1653-AA81 202010 The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 1653 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement USICE 1600 Department of Homeland Security DHS Adjusting Program Fees for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program

ICE will propose a regulation to adjust fees that the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) charges individuals and organizations to improve compliance and enforcement related to nonimmigrant students. ICE has determined that increasing the fees is necessary to recover the full cost of current activities and planned enhancements of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program and add specialized personnel to conduct necessary compliance monitoring and implement SEVIS adaptations. The SEVP fee schedule was last adjusted in a rule published on May 23, 2019.

]]> Other Significant Previously Published in The Unified Agenda Proposed Rule Stage No No Other 8 CFR 103 8 CFR 214 8 U.S.C. 1372(e) 8 U.S.C. 1372(g) 8 U.S.C. 1356(m) 8 U.S.C. 1356(n) Yes

ICE has identified additional includable costs associated with oversight and enforcement that would better ensure the integrity of SEVP. The fee adjustment would recover the full cost of current activities and planned enhancements of SEVP and add specialized personnel to conduct necessary compliance monitoring and implement SEVIS adaptations. 

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The Secretary is specifically authorized to collect fees for SEVP from prospective F and M students and J exchange visitors, subject to certain limits for certain J-1 nonimmigrants. See 8 U.S.C. 1372(e)(1). The Secretary is authorized to periodically revise those fees, with certain exceptions, to account for changes in the overall cost of carrying out the program. See, e.g., IIRIRA section 641(e)(4)(A), (g)(2), 8 U.S.C. 1372(e)(4)(A), (g)(2). Similarly, section 286(m) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1356(m), authorizes the Secretary to collect fees for adjudication and naturalization services at a level that would ensure recovery of the full costs of providing such services, including the costs of providing similar services without charge to asylum applicants and certain other immigrants. Pursuant to INA section 286(m), the level that is set may include recovery of any additional costs associated with the administration of the fees collected. 

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ICE is in the process of assessing the impacts of this rule. The rule would increase the fee for nonimmigrants students and result in an increase in fee transfers from nonimmigrant students to ICE. The increased fees would generate the necessary revenue to cover SEVP costs, improve ICE’s compliance monitoring and oversight efforts in relation to SEVP and its practical training programs, enable SEVP to implement new regulatory requirements, and ensure maintenance of ongoing operations.

]]> NPRM 01/00/2021 Yes Organizations Undetermined No No Yes No Sharon Hageman Deputy Assistant Director 1653 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement USICE 202 732-6960 ice.regulations@ice.dhs.gov 500 12th Street SW, Mail Stop 5006, Washington DC 20536