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In the rush of legislation running apace after 11 September 2001, the USA passed Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, which sets new requirements on visa issuances for students and participants in exchange programmes."

Following that Act, the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has developed software called "SEVIS" ( acronym for Student Exchange Visitor Information System)

All universities in the United States that enroll foreign students are required to begin using SEVIS by January 30. Universities will use the system to send student information to the government, and the data will then be used by INS to track foreign students.

The software has been installed and successfully tested at Purdue University in Indiana. Michael Ivy of the university set out the information that the system requires: ""Student data updates are required to be sent to the tracking system when specific events, such as changing an academic major, receiving financial aid, or reducing and adding to a course load, happen during a international student's academic career."

The university says that SEVIS was not implemented in response to the attacks of 11 September 2001 but that the need for it was "heightened" by those events. However, the Act applies to Universities. None of the major participants in the 11 September 2001 attacks were enrolled at universities.

The project is large: "SEVIS will be used at consulates, embassies and U.S. ports of entry. Prospective Purdue international students who are requesting visas will be given a special bar-coded form from the university. When entering the United States, international students will present this completed form. The bar-coded document will be scanned, indicating that students have used the Purdue form to enter the country," said Ivy.