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Foreign students encouraged to study in US

The US embassy in Sri Lanka has said foreign students have always been and still are welcome to study in the United States.

A statement released by the embassy has stated that the tragedy of September 11, 2001 showed the importance of emphasising national security, but added it did not mean the US wants to discourage legitimate students from coming to study.

The statement says although long-standing visa laws and regulations are followed rigorously, and new visa procedures have been introduced since September 11, the impact on students is always carefully considered.

"Students are subjected to the same law as other temporary visitors, who must convince a consular officer they intend to return to their home country after they finish their course of study. They also must show they are able to pay for their education, either from family funds or from grants or other sources, and that they truly intend to pursue a course of study."

The embassy said the number of student visa applicants dropped dramatically after September 11, as did visa applications in all categories. "Visa-issuing posts received 15 % fewer student visa applications in year 2002 than they had the year before. The drop in the number of student applicants was typical of visa applicants across the board," it added.

The statement said since August 1, all embassies and consulates worldwide had followed a uniform policy about who may be excused from a visa interview. "There are few exceptions, and this procedure applies to all non-immigrant visa applicants, not just to students.  Although visa interviews are brief, they are an important step in ensuring security and integrity in visa issuance," it stated.

"At Congress's direction, as of October 26, 2004, all visa applicants will need to provide a biometric identifier that can be encrypted on the visas that are issued.

"All of our visa-adjudicating posts were asked months ago to give special consideration to students in scheduling visa interviews, so they will not miss the opening of the school semester.  Many embassies and consulates around the world have opened special windows for students and exchange visitors, which can reduce the wait for an interview considerably.

"Others, where possible, have not required students to have appointments at all. Some visa applicants, fewer than two percent of the total applying, must wait for Washington to complete an inter-agency security advisory review, which includes checking all appropriate records.  More than 90 % of those reviews are completed in less than three weeks," the statement said.

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