Immigration Compliance at CUA

 

Responsibilities of an Institution Enrolling Students in the F-1 Visa Category

 

A. Training a Designated School Official

 

When enrolling students in the F-1 visa category, the institution must employ and train at least one Designated School Official (DSO).¹  There is no formal recommendation on the number of DSOs required for the number of students attending the university.

 

The DSO serves a dual role.  The DSO is responsible for making sure that foreign students have the information they need that will allow them to remain in status while they are pursuing their goals, as well as advising those students on matters which are addressed in detail below.  The advice given to the students must be accurate and timely.  The DSO also is responsible for ensuring that various regulations under immigration law are followed, and that the institution is not put at risk by non-compliance.

 

The DSO must be designated by the president of the school.  The designation cannot be delegated.  Each school can have up to ten DSOs at any one time.*  Currently, whenever a new DSO is employed or designated, the school must inform the INS within 30 days.   Such changes must be reported in SEVIS within 21 days.

 

The DSO is the university employee that is responsible for issuing Form I-20, the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F1) Student Status.  This is the form used by the student to apply for a visa. Only a DSO may sign Forms I-20, I-538 (Certification by Designated School Official) and other official documents.  A number of important functions that the school must provide when setting up an international program are performed by the DSO, and are listed beginning in the next section.

 

 

*Each school may have up to 10 designated officials at any one time, including the PDSO. In a multi-campus school, each campus may have up to 10 designated officials at any one time including a required PDSO. In a private elementary or public or private secondary school system, however, the entire school system is limited to 10 designated officials at any one time including the PDSO. 8 CFR 214.3(l)(1)(3).

¹ A regularly employed member of the school administration, or faculty or staff employed full- or part-time for the purpose of serving as the DSO, whose office is located at the school and whose compensation does not come from commissions for recruitment of foreign students.