Guest-blogging over at TPM, New Republic writer John Judis has a smart piece on America’s irrational and self-injurious student visa policies in the wake of September 11.
The legislation establishing the Department of Homeland Security included a provision creating “Sevis.” a database for keeping track of international students. Each student would have to register with the Sevis. Last October, the Department of Homeland Security proposed that in addition to the $100 visa fee, every prospective student would have to pay another $100 to fund Sevis. The payment would have to be through a credit card or dollars. Universities have not objected to the program itself; but they have objected strenuously to imposing another fee on foreign applicants. “Having yet another thing students have to do to come to the US that they don’t have to do in any other part of the world will drive more people away at a time when enrollments are declining,” said one official from the Association of International Educators.
The universities, of course, are understandably worried about declining enrollment, but what is most disturbing about the administration’s program–and about its general approach to foreign students–is its hostile attitude toward the outside world. It’s fortress America applied to educational policy. Such an approach won’t necessarily prevent terrorist attacks, but it will in the long run encourage the anti-Americanism on which al Qaeda and other terrorist groups feed.
Judis begins the piece by pointing out how during the cold war, foreign students studying here was the best and cheapest way to promote democratic capitalism. And now we’ve made it next to impossible. This is a sore spot with me for personal reasons, and I just don’t understand why our government is so obdurate on this issue, which does very little for our national security but hurts us in all sorts of ways.
1
By hk
Damn.
Watch my blog as I attempt to get a student visa for Hong Kong. That process starts in about a week.
I just talked to my mandarin tutor who got denied her US visa again. This time she used her Taiwanese passport. Still no dice.
June 23, 2004 @ 12:28 am | Comment
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By vaara
Of course the U.S. isn’t the only country doing this; the Dutch government now charges non-EU foreigners €430 ($520) to apply for their first one-year residence permit (with no refund if you get turned down).
Result: last year, emigration exceeded immigration. For all the government’s talk about the “knowledge economy,” it is still unwilling to face reality: that NL needs skilled immigrants, and that because of their fear of foreigners, they’re taking their skills elsewhere.
June 23, 2004 @ 2:35 am | Comment
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By richard
Yeah, but Vaara, who wants to study in Holland? (Kidding.)
June 23, 2004 @ 10:39 am | Comment
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By jeremy
First, a little naive of Judis to think that observant Muslims are going to come to the US and find democracy so great that they are going to take it back with them to their countries. It’s a fantasy, which will never occur.
Second, the fee is a jerry-rigged fix for a bigger problem, which is “students” coming to the States for education, and never leaving or never actually going to classes.
You take a look at how most of the 9-11 terrorists came into the country, and it was via student visas. This is the half-asses attempt to fix that loophole.
What would work better? How about actually keeping track of the students? But, that’s more man power and hours (and cash) than the INS could ever hope to have.
The irony is that the only students that will be able to really afford added fees are those being sponsored to come into the country for their own nefarious reasons.
June 23, 2004 @ 10:59 am | Comment
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By richard
The policy is draconian and is hurting America more than it’s helping.
Does Judis actually say that Moslems were coming to America to find democracy? If so, that is naive, but I don’t remember him saying that.
June 23, 2004 @ 11:08 am | Comment
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By jeremy
From your commentary, I might have read into his hope for democracy.
Judis begins the piece by pointing out how during the cold war, foreign students studying here was the best and cheapest way to promote democratic capitalism. And now we’ve made it next to impossible. This is a sore spot with me for personal reasons, and I just don’t understand why our government is so obdurate on this issue, which does very little for our national security but hurts us in all sorts of ways.
Yes, the policy is draconian. Is it hurting America more than helping? That is debateable. Is it way too easy for people to pose as students, then get “lost” in the United States? Indubitably, yes.
June 23, 2004 @ 12:19 pm | Comment
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By richard
Obviously we can’t just let everyone in who applies. But I know of many cases where the embassy’s attitude is simply ridiculous and unfair. Thomas Friedman and many other capable journalists are equally appalled at how foolish our policy is.
June 23, 2004 @ 1:41 pm | Comment
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By jeremy
Okay, yes, this harkens back to the days that the State Department wouldn’t let Jews in the country because they just weren’t the right type for the country.
Here’s a compromise – we just don’t let students of certain religious backgrounds enter the country. Racial profiling unfortunately works, just ask El Al.
June 23, 2004 @ 4:47 pm | Comment
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By richard
I hate to say it, but that might make some sense. Unfortunately, it sounds racist, and the ACLU will probably come running the instant such an idea is proposed.
June 23, 2004 @ 5:19 pm | Comment
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By Simon World
Asia by blog
Looking around Asia for what’s what and where’s where. I am not going to go over the terrible South Korean tragedy of the past week, as that was covered previously already. Instead let’s try and focus on the other news around Asia. DTL asks an interest…
June 24, 2004 @ 12:23 am | Comment