| mp3 | International Education Conference Podcast – Chapter 4 U.S. Department of State and Foreign Students
Chapter 4 of our podcasts provides a report from the U.S. Department of State on the process of getting foreign students to the United States. Martin Tatuch and Tony Edison discuss current issues in consular processing, including special security clearances, coordination with other U.S. government agencies and expedited processing. Dorothy Mora explains the Education USA program, developed to help recruit students to U.S. educational institutions. Additional information on Education USA is available at http://educationusa.state.gov/. |
International Education Conference Podcast – Chapter 3
| mp3 | International Education Conference Podcast – Chapter 3
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About SEVIS* (*but were afraid to ask) Chapter 3 of our podcasts includes an extensive discussion of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) administrated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Susan Geary explains important technical issues such as how to fix incorrect data, certification and recertification requirements and compliance reviews. This podcast also includes a excerpt in which this blogger, Ms. Geary and Nicholas Arrindell discuss how school officials are increasingly acting as "agents of the government" through use of the SEVIS system. |
--------
International Education Conference Podcast - Chapter 2
| mp3 | International Education Conference Podcast – Chapter 2 Chapter 2 of the International Education Conference Podcast provides a rich discussion of the “intent to return” visa issuance requirement for foreign students. The law, nicknamed “214(b)” in reference to INA §214(b), requires foreign students to have a residence in a foreign country which they have no intention of abandoning. The requirement has formed the basis of countless denials of student visas and has been the source of much frustration for educators. This blogger discussed 214(b) with Department of State officials Tony Edson and Martin Tatuch during two parts of the conference. The discussions have been edited and spliced together with a musical interlude indicating the deletion of intervening presentations. The resulting podcast provides a comprehensive treatment of 214(b) issues, including whether proof of residency is an appropriate or effective tool to “weed out” non-serious students, the difficulty young students face in meeting the standard, and the Department of State’s guidance on the issue. The cable of the Department of State on “Students and Immigrant Intent” is available at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/laws/telegrams.html. |
International Education Conference Podcast - Chapter 1
| mp3 | International Education Conference Podcast – Chapter 1 On January 23, 2006, this blogger participated in an extended panel discussion with U.S. government officials and university administrators about international students and immigration issues. The event, part of the the 4th Washington International Education Conference (hosted by the Washington International Education Council, Inc., www.washcouncil.org) produced a lively discussion of the immigration obstacles facing foreign students and the government’s plans to improve the process of admitting foreign students to the U.S. The discussion highlights some of the most complex issues in immigration law, issues that continue to be relevant today.
The discussion included presentations and contributions from: Prakash Khatri, Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Susan Geary, Director, Student and Exchange Visitor Program, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Joan Taylor, Chief, Training and Outreach Branch, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Stephen A. “Tony” Edson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services, Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State Martin Tatuch, Deputy Division Chief, Post Liaison Division, Office of Field Support and Liaison, Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State Dorothy Mora, Program Officer for East Asia/Pacific, Eurasia, Educational Information & Resources Branch, Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State Nicholas Arrindell, Ph.D., Director, Johns Hopkins University, Office of International Student and Scholar Services The discussion will be presented in a series of podcasts on this blog, some of which will be compilations of comments from a variety of speakers on a particular topic of interest. Our podcasts begin with comments by this blogger offering views on various structural impediments to a functional immigration system. The presentation raises issues such as the treatment of U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, U.S. economic prosperity and proposals for legislative reform. |
