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US Visa Fees for Foreign Students Going Up
International students could soon be paying more for visas to study in the U.S.
The Department of Homeland Security proposed a rule on July 17 that would increase fees charged by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
The I-901 SEVIS fee — which all F, M and J (exchange student) visa applicants pay — would increase from $200 to $350 for F and M visa applicants. The fee for most J visa applicants would increase from $180 to $220. For a four-month J visa, the fee remains $35 per visa.
Schools that renew SEVP certification, and schools that change their addresses, would also see new fees and fee increases. To be certified, schools would pay an additional $1,300.
DHS said the fee increases are needed to address funding gaps.
"If the program continues to operate at current fee levels, SEVP anticipates it will experience an average annual shortfall of $68.9 million beginning in 2019. The proposed fees help eliminate this risk and allow SEVP to continue to achieve its priorities — enhancing national security and preventing immigration fraud," a department bulletin reads.
"As someone who works in international education, it would be helpful to understand why the increases would be justified other than the overall shortfall of $68.9 million beginning in 2019. What is causing the increase? Hiring more agents?" commented user Michael Dixon to Inside Higher Ed about the rule.
The path to a student visa is complex. SEVP "is a part of the National Security Investigations Division and acts as a bridge for government organizations that have an interest in information on nonimmigrants whose primary reason for coming to the United States is to be students," says a U.S. federal website.
SEVP "manages schools, nonimmigrant students in the F and M visa classifications and their dependents" for DHS, the site says. The State Department "manages exchange visitor programs, nonimmigrant exchange visitors in the J visa classification and their dependents. Both SEVP and the State Department use SEVIS to track and monitor schools; exchange visitor programs; and F, M and J nonimmigrants while they visit the United States and participate in the U.S. education system."
SEVIS is a database with information on international and exchange students administered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The rule proposed Wednesday comes amid heightened concern about U.S. immigration policy.
A month ago, the Trump administration limited Chinese students in high-tech fields to one-year visas. And the Supreme Court recently upheld the travel ban, limiting visitors from several majority-Muslim countries.
The public can comment on the rule until Sept. 17, 2018. When the comment period ends, the rule undergoes regulatory review before being adopted or rejected, a process that can take several months.
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
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British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
