T5 B59 Dos Docs- Niv 2 Of 5 Fdr- 9-20-02 Lannon Memo Re Wapo Re Ins Student Tracking 182

200223031 United States Department of State Washington, D.C.

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM ^

I9t,

SEP 20

20520

2002

UNCLASSIFIED TO:

The Secretary

FROM:

CA - George C. Lar.non, Acting

SUBJECT:

The Washington Post on INS Foreign Student Tracking

The September 19 edition of the The Washington Post quotes Department of Justice Inspector General Glenn A. Fine stating that the INS will not be able to begin tracking foreign students in the United States by the January 30, 20C3 congressional deadline. Fine testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee that while the computer database will be in place, INS w i l l have not have completed the training of either its inspectors or the designated school officials oy then. •

INS officials maintained in the hearing that the Service is on schedule for the January 3C implementation of its electronic tracking syster., the Internet-based Studer.t and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). INS' interpretation is based on rollout of the syster. only, and does not encompass the training issues cited by Fine.

•

State will use SEVIS to verify student and exchange visitor status, and to report student and exchange visa issuances to INS. The necessary State-INS SEVIS connection w i l l be established later this autumn.

Should the INS miss the January 3C SEVIS target, we will be obliged to extend the lifespan of the Interim Student and Exchange Authentication System ; ISEASi, launched in response to a separate congressional mandate fcr a transitional electronic verification system to be in place until SEVIS is fully implemented. We likely will neec to remind ir.any or. the Hill that ISEAS is much less ambitious tnan SEVIS. ISEAS only electronically verifies student and exchange visitor status based on data entered by an educational institution or exchange program sponsor. It does not track international students or.ce they are in the United States as SEVIS is designed tc do. ISEAS is insufficient as a long-term surrogate for SEVIS. UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSFIED -2Drafted: CA/VO/F/P - Timothy W. Smith, x31156 H/VOFP/Smith/Taskers/T470 - Post Info Memo.doc Cleared: CA - CBarry CA/VO - LPiascik - ok CA/VO - TAEdson - ok CA/VO/F/P - DMerz - ok CA/P - Evazquez (Shannon Kelly for) CA/VO/L - SFischel ECA/EC/ECD - SLawrence - ok H: MChang - ok M: ANamm- ok D: KBue -ok P: BBrink -ok

UNCLASSIFIED