2004-9-29
This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Education Report.
We continue our series of reports about how foreign students can
attend a college or university in the United States. These reports
are on the Special English Web site, WWW.testbig.com.
Every foreign student who has been accepted to study in this
country must have a legal document called a visa from the United
States government. The rules for getting a visa have changed since
the terrorist attacks against the United States in two thousand one.
Three of the nineteen hijackers in the September eleventh attacks on
the World Trade Center and the Pentagon had student visas.
The State Department rules for giving permission to foreign
students to study in the United States can be found on the State
Department Web site. The address is unitedstatesvisa.gov. United
States visa is all one word. Another State Department Web site for
students from other countries is educationusa.gov
Government officials say that national security is the most
important issue in deciding if a person should be permitted to enter
the United States. It takes a longer time than it used to for
students to receive permission to enter the country. Officials must
see if a student is on any list of people with possible links to
terrorists.
The State Department says students are not being examined any
more closely than other people who want to come to the United
States. But students must enter the country before their classes
begin. So they should apply for a visa as soon as they can, to
permit enough time for approval.
The State Department says the place to start is the United States
Embassy or diplomatic office in the student's home area. And it says
foreign students should apply for visas as soon as they have their
documents.
Foreign students accepted at an American school will receive a
document called a Certificate of Eligibility. It permits entrance
into the United States to study. The State Department says each
student must enter the country using the certificate provided by the
school he or she will be attending. It is a violation of the law to
enter the country on one school's certificate but attend another
school.
We will have more information next week about rules for students
who want to come to the United States.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy
Steinbach. This is Gwen Outen.