding the difference between a DS 2019 and a 920. So I was wondering if you could help us with this. OK. Do you guys have any thoughts on explaining the differences between a DS 2019 and a 920? I know you don't handle it. So the difference between the DS 2019 and the 4 My 20 is really speaks to the difference in visa classifications. The 4 My 20 is issued to students who intend on becoming either an F1 or an M1 non-embrun student. Whereas the DS 2019 is issued to exchange visitors who intend on entering the United States as a J1 a non-embrun student. Great. So I hope that answers your question. Can we have another question from Mexico City? I know there's a pretty big group of you down there. I see a hand up. OK. Hi. Hi. As a student visa holder, how many times can I apply for a renewal? For a renewal? So are you talking about a limit? A limit. So if you add another degree or something like that, that's what you're asking? Exactly. Exactly. Actually, as long as you are continuing to enroll in classes and you're making progress towards completion of a degree or a certificate, you can stay as long as you need to study. So if you start with a bachelor's, you can go to master's. They can go to PhD. Your F1 non-embrun status is as good as your studying class, basically. Great. Can we have another question from Mexico City? Anyone else? I see some hands up. Maybe. No. OK. Well, thanks again for all those great questions. We have some more coming in from our live audience. We'll be looking at those as well. The first viewer asks, can you please explain the two-year rule? So I guess what is the two-year rule? What are specific? Are you meaning the two-year rule in regards to JVs, as I'm assuming? That one, again, as Jason mentioned earlier, is primarily related to the JVs, which we would cover in a different session from this. So I don't know if we have another question. Some of that information, too, can be found on the EducationUSA website. There are links that are there that can link you to the appropriate information if you're looking for that on the two-year rule. So what are specific procedures once I arrive on campus? And I know we mentioned that a little bit. But do you know what's the standard campus system? Generally, SVP doesn't have any procedures in which a student needs to follow once they arrive on campus. The only important thing that we would note or encourage you to do is go see your DSO first thing. They might have other specific procedures that you need to follow. But again, the most important thing that you can do once you arrive on campus is go to see your DSO and check in. Great. Coming from working at university myself, I'd add to that where typically you go through, you go in, you check in. The offices love to see the international students. They're always fun when you first come in, you've got your bags. We like to talk to you and see how you're doing. Usually, a lot of students may have multiple orientations to also attend, so make sure to be looking for that. Sometimes you may have a specific international student orientation that's very specialized. It may talk about insurance and some of the maintaining your status and things like that. And then on top of it, you may have a regular orientation for the university with the rest of the domestic students, which is more generalized information about living on campus or going to classes. So make sure to definitely check that and don't just go to one or the other. So I guess, do we have some more questions or how do we want to? So we have just a few minutes left, I guess. So I'd like to pause and take some time to allow our speakers to go over some key reminders with everyone. So I guess we'll start with Jason if you have some key points that you'd like to put out for everyone. Okay, remember, you can enter the United States 30 days before your program starts date. It is also a good idea to carry your original documents with you at all times. Don't put them in your check baggage. Make at least two copies of these documents, one copy to leave with your family before you depart and another to give to your international student advisor or DSO. Also, be sure to carry your name and contact information of your school official. If there is a 24-hour emergency contact phone number at your school, be sure to include that too. Okay, Guy, given your years of experience, I assume you've seen various issues or misperceptions arise at ports of entry. Do you have any advice for students preparing to enter the US for their first time? Yes, the process may seem complicated, but it's not, and you can do it. Remember, have all your documents in order and be prepared to answer questions about your entry. Answering questions honestly will help facilitate an easier entry process. We are really pleased to welcome international students like you to the United States, and we want to help you successfully navigate the arrival process. And Jason, although properly filling out documents is obviously very important, what are some other things that students should know to help them avoid issues and maintain their status throughout their study in the United States? Sure. Remember that your primary reason for being in the United States is to study, and there are rules that you must follow in order to maintain your full time of student status. You must take a full course of study each term and you may only take one class online. If you cannot study full time or experience issues, contact your international student advisor or DSO immediately. It's also important to know that immigration rules can change, but you can keep up with the latest information through the Study in the States website or by following Study in the States on Facebook and Twitter. If you have questions or concerns, you can always contact SCVP by phone or email. Great, well, thank you both. We really appreciate this. This has been a very informative session, and we hope we have equipped all of our viewers with the tools you will need to make your journey to the United States as easy as possible. Thank you all for joining us. I know several US embassies and consulates held viewing parties for this online session, including the Consulate in Monterrey, Mexico. It's great to see your enthusiasm to study in the United States, and I want to thank all of you for participating online and at the viewing parties. You can continue to participate in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag Study in the USA or feel free to visit educationusa.state.gov for general information on studying in the United States. Our next session will be at the same time next Tuesday, August 19th, when we discuss acclimating to academic and campus life in the United States. We look forward to seeing you then. Thank you.