Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

THE EXCHANGE VISITOR PROGRAM
Home > The Exchange Visitor Program

The Exchange Visitor Program is carried out pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended.

Its purpose is to enhance understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through educational and cultural exchanges.

Sponsors and exchange visitors are required to comply with the Exchange Visitor Program regulations. It is essential that they become familiar with these regulations. This home page and the pages it links to should be viewed as a resource; they are not intended as a replacement or substitution for the Exchange Visitor Program regulations, 22 CFR Part 62.

>> Catalog of Department of State Designated Exchange Visitor Program Sponsors, April 2004 (*PDF, 1.1 MB)

Proposed Rule: Authorizing Collection of the Fee Levied on F, J and M Nonimmigrant Classifications Under Public Law 104-208
Federal Register: October 27, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 207, Pages 61148-61158)

Press Release Department of State Launches Visa Education Campaign (March 14, 2003)

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)

SEVIS implements section 641 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996, Public Law 104-208, which requires DHS to collect current information, on an ongoing basis, from schools and exchange programs relating to nonimmigrant foreign students and exchange visitors during the course of their stay in the United States.

SEVIS is an Internet-based system that provides tracking and monitoring functionality, with access to accurate and current information on nonimmigrant students (F and M visa) and exchange visitors (J visa), and their dependents (F-2, M-2, and J-2). SEVIS enables schools and program sponsors to transmit electronic information and event notifications, via the Internet, to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of State (DoS) throughout a student's or exchange visitor's stay in the United States. SEVIS will be informed of status events for international students and exchange visitors including, but not limited to, entry/exit data, changes of address, program extensions, employment notifications, and changes in program of study. SEVIS will also provide system alerts, event notifications, and reports to the end-user schools and programs, as well as for DHS and DOS offices.

Additional information may be obtained through the SEVIS website.

Other SEVIS Sites:
Direct link to the SEVIS log-in page.

SEVIS Regulations of December 12, 2002 (*PDF, 74KB)

Exchange Visitor Program Application (Form DS-3036):

The Department of State's Exchange Visitor Program has moved into an electronic environment. To submit an application for designation to the Department for review, an applicant must meet the eligibility requirements set forth in the Exchange Visitor Program regulations (22 CFR Part 62.3) and must submit an electronic Form DS-3036. Please refer to the Temporary Users Manual listed directly below for instructions and procedures for filing an application. The manual explains how to complete the Form DS-3036 and identifies the materials that must be submitted to the Department to initiate a review. The application fee for designation as an exchange visitor program is $799; this fee is non-refundable.

Prior to the submission of an application, applicants should have read this manual and be thoroughly familiar with the Exchange Visitor Program regulations (22 CFR Part 62).

To be eligible for designation as a program sponsor, an organization must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Department, its ability to comply and remain in compliance with all provisions of the Exchange Visitor Program regulations (22 CFR Part 62) and, at all times, to meet its financial obligations and responsibilities attendant to the successful sponsorship of its exchange visitor program, if designated.

Designation as an Exchange Visitor Program sponsor will not be considered if an applicant cannot meet the following two prerequisites which are discussed in detail in the Temporary Users Manual:

• Previous experience in the field of international exchanges; and,
• Financial requirements.

Department of Homeland Security User Manual for Temporary Users of SEVIS (*PDF, 1.2 MB)
(How to Complete and Submit the Form DS-3036, Exchange Visitor Program Application)
July 2, 2004 Update

User Manual for Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor Users (RO/ARO) of SEVIS: Volume I Forms DS-3036 and DS-3037 -
July 27, 2004 (*PDF, 1.45MB)

User Manual for Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor Users (RO/ARO) of SEVIS: Volume II Form DS-2019
July 27, 2004 (*PDF, 2.29MB)

*Requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader

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