EDUCATION | Driving tomorrow’s achievements
11 April 2008
United States Welcomes Foreign Students to Community Colleges
State Department is working hard to process student visa applications
By Jennifer Burcham originally published in the Community College Times
The United States' "welcome mat" is out to foreign students wishing to study in the United States, and U.S. missions abroad have been instructed to give priority to students and exchange visitors, said Janice Jacobs, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary for visa services, speaking at the 57th annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators (formerly the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs) in 2005. She noted that although the attacks on September 11, 2001, did change some of the department's visa application policies, those who think the visa procedures are an insurmountable barrier to travel to or study in the United States are wrong. "Outdated public perceptions regarding changes to visa processing couldn't be more different from reality," she said. "The Department of State is working hard to support what we hope will be a resurgence of international students, exchange visitors, scientists and business people…"
During her conference presentation, titled "Welcoming International Students to Community Colleges in the U.S.—The Role of the State Department," Jacobs talked about the role community colleges have taken in international education. "I know community colleges around the nation have taken an increasingly active role in making sure that foreign students have access to the incredible education opportunities available to them in the community college system," she said.
In response to concerns expressed by officials from two-year higher education institutions about a perception that visas are frequently denied to students seeking admissions to two-year colleges, Jacobs said the State Department has reminded consular officers that different institutions meet the needs of different students. She said consular officers have been told to review every single case on its own merits, keeping the broad array of U.S. educational opportunities in mind.
Jacobs added that the State Department has enhanced its ability to process student visa applications by adding more than 350 new consular positions since September 2001, and the current budget includes a request for an additional 121 consular officer positions.
Almost all visa applications—some 97 percent—are processed within two days, and the screening process for the 2.5 percent of visa applicants subject to special screening requirements for security reasons has been streamlined, she added. "For the 2.5 percent of visa applicants who, for national security reasons, are subject to special screening, we have streamlined the process, so even this small percentage of the overall number of applicants can expect an answer promptly," Jacobs said. "A year ago, the average processing time was about 74 days for a sensitive technology case. Today, the average processing time for these cases is 14 days, and we will continue to refine that process."
Jacobs noted that the U.S. Institute for International Education data show that more than 572,000 foreign students were enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities during the 2003-2004 academic year. Indian and Chinese students are among the leaders attending U.S. colleges, and although the number of foreign students applying to U.S. colleges has declined, the United States still hosts more international students than any other nation.
"One thing we desperately hope to do is dispel any misperceptions that might linger abroad about the United States not welcoming foreign students," she said. "It is simply not true. Students from Muscat to Mumbai need to know that if they want to study in the United States, our door is open."
