---
title: "Sequence Diagrams"
slug: sequence-diagrams
section: Overview & Architecture
status: stable
description: "Interactive sequence diagrams for every major cross-system flow in the ecosystem — from applicant registration through compliance, placement, and on-program operations."
last-updated: 2026-10-07
---

# Sequence Diagrams

Interactive sequence diagrams for every major cross-system flow in the ecosystem — from applicant registration through compliance, placement, and on-program operations.

## Overview

Each diagram below shows a specific interaction sequence between the systems in the Globus ecosystem. Participants are shown as columns, numbered steps flow top-to-bottom, and highlighted bars mark key user touchpoints or state changes.

> **System Boundaries**
>
> These diagrams complement the Architecture Diagram (structural view) and Data Flow Between Systems (data journey view). Sequence diagrams show the temporal ordering of interactions between specific systems for a given use case.

Diagram Index

> **Attribution Lock**
>
> Once an applicant enters through a partner invite, the partner_id is permanently locked on the operational record in Globus. This prevents downstream attribution disputes and ensures commission/recruitment tracking is immutable.

> **Globus is the Only SEVIS Writer**
>
> No portal or automation layer may write to SEVIS directly. Globus is the sole system with SEVIS API credentials and the authority to submit or amend participant records. This is a hard compliance boundary.

> **n8n Never Decides Globus State**
>
> n8n is a side-effect orchestrator, not an authority. It reads events from Globus and triggers external actions, but it never decides or advances Globus state. Its only writes back into Globus go through explicit integration endpoints (for example POST /api/integrations/onboarding/provision and PATCH /api/notifications/:id/delivery-status).