Structural Changes Likely In US Student Visa Policy

The government of United States is under pressure to initiate substantial reforms in the US student visa policy as cases of notorious recruiters for universities rise alarmingly.

The calls of making a structural amendment in the US student visa policy has gained momentum with growing number of cases of dissent against various schools and universities across the country for using notorious agencies recruit students. The situation has become so serious that the National Association for College Admission Counseling had to propose a blanket ban on the use of international recruiters.

Recruiting Agencies Compromising On Student Skill Sets: According to critics and industry experts most of the so called student recruiting agencies compromise on the real fundamentals sometimes even exaggerating English speaking skills of the potential student or allowing them to skip tests apart from promoting the use of fake affidavits and false applications. The paying recruiters also have also allegedly introduced large financial incentives that lead to a serious conflict of interest and fraud.

Enrolling Foreign Students, Double Edged Sword: There is no denying the fact that American universities work hard to bring large numbers of international students. The international students not only benefit the universities financially but also are also able to groom potential entrepreneurs beneficial to the US society in the long run. But admission counselors and even university professors are now openly questioning the real motives behind the working of recruiting agencies providing large number of international students to each and every university and school across the length and breadth of United States. Testimony to the hike in number of students, a recent report by the Institute for International Education has shown an increase of 32 % in the number of international students in the U.S. compared with a decade ago.

The Way Out: While some universities like the Pittsburg (Kansas) State University and Missouri Southern State University has announced their plans to drop using any shady recruiting agencies voluntarily others are considering options to have their own recruiting offices in bigger nations like China and India.

While universities have successfully woven in changes in their recruitment process, there are calls from various sources for the government to step in and clean the process for good. Already there have been reports that the U.S. State Department is considering a proposal to limit the participation of J-1 student visa sponsors at 2011 levels and would not consider new applications from organizations that connect the students with employers. While the proposal is to tighten regulation of the four-month long student visa program, more effective and structural changes in student visa policy of the United States is not ruled out and may happen sooner rather than later.