[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 12 (Friday, January 17, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2685-2687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-1205]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
[INS No. 1800-96]


Request For Volunteers To Participate in a Foreign Student/
Exchange Visitor Program Pilot

AGENCY: Immigration and Naturalization Service, Justice.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), consistent 
with its statutory authority to regulate foreign students and exchange 
visitors under sections 101(a)(15)(F), (J) and (M) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act as amended (the Act), and in consultation with the 
United States Information Agency (USIA), the Department of State (DOS), 
and the Department of Education (DoE), is initiating a pilot program 
(hereinafter referred to as ``the pilot'') for the 1997/1998 academic 
year, commencing with the 1997 fall semester, to redesign and improve 
the collection and reporting of information regarding foreign students 
and exchange visitors as required under Subtitle D, section 641, of the 
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 
(Pub. L. 104-208). The INS and USIA are seeking out schools and 
exchange visitor programs located in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, 
and South Carolina willing to volunteer as participants in the 
operation of the pilot. The states of Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, 
and North Carolina have been identified based on their location within 
the eastern time zone; their being subject to uniform jurisdiction 
under the Atlanta District Office, which also has immigration 
jurisdiction for the Port-of-Entry at Hartsfield International airport; 
and Atlanta's accessibility to INS headquarters project managers and 
contractors via daily direct non-stop air flights to and from the 
Washington, DC., area. The types of schools and exchange visitor 
programs solicited include universities, colleges, vocational training 
schools, flight schools, and post secondary English as Second Language 
schools. Since the INS is limiting pilot participation to approximately 
20 schools and/or exchange visitor programs, it is possible that not 
all eligible applicants will be selected. The INS will conduct an on-
site visit prior to selecting pilot participants.

DATES: Requests to participate in the pilot must be submitted in 
writing on or before February 26, 1997. The limited period for 
submission of requests to participate in the pilot is necessitated by 
the statutory requirement that INS establish a national foreign student 
and exchange visitor information collection program by January 1, 1998. 
The INS will notify all schools, institutions, and exchange visitor 
programs of the status of their request on or before March 31, 1997.


[[Page 2686]]


ADDRESSES: Please submit written requests in triplicate to: Brian 
Collins, Foreign Students and Schools Pilot Program; INS Support, 13600 
EDS Drive, M/S A5S-A52; Herndon, Virginia 20171. To ensure proper 
handling, please reference INS No. 1800-96 on your correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For information regarding nonimmigrant ``F'' or ``M'' portions of the 
pilot contact: Maurice Berez, Adjudications Officer, Adjudications and 
Nationality Division, Immigration and Naturalization Service, 425 I 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20536, telephone (202) 514-5014. For 
information regarding the nonimmigrant ``J'' Exchange Visitor program 
portion of the pilot, contact: Diane Culkin, Program Designation 
Officer, or Tamara Martin, Program Designation Officer, Exchange 
Visitor Program Services, United States Information Agency, 301 Fourth 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547, telephone (202) 401-9810.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Statutory Authority

    In June 1995, the INS established a task force to conduct a 
comprehensive review and analysis of the current process for the 
collection of information regarding foreign students and exchange 
visitors in the United States. As a result of the review, the task 
force proposed substantial changes for the collection of information on 
foreign students and exchange visitors. These changes were subsequently 
adopted by Congress. See Subtitle D, section 641, of Pub. L. 104-208. 
Section 641 requires the INS to collect information on an ongoing basis 
from schools and exchange programs relating to nonimmigrant foreign 
students and exchange visitors during the course of their stay in the 
United States, using electronic reporting technology to the fullest 
extent practicable. Accordingly, the pilot will test automated data 
systems and telecommunication technology through: (1) The issuance of 
machine-readable cards to foreign students and exchange visitors at the 
participating pilot schools and exchange visitor programs, and (2) 
computer-based reporting from schools to the INS on matters relating to 
the immigration status of foreign students and exchange visitors.
    Prior to August 30, 1997, the INS will amend existing regulations 
to cover the use of any forms and processes tested under the pilot and 
found suitable for use on a nationwide basis. Prior to promulgation of 
such regulations, participants in the pilot shall comply with all 
existing regulations governing their respective activities.

Primary Pilot Objectives

    The primary objectives of the pilot are:
     To improve service by reducing paperwork and expediting 
processing required for students and exchange visitors for the duration 
of their nonimmigrant status in the United States;
     To collect accurate, timely, and reliable information for 
use by Federal agencies charged with monitoring foreign students and 
exchange visitors;
     To improve communication and cooperation between the 
Federal Government, educational institutions, and exchange visitor 
programs;
     To calculate and determine the fees provided for under 
section 641(e) of Pub. L. 104-208. The INS will not impose such fees 
during the pilot;
     To work in concert with educational institutions and 
exchange visitor programs to improve the effectiveness of current 
foreign student and exchange visitor programs by testing the following:

--Prototype Forms I-20 and IAP-66 which incorporate bar-code 
technology;
--Prototype machine-readable student/exchange visitor cards to be used 
in place of Forms I-20 and IAP-66; and
--Electronic reporting to the INS from pilot participants via the 
Internet and other electronic media.

Application Requirements and Criteria

    Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements set forth in 
section I below. In addition, applicants must provide the information 
requested in Section II below.

I. Eligibility Requirements

    To participate in the pilot, educational institutions and exchange 
visitor programs must:
    A. Be physically located in at least one of the following states: 
Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and North Carolina;
    B. Have continuously participated in a Federally approved foreign 
student or exchange visitor program for the previous 5 years;
    C. Have complied with the requirements set forth in 8 CFR 314.3 and 
22 CFR part 514.

II. Information Requirements

    Educational institutions or exchange visitor programs desiring to 
participate in the pilot must provide, in writing, the following 
information:
    A. A letter of request to participate in the pilot signed by an 
official who has the authority to enter into a participation agreement 
with the INS on behalf of the school, institution, or exchange visitor 
program;
    B. The school, institution, or exchange visitor program's legal 
name; its INS approval code and/or Exchange Visitor Program number; the 
original date of approval by INS or designation by USIA and, if 
applicable, the date of re-approval or re-designation;
    C. The mailing address of the school, institution, or exchange 
visitor program (if a P.O. Box, specify a street address location, 
telephone number, and facsimile number);
    D. Total size of student body at the school, institution, or 
exchange visitor program;
    E. A current job description of the primary and alternate 
official(s) responsible for foreign students and/or exchange visitors, 
together with the business telephone/facsimile numbers and Internet (e-
mail) address for such official(s). These officials must be employed on 
a full-time basis in their position;
    F. The total number of: (1) F-1 and M-1 foreign students and J-1 
exchange visitors at the institution for each of the previous 3 years; 
(2) individuals within each separate foreign student or exchange 
visitor category for such period, (3) dependents of such individuals in 
each separate category (F-2, M-2, and J-2) for such period;
    G. A description of: (1) The foreign student/exchange visitor 
record-keeping system currently in use; (2) the registration record-
keeping system currently in use for the general student body, and (3) 
the communication links between such systems. The description should 
cover, among other things, hardware, software, operating systems and 
network architecture;
    H. If applicable, a description of Electronic Data Interchange 
(EDI) use at the school, institution, or program; and
    I. A sequential outline of the current procedures used by the 
school, institution, or exchange visitor program for administering 
foreign students and exchange visitors. This outline should cover the 
process from the point of receiving the foreign student's or exchange 
visitor's initial application for admission through registration, 
orientation, and completion or termination of program.

Notification to Applicants

    The INS, in consultation with the USIA, will prepare a Memorandum 
of Understanding (``MOU''), to be signed by the INS and selected 
prospective participants, setting forth the terms and conditions of 
participation in the pilot.

[[Page 2687]]

Participation in the pilot is contingent on the INS conducting an on-
site visit and the signing of the MOU.

Duration of Pilot

    Although the INS anticipates that the duration of the pilot will be 
one academic year, it may extend the pilot for one or more academic 
terms, as deemed necessary to comply with the statute. The INS, if it 
deems appropriate, may terminate the pilot at any time. The INS may 
also, in its discretion, terminate participation in the pilot of an 
individual school, institution, or exchange visitor program at any 
time.

OMB Reporting Burden

    The public reporting burden to prepare the requested application to 
participate in the pilot is estimated to be 60 hours, including time 
for reviewing instructions, identifying and describing existing data 
systems and computer capabilities, and completing and reviewing the 
collection of information required to apply. Please send comments 
regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection 
of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the 
Immigration and Naturalization Service, 425 I Street, NW., HQPDI, Room 
5307, Washington, DC 20536. These requirements have been approved by 
the Office of Management and Budget under the provisions of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, and are recorded as OMB Control Number 1115-
0204, with an expiration date of June 30, 1997.

    Dated: January 8, 1997.
Doris Meissner,
Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service.
[FR Doc. 97-1205 Filed 1-16-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-10-M