As of Saturday, the Office of International Programs and Studies at UNM must begin registering almost 1,000 foreign students and scholars who attend UNM.
The requirement is because of a new Immigration and Naturalization Service directive that all foreign or exchange students studying in the United States register their personal information on the Internet through the Students and Exchange Visitor Information Service, also known as SEVIS.
"The main change is that we must actively report on an on-going basis," said Linda Melville, International Programs and Studies adviser. "The rules have not changed that much."
According to the program's Web site, it "involves the same data that has always been required by law and regulation from foreign students and exchange visitors."
The International Programs and Studies office had to recently purchase a new database so it could comply with the new international programs office requirement. This will enable UNM officials to get information from other databases on campus to notify the office of changes in student information, such as a change in foreign students required full-time status.
Simona Fojtova, International Programs and Studies adviser, said that in the past, her office was able to issue non-immigration paperwork through its office.
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"We don't have the authority to do that anymore," Fojtova said.
Now, University officials must send all information to the international programs office and wait for its officials to return it before documents can be issued for students. Fojtova also said that in the past, her office kept records of all international or foreign students and would report to the office if requested, but now they must report on all students through SEVIS.
"The changes are very radical," Fojtova said.
Information required by SEVIS includes personal information such as name, address, date of birth, county of citizenship, academic status, change in program of studies, change in status -- such as port of entry -- and any academic disciplinary actions taken against the student. Any substantial change in financial information, change in address, name or date of graduation must also be reported.
Melville estimated there to be about 500,000 international students and scholars studying in the United States who are tracked, and added that scores of tourists in the country are not being tracked.
Bettina Ide, a sophomore international student from Germany studying political science, works in the International Programs and Studies office. She said she feels sorry telling all the students who come in that they need to fill out all the forms and that they need to keep updated of information changes.
"We're visitors to this country, but I feel like I've done something wrong by being a foreigner," Ide said. "It's a hassle to be a foreigner."
Ide doesn't like SEVIS because she feels that as an international student, she must always be watched.
"International students are a huge asset to the United States," Ide said. "Yet at the same time, there's this climate as if we need to be watched an controlled."
Ide feels SEVIS contributes to that impression.
Anastasia Volegova, a sophomore international student from Russia studying business and political science, said she thinks SEVIS is a good idea because it organizes all the information universities have anyway, but now it is sent to one information center.
"The main hope is that the organization is going to help," Volegova said. "It makes people feel safer."
Right now, Melville says that the office is focusing on trying to set up the new database so that it can send information to the office in groups instead of entering each person individually through SEVIS.
Although many might assume that SEVIS is a consequence of Sept. 11, Melville said the SEVIS program pre-dates the terrorist attack. It comes from a 1996 law resulting from the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993. The office was given a reprieve on its deadline for a while. However, the USA Patriot Act re-established the deadline as of Jan. 30, which has later changed to Feb. 15.
Because the INS had to hurry to meet its deadline, Melville feels that the INS did not really put enough time into SEVIS, but says that officials are going forward with it because they're required to.
UNM has until Aug.1 to complete its registration of foreign students and scholars through SEVIS.
