U.S. tighten visa rules for students
Washington, May 4 (IANS) Following the attacks in Boston Marathon, the U.S. strengthen supervision to ensure that foreign students wishing to enter the U.S. have valid student visas, according to various media reports.
Agents immediately effective border in places like the airport or other point of entry checked every international student to ensure they have a valid student visa, ABC News reported. If a student is no longer enrolled the information is updated in the system student and exchange visitor information call Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS).
With the new procedure, border agents check the status of a student visa before the person arrives in the U.S. using the information provided on the flight manifests. If that information is not available, border agents check visa status manually with the data center national orientation agency. The measures come amid ongoing research in the 15 April attacks that killed three and injured more than 260. Three of the surviving friends Dzhokhar Tsarnaev suspect facing federal charges over allegations of trying to hide evidence after the explosions. One friend, Azamat Tazhayakov, 19, was allowed to re-enter the U.S. with a student visa despite no longer attending the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev also studied.
Congressional Republicans have questioned the way the government has dealt with the security issues of visa, according to the Los Angeles Times. In a three-page letter this week, Senator Charles E Grassley asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for more information about student visas and how Tazhayakov was able to re-enter the U.S.. In a statement this week, the Department of Homeland Security said Tazhayakov entered the United States on January 20 with a student visa with an expiration date of August 30.
"At the time of reentry negative information was not suggesting this individual posed a threat to national security or public safety." IANS
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