What Is a SEVIS Number and Where to Find It?

A SEVIS number is the unique identifier the U.S. government assigns to every international student and exchange visitor tracked in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It begins with the letter “N” followed by up to ten digits (for example, N0001234567) and stays with you from the moment your school or program sponsor creates your record until you leave the country or change status. You will use it to pay the I-901 fee, apply for your visa, get through the port of entry, and handle almost every immigration task tied to your studies.

Where Your SEVIS Number Appears

If you are an F-1 or M-1 student, your school issues a Form I-20 and your SEVIS number is printed at the top of the document.¹²³ The format is the same on both documents: the letter N and up to ten numerical characters.

Locate the number before you start any immigration step. You will type it into the fee portal, hand the form to the consular officer, and present it again to Customs and Border Protection when you arrive.

What SEVIS Is and Why the Number Matters

SEVIS is a web-based system the Department of Homeland Security uses to track F-1 and M-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors, their dependents, and the schools and program sponsors that host them.⁴ It links DHS, the Department of State, and Customs and Border Protection so each agency can verify your status in real time. Your school’s Designated School Official (DSO) or your program’s Responsible Officer (RO) enters and updates your information in SEVIS, and the government uses your SEVIS number as the key to pull up that record.

Treat the number as your immigration file number for anything education-related. It ties you to a specific school or exchange program, tracks whether you are enrolled full-time, records your address, and shows whether you are in good standing. If you transfer between SEVP-certified schools, the number follows you: the system electronically moves your record to the new institution while keeping the same ID.⁵

Paying the I-901 SEVIS Fee

Before you can interview for a visa or enter the country, you have to pay the I-901 SEVIS fee at FMJfee.com.⁶ The amount depends on your visa category:⁷

F-1 and M-1 students: $350
Most J-1 exchange visitors: $220
J-1 au pairs, camp counselors, and summer work/travel participants: $35
Government visitors are exempt

To complete the payment you need your SEVIS number from the I-20 or DS-2019, the school code or program number on that same form, and biographical details that match your passport exactly. A small mismatch in name spelling or date of birth can hold up processing.⁶

The portal accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards, and debit cards carrying the Visa or MasterCard logo. Check, money order, and Western Union are also options. Applicants who are citizens of Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, or Gambia cannot pay by credit or debit card and must use a money order, Western Union Quick Pay, or a certified check drawn on a U.S. bank.⁶

You can schedule the visa interview before paying, but the payment has to be verified before you sit down with the consular officer. Allow at least three business days for verification.⁸ If you are entering from a country that does not require a visa, pay in advance anyway: the fee cannot be paid at the port of entry. Save your payment receipt right after the transaction. You will need it for the interview and again at arrival.

One note for families: dependents on F-2, M-2, or J-2 visas do not pay the I-901 fee. The obligation applies only to the primary F-1, M-1, or J-1 visa holder.⁸

How the Number Is Used at the Visa Interview and Port of Entry

At the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, the consular officer uses your SEVIS number to pull up your electronic record. The officer checks that it is in “Initial” status (created by the school or sponsor, not yet used to enter the U.S.) or “Active” status (already in the country, changing programs). If anything is mismatched between your paper form and the database, whether a different program end date, a name discrepancy, or an unpaid fee, the officer can delay or deny the visa. Your I-901 receipt is cross-referenced in the same step, which is why arriving without a confirmed payment or with an outdated I-20 or DS-2019 is one of the fastest ways to get an administrative hold.

What Your SEVIS Record Shows

The record tied to your number moves through several statuses during your time in the United States, and your ability to stay, work, and travel depends on what it says:

Initial: the record has been created and the I-20 or DS-2019 issued, but you have not yet entered or registered.
Active: you have arrived, enrolled, and are maintaining status. This is where you want to stay.
Completed: you have finished your program. A grace period begins, 60 days for F-1 students and 30 days for J-1 exchange visitors, during which you can prepare to leave or take other authorized steps.⁹¹⁰
Terminated: the record has been ended, usually for a status violation.

The most common way students lose active status is by dropping below a full course load without prior authorization from a DSO. F-1 and M-1 students must be enrolled full-time every term, and a reduced course load has to be approved in SEVIS before you actually drop the class. Doing it in the wrong order puts your status at risk.¹¹

Federal regulations also require you to report any change of address or legal name to your DSO or RO within 10 days. The DSO or RO then has 21 days to update SEVIS.¹² Missing the deadline is a status violation even if the record is not immediately terminated, and it can surface later at a port of entry or during a benefit application.

What Happens If Your Record Is Terminated

Termination is the worst-case scenario, and the consequences hit right away. You lose all employment authorization on and off campus, you cannot re-enter the United States on that SEVIS record, ICE may investigate to confirm you have departed, and any dependent records tied to yours are terminated at the same time.¹³

There is no grace period for a termination based on a status violation. You and any dependents must either apply for reinstatement or leave the country immediately. The one narrow exception is an authorized early withdrawal: an F-1 student who formally withdraws from the program with DSO approval gets 15 days to depart. M-1 students do not get even that.¹³

Reinstatement is possible but not guaranteed. It requires filing with USCIS, showing the violation was beyond your control or that denying reinstatement would cause extreme hardship, and demonstrating you are pursuing or will pursue a full course of study. The process can take months, and your legal position stays uncertain the whole time.

Fixing Errors on the Form

If your I-20 or DS-2019 shows a mistake in your name, date of birth, or program dates, do not cross anything out. Corrections have to be made through SEVIS by your DSO or the Principal DSO.¹⁴ Some fixes can be submitted through a formal correction request that goes to the SEVP Response Center for review; more complex ones require the DSO to call the Response Center directly to open a data fix ticket. Either way, tell your international student office as soon as you spot the error. The longer incorrect information sits in your record, the more likely it is to cause a problem at your next visa interview or port of entry.

1
Study in the States. Students and the Form I-20
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BridgeUSA. Detailed Description of the DS-2019
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Social Security Administration. RM 10211.355 – Reviewing the Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) Form DS-2019
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Student and Exchange Visitor Program
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Transfers for F-1 Students
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Study in the States. Paying the I-901 SEVIS Fee
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I-901 SEVIS Fee
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I-901 SEVIS Fee Frequently Asked Questions
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Study in the States. Students Understand your Post-completion Grace Period
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BridgeUSA. Adjustments and Extensions
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Study in the States. Reduced Course Load
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eCFR. 8 CFR 214.2 Special Requirements for Admission, Extension, and Maintenance of Status
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Study in the States. Terminate a Student
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Study in the States. Questions from DSOs How do I Submit a Correction Request