US educators and senators put the Biden administration on notice as an impending disaster caused by the slow processing of international student visas is anticipated to surface with just days away from the commencement of classes for autumn.
It can be recalled that international students, agents, and educational institutions have pleaded to the Biden administration to formally cancel the Trump regime’s imposition of strict limits on the time that international students can stay in the US for higher education.
Key Takeaways:
- US senators and educators tipped off Biden about international student visa processing delays.
- Senators wrote a letter to the US department about the looming issue on student visas.
- US lawmakers laid out suggestions to respond to the issues on international student visa processing.
Just last month, Biden formally retracted the Trump plan on international students and student visas—a move deemed by higher education leaders as Biden’s move to fulfill his promises to be more welcoming to international students.
However, with the autumn semester about to start in days, US lawmakers and educators warned the administration over the looming disaster brought about by the slow pace in international student visa processing.
Two dozen of US senators stated in a letter to the US State Department that while they recognize the threats posed by the pandemic, they believe, nonetheless, that the department is not maximizing its actions to make international students a priority.
Around the world, visa appointments at many embassies and consulates are either unavailable or requiring wait times spanning months. With US colleges and universities recording a nearly 14% drop in international undergraduate student enrollment, groups have decided to give a fair warning to the Biden administration.
The lawmakers also forwarded a suggestion to the State Department to take a series of urgent steps that prioritize international student visa processing as well as permitting online interviews and extensions of existing visas as an alternative to face-to-face procedures.
The State Department is yet to comment or respond to the congressional letters, but a spokesman has already expressed concern over the situation and said that they are already employing the suggestions presented by the lawmakers.
Read more:
- DHS Report to Congress Demands Oneness Among Agencies to Serve Int’l Students
- US Institutions Figure Out Vaccine Requirement Challenges for International Students
- US Continues to Reopen; Ready to Accept Fully Vaccinated Students for In-Person Learning
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