Students miss classes because of visa delays

He had wanted to play Princeton squash for years. When Yasser El Halaby '06 was accepted in December 2000, at age 16, he thought he would have the chance after deferring for a year. But the University's only undergraduate Egyptian almost never made it. Until the middle of this month, El Halaby was stuck at home in Cairo because he had not received his visa.

He eventually arrived here on Sept. 17, missing orientation and the start of classes. All regular undergraduates — except one visiting student with a Middle Eastern name — now have made it to campus.

El Halaby's case illustrates, though, how international students, especially from Islamic countries, experienced gut-wrenching delays this summer in receiving U.S. student visas — preventing many from arriving in time to take part in this semester's classes.

In response to the Sept. 11 attacks, the United States put in place expanded screening rules for visa applicants. State Dept. officials say releasing visas will not take as long in the future, but University officials and immigration experts said more regulations to track foreign students are still to come.

"We are seeing a significant delay for universities and colleges around the country who have accepted international students from a wide variety of countries of the Middle East, Southeast Asia and even some other parts of the world," said Catherine Bellows, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Foreign Student Affairs. "Even if [student visas are] approved at this point, the chances of them getting into the fall semester is really too late for most schools."

It used to be that a student, study immigration form in hand, could walk into a U.S. embassy and walk out with a visa the same day.

But now several intelligence and law enforcement agencies must conduct expanded security checks on some visa applicants, said Stuart Patt, a State Dept. spokesman. "Some of those reviews took longer than originally expected," he said.

The United States is also asking more information of applicants.

Since January, males between 16 and 45 from "designated places around the world" have had to submit with their applications a list of groups they were in and places they have worked, Patt Said.

El Halaby gave in his paperwork in June and was told he would receive a visa in 40 days, he said. In late July, with no explanation, he said he was told there would be a delay of up to six weeks, cutting sharply into the start of classes.

"I was getting worried," El Halaby said. "I didn't know [whether] I would be able to come. I was getting prepared to go to university in Cairo."

The University could not do much to expedite the visa, said Dean Marianne Waterbury, who heads undergraduate visa services. El Halaby and his squash coach, Robert Callahan '77, kept in touch by e-mail during the uncertain weeks.

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"I just felt badly for him that he might lose this opportunity . . . after waiting all this time," Callahan said. "I was just very anxious."

The INS launched a website on Sept. 11, 2002, for universities to confirm that students who had not yet received visas were indeed scheduled to matriculate in the United States. The University confirmed that students still overseas would study here.

Then, on Sept. 16, El Halaby — suitcases already packed — received his visa. He boarded a plane and the next morning arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where Callahan was waiting.

"I was really happy and nervous," El Halaby said. "When you really want something, and it happens, it's the best."

He was luckier than many of his friends, who did not receive visas in time. But he said students from places like Egypt will probably now avoid applying to U.S. schools because they do not believe they will be able to get visas in time.

"I don't think next year anybody will take the risk," he said.

State Dept. spokesman Patt said, however, that the process now has been streamlined.

"We've now pretty much worked it all out," he said. "As of last week, we're at the point with that the way the agencies communicate with each other, we can feel pretty confident that we can get reviews done in less than a month."

The kinks in the security system may be fixed, but the United States will continue to start programs to track foreign students, with universities picking up a bigger part of the workload.

"[There is a] higher level of scrutiny definitely being placed on schools and advisers," said Ellen Gorman, chair of the foreign student committee of the American Immigration Lawyers' Association, an immigrant advocacy group. "Many of them feel like they are being immigrant police."

If new INS regulations are approved in a few weeks, the University will have to tell the government, starting within a few months, if foreign students are disciplined for criminal convictions, said Mary Idzior, University director of visa services.

The INS has set up an electronic database — the Student Exchange Visitor Information System – to track students. Each foreign student will be assigned a number for this service, which the University will update each year with enrollment information, Idzior said.

The University is not participating yet, but federal law will force it to starting Jan. 30.