(a) Private elementary and private secondary schools, public high schools, post-secondary schools, language schools, and vocational schools are eligible for preliminary enrollment in Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), beginning on or after July 1, 2002, but only if the school is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, CAPE, or AACS, or in the case of a public high school, the school provides certification from the appropriate public official that the school meets the requirements of the state or local public educational system and has been continuously approved by the Service for a minimum of three years, as of July 1, 2002, for the admission of F or M nonimmigrant students. A school may establish that it is accredited by showing that it has been designated as an eligible school under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

(b) Preliminary enrollment in SEVIS is optional for eligible schools. The preliminary enrollment period will be open from July 1, 2002, through August 16, 2002, or, if later, until the Service begins the SEVIS full scale certification process. The process for eligible schools to apply for preliminary enrollment through the Internet is as follows:

(1) Eligible institutions must access the Internet site, http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/sevis. Upon accessing the site, the president, owner, head of the school or designated school official will be asked to enter the following information: the school's name; the first, middle, and last name of the contact person for the school; and the e-mail address and phone number of the contact person.

(2) Once this information has been submitted, the Service will issue the school a temporary ID and password, which will be forwarded to the e-mail address listed. When the contact person receives this temporary ID and password, the school will again access the Internet site and will electronically enter the school's information for its Form I-17.

(c) The Service will review the information by a school submitted as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, and will preliminarily enroll a school in SEVIS, if it is determined to be eligible under the standards of paragraph (a) of this section. If the officer determines that the school is eligible for preliminary enrollment, the officer will update SEVIS and enroll the school and permanent user IDs and passwords will be automatically generated via e-mail to the DSOs listed on the Form I-17. Schools that are not approved by the Service for preliminary enrollment will be notified that they must apply for certification in accordance with the Interim Certification Rule. A school that is granted preliminary enrollment will have to use SEVIS for the issuance of any new Form I-20 to a new or continuing student.

(d) Schools granted preliminary enrollment in SEVIS will not have to apply for certification at this time. However, all such schools will be required to apply for certification, and pay the certification fee, prior to May 14, 2004.

(e) Eligible schools that meet the standards of paragraph (a) of this section, but do not apply for preliminary enrollment in SEVIS prior to the close of the preliminary enrollment period will have to apply for certification review under the Interim Certification Rule and pay the certification fee before enrolling in SEVIS. However, once a school meeting the standards of paragraph (a) of this section applies for certification review, the Service will have the discretion, after a review of the school's application, to allow the school to enroll in SEVIS without requiring an on-site visit prior to enrollment. If the Service permits such a school to enroll in SEVIS prior to completion of the on-site visit, the on-site visit must be completed prior to May 14, 2004.

(f) Schools that are not eligible to apply for preliminary enrollment in SEVIS under this section—including flight schools—will have to apply for certification under the Interim Certification Rule, pay the certification fee, and undergo a full certification review including an on-site visit, prior to being allowed to enroll in SEVIS.

[67 FR 44346, July 1, 2002]