(a) Issuance of Forms DS-2019. Sponsors must:

(1) Grant access to SEVIS only to Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers and ensure that they have access to and use SEVIS to update required information;

(2) Ensure that Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers input into SEVIS accurate, current, and updated information in accordance with these regulations; and

(3) Issue Forms DS-2019 only for the following purposes if permitted by the regulations and, as necessary, authorized by the Department of State:

(i) To facilitate the initial entry of exchange visitors and accompanying spouses and dependents, if any, into the United States;

(ii) To extend the duration of participation of exchange visitors;

(iii) To facilitate program transfers;

(iv) To replace lost, stolen, or damaged Forms DS-2019;

(v) To facilitate the re-entry into the United States of exchange visitors and accompanying spouses and dependents, if any, who travel outside the United States during exchange visitors' programs;

(vi) To facilitate changes of category;

(vii) To update information when significant changes take place in regard to exchange visitors' programs (e.g., substantial changes in funding or changes in primary sites of activity);

(viii) To facilitate the correction of minor or technical infractions; and

(ix) To facilitate a reinstatement or reinstatement update SEVIS status.

(b) Verification. (1) Prior to issuing Forms DS-2019, sponsors must verify that prospective exchange visitors:

(i) Are eligible for, qualified for, and accepted into the programs in which they will participate;

(ii) Possess adequate financial resources to participate in and complete their exchange visitor programs; and

(iii) Possess adequate financial resources to support accompanying spouses and dependents, if any.

(2) Sponsors must ensure that:

(i) Only Responsible Officers or Alternate Responsible Officers who are physically present in the United States or in a U.S. territory may sign Forms DS-2019 or print original Forms DS-2019;

(ii) Only Responsible Officers or Alternate Responsible Officers whose names are printed on Forms DS-2019 are permitted to sign the forms; and

(iii) Responsible Officers or Alternate Responsible Officers sign paper Forms DS-2019 in ink or sign Forms DS-2019 using digital signature software.

(c) Transmission of Forms DS-2019. (1) Sponsors may transmit Forms DS-2019 either electronically (e.g., via email) or by mailing them (e.g., via postal or delivery service) to only the following individuals or entities: exchange visitors; accompanying spouses and dependents, if any; legal guardians of minor exchange visitors; sponsor staff; Fulbright Commissions and their staff; and Federal, State, or local government agencies or departments.

(2) Sponsors may mail signed paper Forms DS-2019 via postal or delivery service to third parties acting on their behalf for distribution to prospective exchange visitors.

(3) Sponsors may provide third parties acting on their behalf with password-protected access to the sponsors' computer network systems and/or databases to retrieve Forms DS-2019.

(4) Sponsors that allow third parties to retrieve Forms DS-2019 from their computer networks and/or databases may not electronically transmit or physically mail the same Forms DS-2019 to individuals or entities identified in paragraph (c)(1) of this section.

(d) Allotment requests. (1) Annual Form DS-2019 allotment. Sponsors must submit an electronic request via SEVIS to the Department of State for an annual allotment of Forms DS-2019 based on the annual reporting cycle (e.g., academic, calendar, or fiscal year) stated in their letter of designation or redesignation. The Department of State has sole discretion to determine the number of Forms DS-2019 it will issue to sponsors.

(2) Expansion of program. Requests for program expansion must include information such as, but not limited to, the justification for and source of program growth, staff increases, confirmation of adequately trained employees, noted programmatic successes, current financial information, additional overseas affiliates, additional third-party entities, explanations of how the sponsor will accommodate the anticipated program growth, and any other information the Department of State may request. The Department of State will take into consideration the current size of a sponsor's programs and the projected expansion of their programs in the next 12 months and may consult with the Responsible Officer and/or Alternate Responsible Officers prior to determining the number of Forms DS-2019 it will issue.

(e) Safeguards and controls. (1) Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers must always secure their SEVIS User Names and passwords (i.e., not share User Names and passwords with any other person or not permit access to and use of SEVIS by any person).

(2) Sponsors may transmit Forms DS-2019 only to the parties listed in paragraph (c) of this section. However, sponsors must transmit Forms DS-2019 to the Department of State or the Department of Homeland Security upon request.

(3) Sponsors must use the reprint function in SEVIS when exchange visitors' Forms DS-2019 are lost, stolen, or damaged, regardless of whether they are transmitting forms electronically or mailing them.

(4) Sponsors must destroy any damaged and/or unusable Forms DS-2019 (e.g., forms with errors or forms damaged by a printer).