SEVIS is used by institutions and sponsors to provide notifications, reports, updates and data required by regulations on the institutions and program, as well as on student and exchange visitors. Additionally, DHS and DOS will use SEVIS to adjudicate benefits and services, track student and exchange visitor data, and to monitor institution and program sponsor compliance with current regulations.
The data collection has not changed since the previous Supporting Statement. Respondents in SEVIS have been and continue to be the DSOs, not the students. The DSOs input data into SEVIS in order to fulfill two responsibilities: the management of their schoolâs F and M visa nonimmigrant student data, and the management of their schoolâs SEVP certification. Requirements and processes for management of this data have not changed. Variances in aggregate costs/burden between this Supporting Statement and the preceding one reflect the following:
⢠Changes in overall student enrollment and the number of schools having or seeking SEVP certification;
⢠Increase in the DSO salary rate from $15 per hour to $39.33 due to a reassessment of the DSO role in the rule, âImproving and Expanding Training Opportunities for F-1 Nonimmigrant Students With STEM Degrees and Cap-Gap Relief for All Eligible F-1 Students,â 81 FR 13040, March 11, 2016;
The increase in SEVIS O&M costs from the 2015 submission to the 2016 costs reflect a full year of a number of services only captured in part in the last submission, plus additional stabilization efforts including engineering and data center costs to make SEVIS access more reliable for users, and operations and maintenance for functionality that began closing certain vulnerabilities. A technical refresh relating to information sharing was also initiated in 2016.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.