*EPF415 07/25/2002
Expert Advice for International Students Coming to U.S.
(Student services director talks about visas, admissions, cultural adaptation) (2135)

By Vicki Silverman
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington, D.C. - Six weeks from now, students from across the United States and around the world will be arriving on U.S. university campuses. With six major universities, the Washington area has the fourth largest concentration of international students in the United States.

At American University (AU) in Washington, D.C., 1800 out of 12,000 students are enrolled as international students on an F-1 visa. They come from more than 160 countries around the world. Some are pursuing undergraduate degrees but most are enrolled in graduate programs including law, business and international affairs.

��These students have always made a tremendous contribution to the area, enriching campus and community life. Their presence, dignity and compassion were particularly important in post 9/11,?according to Fanta Aw, director of student services at American University. ��International students were wonderful ambassadors for their countries at that difficult time. Through dialogue, they opened the door to discovering our common humanity,?she said in an interview with the Washington File July 22.

As her office prepares to welcome 700 new international students to American University this fall, Fanta Aw shared some information and advice for first-time students preparing to study in the United States.

Students Are Receiving Visas, But Process Is Slowed


��The number of F-1 student visa recipients has not dropped this year,?Aw said. ��The places where it is most difficult for us to get visas, and this is pretty much the case for most institutions, is from places like China and India but we have not seen more visa denials than usual.?

Aw said there was a drop in applications for AU��s fall semester from students coming from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries, although the number of Jordanian and Palestinian students remains steady. Aw hopes with better communication and outreach, these students will be encouraged to pursue their education at American University.

��We are in constant dialogue with our enrolled students from the Middle East to better understand the fears and uncertainties of families there. Family appears the biggest issue. AU has increased outreach to Middle East embassies here in Washington and we��re trying to communicate more effectively with advisors in the area,?Aw said.

��While the number of visas issued has not changed, we have seen a difference in the amount of time it takes for processing a visa. In addition to normal processing time, many of the countries have additional background checks through the Department of State and the waiting period for that is at least an additional 20 days. So, if it used to take a week to go through the application process and obtain a visa, now it is a week plus an additional 20 days,?she said.

Aw noted that this wait becomes an issue if the students are making a decision at the last minute. She said that it is important that they make a decision fairly early, to ensure that they have enough time to get all their documents in order and allow ample time for the U.S. consulate to process their requests for university registration.?

It is important to begin the process early. ��For AU, the majority of admissions decisions were made around March-April, so most new students will have their I-20 forms in hand and should have already gone to the U.S. consulate to apply for their visas,?Aw said.

Communication between the university and the student is important. ��Most of our students, including graduate students, will be entering American University from academic programs in their home country. It��s a first time U.S. experience. The majority are leaving their home country without any pre-departure briefing and that��s why it is so important for universities to communicate with them once they��ve been admitted��to help guide them until their arrival,?Aw noted.

��We handle about 150 emails a day, questions vary, everything from housing to questions about their academic advisors, just a wide range of things come up. They know to ask and we encourage them to ask. In our admission packet we cover how to apply for the F-1 visa. We direct them to the State Department website (http://travel.state.gov/visa_services.html), which has many good check lists and tips and we do encourage them to check in with their individual consulates because processing time may differ with each region, or even between states and cities.?

How the I-20, F-1 Visa and Immigration Fit Together

Aw briefly reviewed the procedures necessary for first-time international students to enter the United States.

��A student receives an official admission letter and then, once they have been able to provide proof of financial ability, they will receive (from the university) the I-20 document. We mail this to them with other handouts including information on F-1 immigration responsibilities, check lists on applying for a visa and a cost sheet about life in the U.S. The student is expected to report to the nearest U.S. consulate to apply for a visa. After they have gone through the F-1 application process and obtained a visa, they will enter the United States with the relevant documents,?she explained.

��At the port of entry, an U.S. immigration officer may ask them questions about why they are coming to the U.S.; what they are coming to study; how they are going to finance their education.?

��The immigration officer may ask to see the documents the student is carrying. Regarding the I-20, the US consulate needs to see official I-20 at the time the student is applying for an F-1 visa. The consulate will generally seal the original in an envelope and stamp it and place it with the student��s passport. The U.S. immigration official will open that envelope at the port of entry, review the original document and make a determination at that time whether the student is eligible for that status of F-1 visitor. Then, the official takes the first page of that document and give the student the student copy and stamps the status on that page.?

��It is critical that students keep their copy of the I-20,?she told the Washington File. ��This is the document that demonstrates what their status is in the United States, explains their university affiliation , the length of their stay and their program of study. It��s a government form that all international students are required to keep during their stay in the U.S., although they do not need to carry it with them,?Aw advised.

Ask Questions, Seek Support and Stay Legal


The Office of International Student Services at AU arranges a special four-day orientation for students new to the United States, offering information on everything from their immigration responsibilities to American classroom culture. According to Aw, her office spends a great deal of time one-on-one with students throughout their studies to promote both their academic and personal success. Assisting the international students to understand and comply with their legal obligations in the United States is one of the vital services to students.

��With the move towards maintaining real-time information on the status of non-immigrant visitors in the United States, it is all the more important for students ensure they do not fall out of legal status during their years of study. We would not want to see a simple, inadvertent omission interfere with a student��s current studies or jeopardize future university training, or their hopes of being joined here by immediate family members,?Aw cautioned.

Asked what would be her recommendation to international students enrolling in smaller universities or community colleges that may not have special offices dedicated to the needs of international students, Aw said she advises all students to take the initiative to get the answers to their questions and to pursue their quest for information until they are comfortable.

��The most import advice I would give students is to remember that cultures are different and that in coming into a new culture, particularly in the American context, you have to ask questions and you have to ask for help. In the American context, if you do not ask questions, the assumption is that everything is O.K. Here there are no questions that are silly; none that are irrelevant,?she said.

��At a smaller institution that does not have an office dedicated to international students, it��s even more important to identify a person they can go to to ask questions. Students may very well have to go to different people for different questions, maybe the dean of students or perhaps the academic advisor. What is important is to identify an administrator who will be that point person who can help you understand the university culture and, more importantly, be able to refer you to the appropriate people so that you get your questions answered,?said.

��The second thing that I advise students is that, in the U.S., when you sign a document it is a contract. By signing that document, you are certifying very import information --first, that the information is true and that you understand what you signed. So I recommend students take their time before they sign, make sure you understand things and if you��re not sure, ask questions. When you get an I-20 document, it asks for your name, signature and a date. When you sign, you��re saying all information on this document is true and I have read my immigration responsibilities and I have agreed to abide by all laws and regulations,?Aw explained.

��As long as students have what they need and as long as they��re coming for what they have been given the documents to do, they really have nothing to worry about. They are expected to be full-time students, and, as long as they��re registered for their courses and know to come to their student services offices before dropping courses and know to get signatures before traveling outside the United States, international students should have no problems,?she said.

The Value of U.S. Education Remains


��Prior to September 11, the feeling among international students was that getting a U.S. education was critical. It combines theory with practice in ways other educational systems have not been able to. September 11 has not changed that. Both inside and outside class, our graduates are ready to adapt and develop different kinds of skills needed to succeed anywhere in the world,?Aw concluded.

More information on American University��s Office of Student Services in available on the Internet at http://www.american.edu/ocl/iss/. Visa information relevant to international students is available on the State Department and Immigration and Naturalization Service webstites: http://travel.state.gov/visa_services.html and http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics.


(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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