SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information Sheet)
 There are over 560,000 foreign students studying in the
United States. Compared to last year the number of foreign students in the
United States fell by about 1%. However, the numbers are starting to look more
promising and slowly starting to increase after the post 9/11 era. Some schools
reported increases in the number of foreigners applying while others reported
decreases. The number of foreign graduate students slightly increased this year.
For the last six years, the number of foreign students has surpassed the
half-million mark. The top five countries in 2004-2005 that sent the most
foreign students to the United States were India, China, the Republic of Korea,
Japan and Canada. These top five countries also increased the number of foreign
students they sent in 2004-2005. India, China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and
Canada combined together sent approximately half of all the foreign students.
India alone sent slightly over 80,000 students while the runner up China sent
more than 60,000 students. Korea had more than 50,000 of its students in the
United States and Japan had more than 40,000. Finally, Canada had almost 30,000
students. The next five countries were Thailand, Mexico, Turkey, Germany and
Thailand. The largest region worldwide that sends the greatest number of foreign
students to the United States is Asia. In 2004-2005 they contributed more than
half of all the foreign students, nearly 60% of the total foreign student
population. Most foreign students come to the United States on an
F-1 Student Visa.
Foreign students in the U.S. contributed slightly more than $13 billion in
2004-2005. This amount was spent on a combination of living expenses, tuition
and other costs. Schools polled their foreign students regarding their primary
source of funding and found that nearly ¾ of foreign students relied on their
own sources, their family and other sources that were not from the United
States. The number of foreign students that mainly depended on their own
resources and their families increased in 2004-2005 by 1.5% with this being more
common among undergraduate foreign students. Higher education is one of the top
five U.S. exports when it comes to the service sector. Besides the monetary gain
of having foreign students in the U.S., they also contribute in other ways.
Foreigners add diversity which enhances the educational experience. Many
foreigners in graduate programs work hard which also sets higher standards for
all students. Bringing foreign students into the United States is seen as a way
of starting to build future relationships and trading partners after they return
to their native countries. The United States continues to attract among the
smartest and brightest students from around the world, yet it has faced more
competition lately. Some factors why foreign students have gone elsewhere are
rising tuition costs in the United States, active recruiting from other
countries who speak English (Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom), improved
quality of distance learning programs and perceptions that the process to obtain
a visa is too much of a hassle and a long process. Nonetheless, the United
States still remains a country that attracts many foreign students.
In 1996 Congress introduced legislature requiring the introduction of a
computerized system that would monitor foreign students in the United States and
set January 1, 2003 as the deadline for full implementation. After 9/11, the new
computerized system called SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information
Sheet) was seen as a necessity and its implementation progressed more rapidly.
The agency responsible for implementing the SEVIS is Immigration
and Customs Enforcement or ICE, which is under the Department of Homeland
Security. It is a tracking system that allows the U.S. government to collect
biographical data, program of study, and beginning and ending dates of the
programs foreign students are taking part in. This type of information had been
collected previously but now was being computerized and made easily accessible
to state agencies. Schools also play a critical role in the SEVIS as they are
required to report any foreign students who have failed to register 30 days
after the school’s deadline. The schools must also notify the Department of
Homeland Security of other changes such as dropping below full-time status
without first getting approval, early completion or lack of completion, address
or name changes, and disciplinary problems among others.
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