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Practice Areas

SEVP Certified Schools

In conjunction with his consulting company, SEVIS Education & Consulting, LLC, Jesse provides a comprehensive review of all the applicable SEVP regulations and instructions on all aspects of accessing and completing the school’s mandatory reporting responsibilities.

First, more specifically, his legal work includes guiding schools through their first M and F certification applications (their I-17).

Second, he also counsels certified schools in all areas of their program administration following certification, including assistance updating their I-17s in advance of their recertification applications.  Schools also frequently request that he review their M and F international student applications and help them update their policies (such as Curricular Practical Training (CPT), student terminations and changes of status).

Department of State J-1 Exchange Visitor Program (DOS J-1)

For more than ten years Jesse has served as both a Responsible Officer (RO) and Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO), including in his current role as ARO at Gravity International Programs in New York. His deep familiarity with Department of State (DOS) regulations governing the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) uniquely qualifies him to provide legal counsel and regulatory guidance to J-1 Designated Sponsors. This includes assisting with the extensive application process (Form DS-3036).

The DOS EVP relies on SEVIS for key administrative functions such as generating Form DS-2019, managing program data, and—when applicable—preparing the Training/Internship Placement Plan (Form DS-7002), and his ongoing access to SEVIS keeps him informed and up-to-date and all new changes and developments.

In addition to legal guidance, Jesse specializes in the practical training of all operational aspects of EVP sponsorship. He delivers this training through his education and consulting firm, SEVIS Education and Consulting, LLC, where clients frequently take advantage of both his legal services and his training workshops

Change of Status (COS)

Jesse has advised hundreds of individuals on changing their nonimmigrant status, whether to F-1 or J-1, or from those two categories to other classifications. His experience in preparing COS applications for USCIS includes identifying and addressing common weaknesses that can lead to denials.

Applicants who initially file without legal counsel often seek Jesse’s help after receiving RFEs.  Some of these RFEs could have been avoided had these clients consulted him earlier. His proactive approach to application strategy significantly improves approval outcomes successful of COS adjudications and significantly minimizes delays in the process.

F-1 Reinstatement

F-1 students occasionally fall out of status due to violations of school rules and federal regulations. For eligible students seeking to regain status, Jesse provides comprehensive support throughout the reinstatement process, including assistance with the preparation and filing of Form I-539 with USCIS. He also offers strategic guidance in responding to Requests for Evidence (RFEs), which often require prompt and detailed replies.

Jesse has assisted students both as a former Principal Designated School Official (PDSO) and in his capacity as a private immigration attorney. Multipe schools refer their students to him directly, recognizing his expertise in this niche area.  The P/DSOs at most of these schools have already taken one or more of Jesse’s workshops and are confident that Jesse will provide their current students with excellent immigration advice.

Unlike many immigration attorneys who lack direct experience with student-specific regulatory issues, Jesse routinely advises both students and less experienced attorneys on what students must do to maintain and restore their F-1 status when they lose it. Notably, in spring 2025, when the administration terminated the visas and status of thousands of F-1 students, Jesse guided numerous institutions and individuals through the difficult time, offering critical legal and strategic support—including to attorneys involved in litigation challenging the government’s actions.

For students considering status restoration via travel and reentry, Jesse provides pre-departure counseling on the risks of denial of reentry and strategies for navigating secondary inspection upon their return. He is also frequently consulted by students who must apply for a new F-1 visa from a U.S. consulate before returning to the country.