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State of California Department of Justice
Rob Bonta
Attorney General
Attorney General
Notices are no longer mailed to International Student Placement Organizations. Organizations were notified in November 2003 to check the Attorney General's web site for updates and application renewal information.
The renewal deadline is January 15 of each year. Submission of renewal registration documents at least two months before the deadline will ensure timely registration. Maintaining current registration is important since California law requires that International Student Placement Organizations first obtain approval from the school and the California Attorney General's office before arranging for a student's arrival into the U.S.
The registration for an organization that does not renew its application as of January 15 each year is terminated as of that date and its name removed from our website. Your organization may re-apply as a new application. The new application will be effective on the date of approval.
Since each organization must renew its registration by January 15 each year, the names of the students sponsored by your organization during the previous calendar year, from January through December, must be provided.
California organizations that have a business office need not provide an agreement but must state on the application the name of the person in the California office who will be responsible to answer questions. Only corporations hiring third parties responsible for the in-state telephone must provide an agreement between the third party and the organization.
The agreement, signed and dated by the third party and organization, must state that the third party agrees to be responsible for responding to in-state telephone calls for the organization in California and that the organization agrees to hire the third party for that purpose. It would be helpful to the organization to identify in the agreement the duties the third party is to provide to the organization. If the person responsible for the in-state phone is also an Area Manager or state coordinator, a copy of the standard employment agreement that the organization normally uses when hiring such employees is sufficient.
California law (Government Code section 12621) defines an ISEVPO organization as one that regularly arranges the placement of exchange students for the purpose of providing opportunity to attend schools up to grade K-12 in the U.S. It does not limit registration to the type of visa issued or whether the student will attend a public or private school.
When the U.S. State Department issues a designation letter to an organization that sponsors exchange students in any U.S. schools, it is with a requirement that the "sponsors shall remain in compliance with all local, state, federal and professional requirements necessary to carry out the activity for which they are designated." 22 CFR 62.9c. See also CCR 380(c).
If your organization places students in California schools, it is subject to California law. The purpose of the ISEVPO Act is to protect students attending schools in California. The character of the host family is not a criteria for registration and reporting.
If placing foreign exchange students in California, for-profit corporations must register with the necessary California agencies, for example, the Secretary of State and the Attorney General's International Student Exchange Visitors Program. If the State Department does not issue a designation letter, as in your case, a notarized statement in lieu of a designation letter must be provided. The statement must declare that your organization has adhered to the standards and regulations of the ISEVPO Act.
Yes. A nonprofit public benefit corporation, and any other person or entity who holds assets for charitable purposes, has an independent obligation to register and file annual reports with the Attorney General’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers. These independent registration and reporting requirements are contained in the Supervision of Trustees and Fundraisers for Charitable Purposes Act (Government Code sections 12580-12599.8).