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MARIANNE CRAVEN: Please join me in welcoming our very
special guest, Ambassador Janice Jacobs.
JANICE JACOBS: Thank you, Marianne.
And good afternoon.
It's a great pleasure for me to talk to you this afternoon
about the Bureau of Counselor Affairs and our unwavering
commitment to both promoting and supporting study here in
the United States.
My introduction and exposure to the importance of
international students program came early in my life because
as father served as an education officer with USAID
for over 20 years.
He was also Dean of International Students and
Programs at Southern Illinois University
for a number of years.
He dedicated his life to expanding higher education
programs within the United States and also
in developing countries.
Since then, I've seen the benefits of international
exchange programs at virtually every turn in my now 30-year
diplomatic career.
One of our famous communicators and journalists,
Edward R. Murrow, once said, "The really crucial link in
the international communication chain is the
last three feet, which is breached by personal contact--
one person talking to another." Thanks to
technology, our world has never been smaller.
We email, tweet, and Skype around the globe as casually
and easily as we chat with co-workers
at the water cooler.
But these methods of communication, as impressive
as they are, cannot replace the personal interaction that
Murrow refers to.
Those last three feet in our international communication,
in our international understanding, in our
international cooperation can only be bridged in person.
You all should be proud because it happens every day
between students on your campuses.
Back in 2001, the 9/11 terrorists tried their best to
destroy that bridge with their terrible acts.
After 9/11, overall foreign travel to the United States
dropped by over 40% and student travel
plummeted even more.
Some people were afraid of flying, some thought that the
US was less welcoming, and some may have even thought
that we were no longer issuing visas anymore, especially to
foreign students.
I was not Assistant Secretary in the aftermath
of September 11.
But I was tasked with leading the State
Department's visa operation.
I can tell you that we were still very much in the
business of issuing visas.
In 2002 and 2003, we did experience a dramatic slowdown
in issuance while we implemented new security
requirements.
For a short while, some categories of student security
checks were taking seven to nine months to complete.
Students were missing entire academic years, not just a
semester but the entire academic year.
It was a very difficult period for you and for us.
When this was happening, we and Counselor Affairs wanted
the world to know the visa criteria had not changed and
America's welcome mat was still out.
So for two years we engaged in what we now
call extreme outreach.
Every time a Counselor Affairs employee traveled
domestically, we spoke to representatives of the US
higher education community.
When one of us traveled abroad, we always scheduled
speaking engagements with prospective students to
promote US study and exchange programs. Our overseas
counselor sections did the same.
We gave student visa applicants priority
appointments.
If the standard wait time for a visa appointment at an
embassy was say three weeks, students were getting their
visa interviews in three days.
The good news is that the bridge could not be broken.
Student numbers started to come back.
In fiscal year 2009, we issued more than 650,000 student
exchange and vocational visas.
In fact, the numbers have been surpassing the former 2001
peak since 2006.
Even though numbers have sprung back, we sustained our
strong push to promote study in the United States.
Our consular sections overseas work actively with their
public affairs colleagues to promote study and exchange
programs through outreach.
These teams regularly meet with students and program
organizers to demystify the visa application process and
encourage students' exploration of educational
possibilities.
Whenever I travel, I always try to meet with prospective
international students and program coordinators.
For example while in Brazil earlier this month, I met with
EducationUSA advisers.
Students can now apply for their visas 120 days before
their studies begin.
After the post-9/11 experience of student delays, we don't
want students to miss an hour of student orientation or even
a minute of precious class time.
Students still receive expedited appointment in our
consular sections throughout the world.
For example during the summer months in Munich, the consular
section sets aside two or three days a week exclusively
for J, F, and M visas to meet the demand and keep turnaround
time under five days.
This accommodation allowed the relatively small consulate to
adjudicate about 4,500 student and exchange visitor visas
last summer alone.
Consular officers are diplomats who understand that
international students bring valuable skills and knowledge
with them to the United States.
They understand that foreign students contribute to
advancements in academic fields through research and
work and that they contribute to global awareness and
understanding.
The fact that consular officers get it translates
into their patterns a visa issuance.
In fiscal year 2009, more than 80% of student, exchange, and
vocational visa applicants were issued visas.
And 97% receive their visas within just a few days.
As community colleges enrich their programs with more
international students, I try to impress on consular
officers that two-year schools may represent the only
economically viable starter option for some promising
young scholars.
Flexibility is one of the beauties of our
US educational system.
Students can move from one institution to another.
Qualified applicants who embark on a 2 Plus 2 Program
will be issued visas.
If student visa applicants only plan to study a two-year
degree, the visa interviewing officer will explore what they
planned to do upon return home, bearing in mind that
many countries did not recognize associates degrees.
I also want to correct the false impression that consular
officers refuse visas to community college applicants
because they have not heard of certain schools.
Counselor officers don't adjudicate visas based on the
names of schools, but rather on information explaining why
an applicant wants to study at a particular institution, what
their goals are, and how they plan to achieve them.
Counselor officers want to know that potential students
have a clear focus beyond just coming to the United States.
If a student selected a program based on location or
academic credentials or internship programs, we want
and need to hear that.
It confirms to us that the student plans to attend school
and abide by the terms of his or her visa.
Finally, I want to remind you that ultimately law, not luck
determines whether an individual
qualifies for a visa.
Students must show that they are qualified for their
program of study, that they can pay for their education,
and that they plan to return to their home countries after
completing their studies.
When applicants meet these criteria, our visa issuance
rate is 100%.
And when they begin their studies with visas in hand,
our country and our world are richer for it.