iOffice 2.0: An Embedded SEVIS Solution

Jason BaumgartnerLynn Schoch

Indiana University

Student & Exchange Visitor Information System

S Student

E Exchange

V Visitor

I Information

S System

Federal reporting system for trackinginternational students, scholars, instructors, and their dependents

Indianapolis

Gary

South Bend

Bloomington

Kokomo

New Albany

Richmond

Intensive English Bloomington

Mr. Kim on the first day of class

U. S. citizen Permanent resident Miscellaneous visa types (A-W) Employee (H-1B, J-1) F-1 initial F-1 continuing F-1 transfer F-1 in last semester F-1 on optional practical training F-1 on curricular practical

training F-1 underenrolled F-2 dependents

Mr. Kim on the first day of class

J-1 student initial J-1 student continuing J-1 student transfer J-1 scholar short term J-1 scholar transfer J-1 student last semester J-1 student underenrolled J-1 student on academic

training J-2 dependents

Mr. Kim on the first day of class

Asylee or parolee Undocumented Enrolled in two universities

at once Formerly underenrolled Foreign student on study

abroad

Student & Exchange Visitor Information System

There are 2 methods for reporting to SEVIS:

Real-Time Interaction (RTI) is the SEVIS web based application. Immediate processing and delivery of documents.

SEVIS Batch is the HTTP POST/GET processing of XML data defined by the SEVIS schemas. Overnight processing and next day delivery of transaction results and documents.

General Issues of Batch versus RTI

The main vendor and other custom software providers only focus on XML Batch solutions for SEVIS.

Batch automation on registration, subject / major changes, biographical, and address updates work well for batch processing.

Most day-to-day business processes work better through RTI even with manual backfill of data to institutional systems; and some tasks are only available in RTI.

Many batch schools still use RTI for 20-40% of transactions including actions available in Batch.

System Analysis for the iOffice Solution

Issue #1: Provide a means to directly support the RTI web environment within an institutional solution.

Issue #2: Provide flexible XML Batch functions that are adaptive for schematic changes and that provide some automation for reporting like registration.

Issue #3: An analysis module to ensure the institution is in compliance with immigration and institutional regulations.

Issue #4: Integration with institutional system (i.e. PeopleSoft) to ensure SEVIS and the institutional systems are well coordinated.

Solution #1: Embed the RTI Web Environment

Issue #1: Provide a means to directly support the RTI web environment within an institutional solution.

Solution #1: iOffice’s rich client has an embedded Mozilla browser so RTI becomes a direct part of the software solution.

The mapping between iOffice and RTI is stored in XML for ease of change management and separation from code logic.

Solution #1: Embed the RTI Web Environment

Solution #1: Benefits of the Embedded RTI

Some benefits of this embedded RTI approach:

Ensure all records created in RTI have an associated record in the institutional system.

Capture all POST data before it goes to the SEVIS server. Populate RTI form fields with institutional data and

templates. Extract and analyze SEVIS RTI data with institutional data. Provide for more “on-demand” business processes.

Solution #2: Embed the XML Batch Schema

Issue #2: Provide flexible XML Batch functions that are adaptive for schematic changes and that provide some automation for reporting like registration.

Solution #2: iOffice’s rich client uses reflection on JAXB objects, which bind to the SEVIS Batch schemas, in order to embed Batch into the software solution.

The mapping between iOffice and Batch schemas is stored in XML for ease of change management and separation from code logic.

Solution #2: Embed the XML Batch Schema

Solution #2: Benefits of the Embedded XML Batch

Some benefits of this embedded Batch approach:

Business logic handled via schema validation from the JAXB objects; and then from SEVIS responses to individual transactions.

Well-formed and valid XML is generated from the JAXB objects.

Schema change management via the generation of JAXB objects and the revision of the XML mapping.

Solution #2: Conversion to SEVIS 5.0 Schemas

SEVIS implements a new set of schemas for Batch on 06/24/2005.

The iOffice approach reduces much of the cost of schema changes to generating JAXB objects and updating the XML mapping between iOffice and Batch schemas.

Cost: $30 * 35 hours = $1,050

Generate JAXB Objects

.5

F-1 Mapping 12.0J-1 Mapping 8.0Automated Transactions

2.5

cURL and Transaction Logs

4.0

Test SEVIS Processing (400+)

8.0

Total Hours 35.0

Solution #3: Alerts Module for Federal Compliance

Solution #3: Alerts in iOffice are pluggable services to identify groups of individuals with given compliance issues.

A color coding scheme is used for the severity of the issue.

Issue #3: An analysis module to ensure the institution is in compliance with immigration and institutional regulations.

Solution #3: Alerts Module for Federal Compliance

Alerts are modular components that can identify issues at a granular level.

Ability to handle time sensitivity in given groups of alerts (i.e. registration rules).

Solution #4: PeopleSoft Data Feed to iOffice

Issue #4: Integration with institutional system (i.e. PeopleSoft) to ensure SEVIS and the institutional systems are well coordinated.

Solution #4: Data Transformation Services (DTS) in SQL Server are used to extract institutional data from the institutional data warehouse to update iOffice.

Certain action-able data (i.e. address changes) will queue the system for the creation of a SEVIS batch record.

Other data issues (i.e. invalid PeopleSoft visa type) will result in alerts.

Conclusion & iOffice Demonstration