International students face increased scrutiny
- by Alvin Ingram: Staff Writer

Many in the United States take for granted the privileges afforded us as citizens of this country. We only carry around minimal proof of identification, which may be in the form of a state’s driver license or locally issued identification card.

“That is not the case for international students who voluntarily choose to come to this country seeking a four-year college degree,” June Rain, coordinator for the Cameron University International Office said. “For international students, their sacrifices began long before they departed their host countries en route to the United States. Most students encounter a level of bureaucracy at home many of us could not fathom.”

Increased acts of terrorism, both in the United States and around the globe, have caused an increase in the regulations governing all visitors to the United States. Most notable off these is the impact on those who come here to pursue a college education.

Once in the United States, international students’ activities are governed daily by a host of regulations and restrictions from the Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

At the forefront to insure daily compliance with these federal regulations is our designated school official in the international office. According to Rain, her office’s main role is to insure that students know what the regulations are and to assist them in maintaining their status.

“The job is never dull when you have 211 students here from 48 different countries,” Rain said.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services have reenergized enforcement of the following policies required of foreign students seeking to study in the United States:

• The student must be enrolled in an academic educational program, a language-training program or vocational program.
• The school must be approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
• The student must be enrolled full time at the institution.
• The student must be proficient in English or be enrolled in courses leading to English proficiency.
• The student must have sufficient funds available for self-support during the entire proposed course of study.
• The student must maintain a residence abroad, which he/she has no intentions of giving up.

“Along with these regulations and restrictions, the federal government recently instituted newer policies requiring students to be readily identifiable and initiate updates to their visa status within 10 days of any changes and during the first 10 days of every semester,” Rain said.

International students are also required to be enrolled as full-time students each spring and fall semester and must insure that their passports are valid for at least six months into the future. Rain said, “International students’ immigration documents are now required to be carried on their persons. These documents include their passport, I-94 (arrival-departure) entry card, and their I-20 (student’s eligibility & acceptance) along with a copy of their transcripts.

While in the States, international students are still required to maintain their visa status in order to legally stay in the country. Students can only attend the school listed on their current I-20. Students are required to obtain a new I-20 document whenever they make a change in degree levels and must obtain a travel endorsement on the back of their I-20 before leaving the United States if they plan to reenter.

“Having these documents in their possession shows the student is here legally and lawfully and are doing what they are suppose to be doing,” Rain said.

“The federal government is now tracking compliance of all students with a new interagency initiative known as the Student Exchange and Visitors Program, or SEVP program,” Rain said. “SEVP is designed to improve processes for foreign students’ and exchange visitors’ visas, and schools, colleges and other organizations sponsoring programs for international students.” SEVP is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security and is a division of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

According to Rain, despite all of the increasing federal regulations and restrictions, international student enrollment continues to be slowly on the increase here at Cameron.