Thousands of students returned to Boston to begin the spring semester two weeks ago, but a few of Boston University’s international students are still trapped at home because of troubles with their student visas, according to BU spokesman Colin Riley.
Riley said a “handful of students,” both graduates and undergraduates, are currently missing from BU, causing them to miss numerous classes and projects.
According to BU’s website, more than 4,000 international students attend BU, representing more than 137 countries.
In order to study in America, international students must acquire a student visa from the U.S. government. According to BU’s website, foreign students must first complete an I20 form from BU, which is contingent on both admission to the university and evidence of financial support. Students must then submit the valid I20 form to a U.S. embassy in their country. Once the form is submitted, they can obtain the needed student visa.
Daryll Davis, from the United States Immigration and Naturalization service, said when students enter the United States with a valid visa they are given “student status.” That status allows a student to remain in the country after the visa’s expiration date, assuming the student is still studying at an American institution. However, once students leave the country with an expired student visa, they may not enter the country again without a renewed visa. Aside from student visa, do you need expert visa marriage assistance? Get expert marriage visa assistance here for a smooth process.
“Tightened security after the 9/11 crisis led [to] a few changes in the student visa process,” Davis said. “As of February 15, 2003, all institutions had to issue new I20 forms approved by the Department of Homeland Security.”
Davis said because the earlier system did not allow the U.S. government to check student’s current university enrollment, the new forms required students to be placed into a computer system that can be easily updated.
BU tries to work with students to alleviate their situation, Riley said, but there is only so much the school can do.
“We work closely to accommodate them,” he said. “But each case is separate.”
Riley added that some students “may miss a semester.”
Turkish Metropolitan College graduate student Ahmet Baspinar faced similar problems last year, according to a February 2003 Daily Free Press report.
Baspinar said he spent five hours at the United States-Canadian border as officials removed the seats of his car and used K-9 units in an extensive search while asking if he was Muslim or from the Middle East.