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Recruitment Issues after September 11 Recruitment Issues after September 11 Unfortunately, some Americans would like to penalize the entire international student body for the actions of a very few. Misleading news stories - particularly on 20/20 and 60 Minutes II - have unfairly criticized US higher education and NAFSA on international student visa issues. Government officials such as Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) have developed legislation that originally wanted to prohibit all new student visas for six months. (Under national pressure, Senator Feinstein dropped this moratorium from her proposed legislation.) And few seem inclined to remember that student visas comprise fewer than two percent of the 31 million visas issued annually in this country. Undervalued Resource Ironically, one of the most valuable lessons from September 11 is the importance of international education. As Colin Powell has said, "Such cooperation . . . strengthens democracy and the bonds between nations." Recent events have only confirmed the importance of US students learning the languages, histories and philosophies of other cultures. Indeed, that knowledge is critical to our government and private sector in this complex interconnected world. At the same time, we must help our nation to recognize that these distinguished foreign students contribute in many ways to US society - academically, diplomatically and economically. These students are the global leaders of tomorrow. In fact, one-third of the world leaders with whom we are trying to develop a coalition have participated in US educational exchanges, according to Charlotte Beers, under secretary of state for public diplomacy & public affairs. Obviously, the answer is not to shut the door on the world as we establish necessary security measures for protecting our nation. Current Legislation There are a number of immigration security bills in Congress that address international student visas. Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) - This bipartisan legislation (S.1618) proposes a balanced approach to student visa issues. The proposed legislation recognizes the importance of foreign students to the US. Yet, it offers ways to establish necessary security measures. See the complete text. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) - On this revised version of Feinstein's early legislation, the senator has dropped her proposed six-month moratorium on student visas. The legislation (S. 1627) bars students from countries on the State Department's list of terrorist-sponsoring states. It also requires a background check on all students before they can receive a visa. For the complete text of the legislation. House Bill (HR 3229) - This bill is similar to Sens. Feinstein and Kyl's legislation. It denies foreign student visas to nationals of state sponsors of international terrorism. It also requires a background check on every foreign student before a visa may be issued. To see the text of the legislation. USA Patriot Act of 2001 - This legislation was recently enacted by Congress and signed by President Bush. Fortunately, it does not single out foreign students. The act does authorize US government funding for a foreign student-tracking program, although its handling of the issue seems fair. The system also covers flight schools, intensive English studies and vocational programs. To learn more. Additional Background To familiarize yourself further on the issues, you may want to read the following testimonies presented at a joint congressional hearing on tracking foreign students. They were presented before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Select Education and the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness:
Final Words Certainly the US government has the responsibility and right to protect the safety of our citizens. Our only hope is that these security measures will be implemented in such a way that the US remains the world's favorite place to study. It would be a great tragedy if global educational exchange became the latest victim in the war against terrorism.
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