SEVIS Requirements

You may be familiar with the term SEVIS. SEVIS, or Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, was implemented in January 2003 and is the database in which your exchange visitor record is recorded. From the time you are issued a Certificate of Eligibility for J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa Status, Form DS-2019, you are "in" the SEVIS database.

You must follow two mandatory requirements of SEVIS once you are in the database. First, you must confirm the start of your Trainee program within 30 days of the start date listed on your DS-2019 Form.

Second, you must update your address any time that you have a change of home address. It is absolutely imperative that you follow these regulations; failure to do so will result in withdrawal from the program, which may have an adverse result on your record and may prevent you from obtaining future U.S. visas.

Social Security

All participants training in the United States need to apply for and receive a Social Security number. To avoid delays in the application process, we advise that you follow these directions:

v     Register your U.S. address with SEVIS within 20 days of arrival. This mandatory step can be done online at http://www.mysevis.com.

v     We recommend that a participant wait 10-12 days after arriving in the United States AND be registered in SEVIS before applying for Social Security. Ideally, registering in SEVIS will happen as soon as possible but if it does not occur within the first 10-12 days, the participant will need to wait 48 hours after registering in SEVIS before making the Social Security application.

v     You will need to take two copies of each of the following documents with you when applying for Social Security: a) your Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Visa Status, DS-2019 Form, b) I-94 card, c) U.S. visa and d) front page of your passport. Additionally, you will need the completed Social Security

v     After successful filing of the Social Security Application, you will receive a Proof of Application receipt from the Social Security Officer assisting you. It is important to make sure you receive this form prior to leaving the Social Security office as this document will be needed if any follow up is required.

To find the Social Security office nearest you, please call the Social Security Administration toll-free on 1-800-772-1213 or visit the Social Security Administration's website.

Here is a list of some Social Security office in San Francisco:

*        560 Kearny St, San Francisco, 94108 - (415) 705-1500

*        1405 Fillmore St, San Francisco, 94115 - (415) 556-7354

*        939 Market St, San Francisco, 94103 - (415) 744-5776

*        301 Howard St, San Francisco,  - (415) 744-3080