The United States is bringing in new laws to check loopholes in the student visa system in the wake of the Herguan University visa fraud case. Many students from Andhra Pradesh studying at the university have been affected by the US authorities charging the university’s CEO with forging federal documents to allow foreign students to stay in the US.
It has been made mandatory for all universities that enroll 25 or more students on non-immigrant visas to have national or regional accreditation. The US House of Representatives last week approved legislation that requires colleges and universities enrolling foreign students to be accredited.
By a voice vote, lawmakers passed a Bill — HR 3120 — that requires all higher educational institutions that enroll 25 or more students on non-immigrant visas to have national or regional accreditation. Many students from, Andhra Pradesh had entered the US on F1 visa to study at one university and then transferred to Herguan after completing the first semester.
Professor Prasada Rao, of California State University, Fullerton, said: “Herguan University officials in their zeal to attract more students misled the students. Many students were employed outside California in jobs not related to their academic area, an apparent violation of the visa conditions requiring them to be full-time students taking no more than one online class each term.”