Responsible Officers have the discretion to request “Permission to Issue” Forms DS-2019 from the Department on behalf of non-designated academic or research institutions if sponsors determine such placements support the purpose of BridgeUSA, and the applicants and proposed institutions meet all eligibility and program requirements set forth in 22 CFR Part 62 BridgeUSA Regulations. The Department created Guidance Directive 2019-02 Permission to Issue in the Exchange Visitor Program to provide sponsors additional information on this process. Sponsors may coordinate with other academic institutions to identify viable host organizations for their exchange visitors; however, they may not abdicate their responsibility for ensuring the host organization meets all regulatory requirements prior to placement. In addition, any exchange visitors placed through this process will remain the responsibility of the sponsoring university. Additionally, sponsors must ensure that SEVIS and the exchange visitor’s Form DS-2019 reflects the actual site of activity (i.e., the STEM business).