International students have been facing increased scrutiny, including long delays, unexpected denials, and extended security checks. One college accepted 6 students from Ethiopia, only to find that two of them were denied visas due to not having enough ties to their home countries. Ismail Ajjawi was a Palestinian student who was supposed to attend Harvard this fall, but was denied entry at the border due to posts by others on his social media. University officials say the number of extended security checks on international students has increased sharply, and it is frustrating for universities to invest time in these international students only for so many to be turned away for visas. The State Department reported that a majority of international students received visas and that the delays were only in the interest of national security. 74% of student visa applications and 92.5% of exchange visitor visa applications were approved in 2018.
– Weekly Immigration Briefing by Olivia Hester, Immigration Law Analyst at Docketwise
Posted in: Immigration
posted on: September 3, 2019