5114 - NONIMMIGRANT STUDENTS AND VISITOR PROGRAMS
The Board recognizes the positive cultural benefits to the students, staff, and the community in meeting students from other countries and in having exchange students as members of the student body of this District’s high school(s).
An exchange visitor student is a foreign national who has been selected by a sponsor that has been approved by the United States Department of State (USDOS) to participate in an exchange visitor program and who is seeking to enter or has entered the United States temporarily on a J-1 visa.
Exchange Visitor Program for Nonimmigrant Students with J-1 Visas
The Board authorizes the Superintendent to consider a request to admit an exchange visitor student who meets the USDOS requirements and applies for admission through a sponsoring organization, and to determine whether or not that student should be accepted.
In accordance with Federal law, an exchange visitor student will be selected and sponsored by an organization that has been approved by the USDOS. The Board, pursuant to Federal law, requires the sponsoring agency to secure prior written acceptance of the Superintendent for the placement of an exchange visitor student in any District high school.
After written acceptance of school placement is secured, the sponsoring agency should issue the certificate of eligibility for J-1 Visas to the exchange visitor student who meets the criteria established in Federal law for participation in an EVP.
Pursuant to Federal law the sponsoring agency is also responsible for selecting a host family for each exchange visitor student.
Lastly, pursuant to Federal law, a sponsoring agency can place no more than five (5) exchange visitor students per District high school.
However, with Board approval, the Superintendent may request, in writing, the placement of more than five (5) students from a sponsoring agency in the high school.
Other Nonimmigrant Students
This policy does not apply to nonimmigrant students with citizenship in countries other than the United States who are not participating in an approved exchange visitor program at a District school or who are not sponsored by the District so they can attend a school in the District as participants in the student and exchange visitor program (SEVP) on a valid F-1 visa.
All other nonimmigrant students with citizenship in countries other than the United States who seek to enroll in the District’s schools are subject to State law and the District’s policies regarding enrollment and, if applicable, tuition.