Increasingly rigorous international student visa applications following Sept. 11 are forcing many foreign students to forgo an American education.
Following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Congress has attempted to adopt new visa laws that would lower the risk of future terrorist incidents.
Two of the five Sept. 11 hijackers used valid student visas to re-enter the United States and all of the suicide bombers were educated at U.S. flight schools. Now critics of the U.S. State Department claim that the student visa program is so large, so corrupt and so ineptly run, the supposed benefits of diversifying our education system are not worth the potential risks.
One of the convicted criminals of the 1993 truck bombing of the World Trade Center was in the United States on an expired student visa. At the time it was not a priority to secure and examine the student visa-issuing process.
It is now. As the U. S. government has tightened its belt in issuing student visas, some Middle Eastern students are worried about their ability to get visas to study in the United States.
“Iranian students, because of being ‘Iranians,’ always get the worst student visa that one can have, which is a one-time entry visa,” said Vahid Moradi, a junior computer science major who transferred to SMU this fall from Iran.
These one-time visas expire as soon as the student enters the United States, making it impossible for him to leave the country to visit family during the school year.
“It has always been tough getting a student visa but this process has changed a lot for other Middle Eastern countries after Sept. 11.” Moradi said. “Some of my friends with higher GPA’s, more potential of success, and even more financial support had to be turned down for different reasons.”
Before Sept. 11, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services required international students go through an admissions process similar to that of American students. INS now requests additional information from university international offices when foreign students apply for a visa.
According to Paula Morrison-Livingston, an international student adviser, SMU has had to open up more student spots this year as more and more international students are denied visas.
“Immigration offices do not need to have a specific reason for denying a student visa,” she said. “They can deny the visa based on any indications that the student might immigrate to the United States.”
A student visa is a ‘nonimmigrant visa,’ meaning students are expected to return to their home country after receiving their education on American soil.
In addition to an increase in overall visa denials, male students from specific countries now have to undergo a thorough background check that takes three weeks. Before the recent changes, it took one day to make a visa decision.
The concept of studying abroad has been an integral part in boosting diverse student bodies and the exchange of experiences and cultures among students. Excessively rigorous application processes for visas could drive many international students away.
Despite the hardships, some students understand the security imperative.
“I think it is sad and wrong that certain people are stereotyped just because the Sept. 11 hijackers were Muslim or of Arab descent,” said Kristin Williams, a junior business major. “But at the same time I do believe in increased security, even if that means there will be more hassles when traveling
