By Marissa Widdison
New federal policy that takes effect at Jan. 31 will require colleges and universities across the nation to report any changes in international student information to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
“It”s such a pain,” said Marlenne Hernandez, a junior from Mexico majoring in business at BYU. “Even if we just change our phone number or our major, they want to know everything, and that takes piles of papers.”
Although she loves living in the United States, Hernandez said she is tired of the increased amount of paperwork required of international students after Sept. 11.
“And the worst part,” Hernandez said with a sigh, “is things are not going to get any better.”
The new policy, which the INS Web site called The U.S. Patriot Act, developed as a partial fulfillment of a homeland security directive issued Oct. 29, 2001 by President George W. Bush. In the directive, Bush promised that “the government shall implement measures to end the abuse of student visas.”
Part of this promise includes making sure that international student information is updated correctly on the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, known by the INS and Department of Education as SEVIS.
If schools are not SEVIS compliant by Jan. 31, they could lose their permission to have international students. If students do not keep their information updated in the SEVIS system, they could face consequences as severe as fines, imprisonment or deportation.
Some universities are anticipating dramatic changes in the way their international programs are run after the policy takes effect.
The Daily Bruin at University California Los Angeles reported that it will shift from reactive to proactive in dealing with international student problems: rule breaking will have to be detected more quickly than before, and many problems will be handled by INS representatives instead of by UCLA counselors and police.
Enoc Flores of the International Services Office said BYU has been preparing for this policy for years by organizing international student information.
“We started working on it in 1996,” Flores said. “The thing we have done, that most universities have not done, is we have all the data gathered into one place.”
When the SEVIS system was established last August, BYU voluntarily registered. Since then, a group of four Designated School Officials has entered information on 400 students. These 400 profiles will be the first sent to the INS.
“We”re light years ahead,” Flores said.
But even if BYU isn”t expecting any problems, Hernandez feels more uncomfortable with every new policy.
“I”m already nervous every time I come back to the United States,” Hernandez said. “Two years ago things weren”t nearly this bad. Now we have to do so many things, and there are no exceptions. I”m almost afraid to visit home.”
