Bill may affect student visas

Congress is debating a visa bill that could affect Bloomington's international student community in the near future. \nThe makeup of future classes of IU international students could change if the legislation passes.\nCatalyzed by a speech by President George W. Bush last week, four congressmen are working on legislation to tighten immigration requirements for international students wishing to study in the United States.\nWhile Bush did not give details of his plan, Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., are working together on bills that would place limitations on the student visa system.\nThe bill by Kennedy and Brownback would require the Immigration and Naturalization Service to tell schools when an international student enters the country; the schools to notify the INS if the student has not showed up within 15 days of the first day of class; and the INS to review the number of schools allowed to accept foreign students.\nLegislation by Kyl and Feinstein would mandate tamper-resistant, machine-readable passports and halt all student visas from countries on the State Department's list of terrorist-sponsoring states.\nAides say the four senators are talking about combining their bills.\nBut whatever legislation passes, Associate Director of International Programs Kenneth Rogers said he worries it will hinder some foreign students from attending IU.\n"This would automatically condemn a whole population of people," Rogers said. \nJunior business major Tushar Maloo, an citizen of India, worries the legislation could jeopardize his status for a degree at IU.\n"It's very scary," Maloo said. "For three years I've worked hard and it's unfair that I may be denied my degree."\nSince the Sept. 11 attacks, members of Congress have been working on measures to prevent acts of terrorism in the future.\n"Before Sept. 11, the system was too loose," Rogers said of visa regulations.\nInternational students entering the United States with education visas are among one of the groups the government would like to see more thoroughly investigated. Although a small percentage of visas are obtained by students, most visa holders have business and tourist visas. \n"The idea of monitoring students is only fair if they monitor other persons coming into the U.S., such as business and tourist visa holders," said Jenny Bowen, an international student adviser.\nRogers said a common myth among the American public is that it is easy for international students to qualify for education visas, and that's how most of the international population stays in the United States legally. But getting approved for an educational visa is a very costly and time-consuming process.\nThe student intending to study in America has to visit the American Embassy or Consulate in their country to be evaluated. Some countries allow the process to be completed by mail.\nThe student must first convince the interviewer that he or she is "first and foremost a student," Rogers said. The government wants to be assured the students do not plan to become immigrants, but rather return to their countries after completing their studies.\nNext, the student has to prove they have sufficient financial support to study in America. At IU the estimated cost for an international student to study is about $26,000, according to the Office of the Bursar.\nRecently, American Embassies have been short-staffed, also creating a problem for students intending to study in the United States. In addition, in the last five years the cost of higher education has increased, Rogers said.\nTwenty-one southeastern states are experimenting with an electronic program to monitor international students called CIPRIS/SEVIS. The program electronically keeps track of each individual student's arrival date, major, current classes and criminal records. \nThe experimental system, like everything, has a cost. International students will pay a mandatory $95 per year. The university will have the expense of making their electronic systems compatible with the government's system.\nIn states without the experimental program, the government only records students' current address and expected arrival and departure dates. \n"The government has the right and the need to collect this information," Rogers said.\nThe CIPRIS/SEVIS program was scheduled to begin in all 50 states in 2003. With the terrorist attacks, Congress is deciding whether the tracking program will begin sooner.\nRogers expressed concern the American public is being mislead. The government plans on stricter laws for student visas. But most visa holders aren't students; they are business people and tourists. The government is leading the public to think the laws applying to students will eliminate possible terrorists, Rogers said. \n"International students bring many benefits to the U.S.," Bowen said. \nThe Associated Press contributed to this story.