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Opening Statement of Howard P. "Buck" McKeon Hearing on "Tracking International Students in
Higher Education -- Policy Options and Implications for Students" Good morning, I want to welcome our witnesses here today and thank them for taking
the time, especially in light of the difficult circumstances over the
last few weeks, to appear before the subcommittees to help us learn more
about the current system in place for international students wanting to
study in the United States. I would also like to express my sincere and personal appreciation for
your willingness to be flexible in the rescheduling of the hearing,
which was originally scheduled to take place on October 24th. As my friend and colleague, Representative Hoekstra, indicated, this
hearing is informational in nature. In light of the events that have
taken place since September 11th, it is imperative that we reevaluate
the systems in place to protect the freedoms and security of our
citizens The United States has an educational system that is the best in the
world. We offer opportunities that some from other nations cannot even
imagine. We bring together the best and brightest everyday and encourage
lifetime learning for everyone. Though our educational system provides many freedoms and
opportunities, it also creates challenges for those responsible for
screening international students seeking to enter the United States and
the educational institutions involved in providing the learning
experience so many seek. According to recent data, in 1999, there were approximately 31.4
million total visas provided to individuals for entry into the United
States. Of that total, approximately 570,000 were granted to
international students attending colleges and universities in the U.S.
Another 275,000 visas were granted to exchange visitors during that same
time. It is clear as these numbers continue to increase that there must
be adequate safeguards in place for the reporting and monitoring of
these visa recipients. This hearing is NOT an effort to thwart the educational goals of
international students seeking to participate in and benefit from the
institutions of higher learning in this country. This hearing is simply an effort by the Subcommittee on 21st Century
Competitiveness and the Subcommittee on Select Education to learn about
the screening and monitoring processes that are currently in place for
international students entering the United States. For example, what
process must students go through to receive visas? And what coordination
takes place between the various agencies and organizations involved in
that process? We are also here to seek input from the experts to determine if there
are things that can be done to not only shore up and make the process
more efficient, but to insure that those seeking to enter the United
States for legitimate educational purposes are permitted to do so. As alluded to, the Student Exchange Visitor Informational System (SEVIS)
will, when fully operational, allow colleges and universities the
ability to report information on those international students accepted
for enrollment, but who do not attend or who transfer or drop out of
school. The system will be internet-based and will provide government
agencies, such as INS and the Department of State, with updates as to
when a student in the United States on a student visa changes his
enrollment status. We would like to specifically hear from the
representatives here as to how the gradual implementation of this system
has affected them and where they see their role in this and future
developments with the SEVIS system. It will also be helpful to us to
hear your recommendations for a faster and more complete implementation
of the system. I am encouraged by some of the conversations I have had with the
higher education community as to their willingness to work with each
other and with federal agencies to ensure the completion of the SEVIS
system, and to share the information they have on a timely basis. I am confident that we can work together to keep the educational
opportunities of this great nation available to those who want to take
advantage of them while at the same time ensuring the safety of our
citizens. Thank you again for joining us. I would now like to yield time to my
colleague and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on 21st Century
Competitiveness, Representative Patsy Mink, for any opening statement. Share this page | Bookmark this page The leading immigration law publisher - over 50000 pages of free information!
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