On October 8, 2025 the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) sent SEVIS users Broadcast Message 2510-02: Reminder to School Officials of Program Compliance and Reporting Requirements for F, M and J Nonimmigrants.
The broadcast message reminds principal designated school officials (PDSOs) and designated school officials (DSOs) of their regulatory responsibilities under 8 CFR 214.3 and 214.4 and emphasizes student compliance with regulations and the Immigration and Nationality Act. The message reiterates existing requirements such as cooperating with SEVP record requests, ensuring DSOs are knowledgeable about F-1 and M-1 regulations, and updating SEVIS within 21 days of certain actions, and highlights statutory grounds of inadmissibility and removability related to criminal conduct, threats to public safety, and activities opposing the U.S. government. While the notice does not impose new rules, its tone aligns with broader administration messaging linking immigration compliance to national security and public safety, and it outlines the statutory provisions the administration has been using to exclude and remove individuals from the United States. Institutions should ensure that DSOs remain current on regulatory requirements, maintain accurate SEVIS reporting practices, and educate students about their obligations to maintain status.
NAFSA has transcribed the broadcast message below, adding hyperlinks to the sources of authority SEVP cites.
Broadcast Message: Reminder to School Officials of Program Compliance and Reporting Requirements for F, M and J Nonimmigrants
To: All SEVIS users
Date: October 8, 2025
BCM Number: 2510-02
General Information
This message serves as a reminder from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) for principal designated school officials (PDSOs) and designated school officials (DSOs) regarding compliance and reporting requirements for F, M and J nonimmigrants. Also, it is a reminder to students to avoid activities that could be interpreted as endangering public safety, which might jeopardize their nonimmigrant student status. Please carefully read and review the following information to ensure your school and foreign students remain compliant with all laws and requirements.
Loss of SEVP certification: To maintain certification for the purpose of issuing Forms I-20, "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status," schools are required to comply with SEVP's governing regulations. Among other things, a school may have its certification withdrawn or recertification denied under the following circumstances:
- Failure to share with SEVP upon request records relating to F-1 and M-1 students absent a subpoena (8 C.F.R. 214.4(a)(2)(i)).
- DSOs engage in conduct that does not comply with SEVP regulations (8 C.F.R. 214.4(a)(2)(vi)).
- DSOs are unfamiliar with U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulations relating to the requirements for admission and maintenance of status of nonimmigrant students (8 C.F.R. 214.3(l)(3), 214.4(a)(2)(ix)).
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) standards of behavior: Under the immigration laws of the United States, nonimmigrant foreign nationals or "aliens" are expected to meet certain standards of behavior set forth in the INA. Failure to meet those standards may render them ineligible for visas, inadmissible to the United States or subject to removal.
Admissibility/removability considerations:
- Any alien seeking admission to the United States on an F, M or J visa intending to engage in any unlawful activity in the United States is ineligible to receive a visa and is inadmissible to the United States (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(A)(ii)).
- An alien who engages in any criminal activity following admission to the United States that endangers public safety or national security is removable (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(4)(A)(ii)). PDSOs and DSOs are encouraged to warn foreign students against participating in activities that promote or involve violence or destruction of property.
- Any alien seeking admission to the United States on an F, M or J visa intending to engage in any activity a purpose of which is the opposition to, or the control or overthrow of, the Government of the United States by force, violence, or other unlawful means, is inadmissible to the United States (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(A)(iii)).
- An alien who has engaged in such activity at any time following admission to the United States is removable (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(4)(A)(iii)). PDSOs and DSOs are encouraged to warn student visa holders against participating in activities that advocate the use of force, violence, or other unlawful means in opposition to the Government of the United States.
- Any alien seeking admission to the United States on an F, M or J visa intending to violate any law of the United States relating to espionage or sabotage, or to violate or evade any law prohibiting the export from the United States of goods, technology, or sensitive information, is inadmissible to the United States (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(A)(i)).
- An alien who has engaged in such activity at any time following admission to the United States is removable (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(4)(A)(i)). PDSOs and DSOs are encouraged to familiarize students with these laws and warn students against potential intelligence gathering or recruitment efforts by persons or organizations acting on behalf of foreign governments.
Reporting requirements for disciplinary action: A school is required to update the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System within 21 days of any disciplinary action taken by the school against the student as a result of the student being convicted of a crime (8 C.F.R. 214.3(g)(2)(ii)(D)).
For questions about this message, please contact the SEVP Response Center (SRC) via phone at 703-603-3400 or 1-800-892-4829 or via email at [email protected]. The SRC is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, except for federal holidays.
Disclaimer
The Broadcast Message is not a substitute for applicable legal requirements, nor is it itself a rule or a final action by SEVP. It is not intended to, does not, and may not be relied upon to create any right or benefit, substantive, or procedural, enforceable at law by any party in any administrative, civil, or criminal matter.