Overview
This article outlines the steps to create and submit a SEVIS update to validate an initial status J Exchange Visitor SEVIS record through the SEVIS batch.
The Validation record has no associated SEVIS-required data.
Again, SEVIS does require a U.S. address and a U.S. phone number to successfully process the Validation action. This information is updated in the Terra Dotta Profile and will be integrated either with your system of record in the regular data push to Terra Dotta, or provisioned manually. In the second case, if the EV's Terra Dotta record is not integrated with your system of record, you may update the U.S. address and U.S. phone number manually. Make sure the information is updated before you create the SEVIS update record and batch the validation update to SEVIS.
Step 1: Record Creation
Exchange Visitor-initiated
EVs may initiate the Validation request. This information may include, for example, uploaded copies of their most recent travel documents, items answered regarding funding or family members, site of activity, or address and phone number updates.
Offices can create a EV-facing link for the Terra Dotta page, an external webpage, or an email with a link that the EV can click to access a request in Terra Dotta.
Staff-initiated
Admins may add a Validation record for an EV by going to Records > New Record, locating the Exchange Visitor and clicking Add, selecting Validation (J) and the term in the dropdown menu, then clicking Create.
Step 2: Find the Validation Record
Navigate to Record > Search. Enter the name of the EV whose Validation record you would like to process.
Step 3: SEVIS-Required Data
The Validation record in Terra Dotta has no associated SEVIS-required data. There are no associated questionnaires. The Validation record exists only to receive the postback data from SEVIS so an A/RO can easily verify that the Validation has been successfully SEVIS-processed.
Remember, SEVIS does require a U.S. address and a U.S. phone number to successfully process the Validation action. This information is updated in the Terra Dotta Profile on the Address tab. The U.S. phone number that is sent to SEVIS for the Validation update action is maintained with the U.S. Physical Address on the Address tab as shown below.
U.S. phone number validation settings need to be set to not allow the first or fourth character in the U.S. telephone string to be a 0 or 1. These are impossible values for U.S. phone numbers in SEVIS.
Allowed range rules:
- (NPA)-NXX-xxxx
- NPA - [2–9] for the first digit
- NXX- [2–9] for the first digit
- NXX - last two digits of NXX cannot both be 1 (N11)
Step 4: Create a SEVIS Update Record
When all fields are complete, you will create a SEVIS Update Record. For instructions on how to do this, see SEVIS Admin: Creating a SEVIS Update Record.
Important: SEVIS requires that the validate action return an updated Form DS2019 in the batch download. You cannot request that a form not be returned when creating a SEVIS validation update record.
Step 5: Verification of Successful Processing
You can verify the update was processed successfully by reviewing the record status in any of the following locations:
- Record Admin View
- Records Tab in the User's Profile
- User's SEVIS Profile
