SEVIS program to end in December

Federal immigration officials have recently suspended a program that required immigrants to register annually while in the United States if they are from countries that have been linked to terrorism. \nThe Student Exchange and Visitor Information System was stopped Dec. 2, and a new program, called U.S. VISIT, was mandated.\nU.S. VISIT requires all visa holders to be to be photographed and fingerprinted when they enter the United States starting Jan. 5.\nWith such a large number of international students on the IU campus, this new program has a large impact here.\n"This new system is good because it involves no discrimination," said Sara Allaei, director of the Office of International Affairs. "(The system) involves everyone coming into the United States based on their country, age and gender. It can't single out anyone."\nThe original SEVIS program began last year. It called in four different groups of people to re-register based on their dates of birth and nationalities. The program was suspended because it was criticized for targeting thousands of men and boys from the Middle East, according to the Office of International Studies Web site.\nNow, the BCIS can monitor school and exchange visitor programs without being discriminatory, the Web site said.\n"A significant number of people have been affected," Allaei said. "Last year we had quite a few students who had to go through the call-in system."\nThere is more international involvement on the IU campus than just students, however. There are teachers, medical residents, graduate students and faculty who are affected.\nHowever, for students who have been to the United States for only one semester, the new program is all they have known.\n"It's a really easy system," said freshman Nikunj Bathwal, who is from India. "We had to include our grades, SAT scores and pass the immigration check. We haven't had to do anything since."\nFreshman Krishen Gupta, from India, said he hasn't been affected by the program change either. \n"I've been in the states for the past three-and-a-half months," he said. "I've never had a different program."\n-- Contact staff writer Lee Cleary at lgcleary@indiana.edu.