Foreign Students and Exchange Visitors

By Maia Jachimowicz
Migration Policy Institute

September 1, 2003

The United States' education system has attracted large numbers of international students. In the past decade alone, admissions of foreign students and visitors on educational exchange programs have risen approximately 65 percent, totaling over one million. While the number of these admissions is small in comparison with the total number of temporary visitors to the US, they have a significant impact on the United States' education system, economic growth, and image abroad, including the promotion of cultural, social, and political interests. This Spotlight describes the foreign student and exchange visitor population in the US and outlines recent policy developments affecting them.

• In FY 2002, almost one million foreign students and exchange visitors entered the US as academic students (F-1 visa), vocational students (M-1 visa), and exchange visitors (J-1 visa).
• Despite a recent decline, overall foreign student and exchange visitor admissions have risen by approximately 65 percent in the past decade.
• Student admissions declined seven percent from FY 2001 to FY 2002.
• Foreign students and exchange visitors represented about four percent of total temporary admissions in FY 2002.
• International students come from over 220 countries. The top three countries of origin are all Asian -- Japan, South Korea, and China.
• Foreign students and exchange visitors are studying all across the US and in a variety of fields.
• The Department of Homeland Security has implemented a new tracking system to monitor all international students.

In FY 2002, almost one million foreign students and exchange visitors entered the US as academic students (F-1 visa), vocational students (M-1 visa), and exchange visitors (J-1 visa).

According to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, in FY 2002 a total of 971,596 foreign students and exchange visitors were granted temporary admission to the US under the F-1 (academic student), M-1 (vocational student), and J-1 (exchange visitor) visas. As part of US visa policy, the spouses and children of visitors in these three categories can enter the country by obtaining F-2, M-2, and J-2 visas. In total, 1,057,682 foreign students and exchange visitors, along with their spouses and children, entered the country in FY 2002. While most return home, F-1s are permitted to adjust their visa status to other visa categories. These include categories for family-sponsored immigrants, employment-based immigrants, and fiancées of US citizens. M-1s and J-1s may also adjust their status but must meet stricter requirements in most cases.

Figure 1: Foreign Student and Exchange Visitor Admissions, FY 2002

Source: BCIS Statistical Yearbook, 2002

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Despite a recent decline, overall foreign student and exchange visitor admissions have risen by approximately 65 percent in the past decade.

In FY 1993, foreign student and exchange visitor admissions totaled 642,677. By FY 2002, 1,057,682 admissions were recorded, an increase of 64.6 percent. Although there were declines in student admissions between 1994 and 1995, as well as from 2001 to 2002, overall admission rates have increased over the course of the decade.

Figure 2: Total Foreign Student and Exchange Visitor Admissions, 1993-2002

Note: There are no reliable data for FY 1997 due to an administrative problem. Source: BCIS Statistical Yearbook, various years

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Student admissions declined seven percent from FY 2001 to FY 2002.

Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, the US immigration system has faced intense scrutiny. The effects on temporary admissions of foreign students and exchange visitors are evident. After a continuous and significant rise in student admissions from 1995 to 2001, admission rates fell by a total of more than 73,000 from FY 2001 to FY 2002, representing a seven percent decrease. This decline is consistent, however, with the overall decline in temporary admissions, which fell 15 percent from FY 2001 to FY 2002. Representatives of several sectors, including academic, research, business, and tourism, have expressed frustration with what they consider a lack of adequate staffing and resources to ensure timely visa issuance. They maintain that delayed visa services, along with increased fears of discrimination on the part of people applying from Arab and Muslim countries, may deter foreign students and exchange visitors from studying in the United States. While acknowledging the need for stricter security measures, they assert that such issues will ultimately have a negative affect on US education institutions, as well as overall US economic growth and foreign policy.

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Foreign students and exchange visitors represented about four percent of total temporary admissions in FY 2002.

Foreign students and exchange visitors, along with their spouses and children, comprised 3.8 percent of all 28 million temporary admissions in FY 2002. Over 65 visa categories exist for temporary entry into the United States. The largest is visitors for pleasure (B-2), with approximately 20 million admissions in FY 2002. Business visitors (B-1), a distant second, totaled over four million in the same year.

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International students come from over 220 countries. The top three countries of origin are all Asian -- Japan, South Korea, and China.

United States universities, colleges, vocational schools, and primary and secondary schools attract foreign students and exchange visitors from all over the world. In FY 2002, the US admitted students from approximately 220 countries. The top 20 countries were: Japan, Korea, China (including Taiwan), India, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Canada, Poland, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, Spain, Colombia, Thailand, Italy, Venezuela, Australia, and Ireland. Admissions from these countries represented 68 percent of all admissions in FY 2002.

Figure 3: Top 10 Countries of Origin for Foreign Students and Exchange Visitors, FY 2002

* Includes Taiwan Source: BCIS Statistical Yearbook, FY 2002

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Foreign students and exchange visitors are studying all across the US and in a variety of fields.

According to the Institute for International Education, an independent nonprofit organization, foreign students and exchange visitors are spread out across the United States. As shown below, the top 15 institutions for foreign student enrollment span 12 states. In 10 of the 15 cases, more than 10 percent of the institution's student body is comprised of international students, and two are 20 percent or more international. Academic students (F-1) enter the US to study in elementary, secondary, and advanced degree programs. Vocational students (M-1) pursue non-academic programs and receive training to be, for example, health care technicians, dental hygienists, and aviation pilots. Exchange visitors (J-1) can range from visiting scholars to medical doctors in training.

Table 1: Top 15 Institutions for Foreign Student Enrollment, 2002

Rank Institution City State Foreign Students Percent International 1 University of Southern California Los Angeles CA 5,950 29,813 20% 2 New York University New York NY 5,504 37,134 15% 3 Columbia University New York NY 5,116 22,425 23% 4 Purdue University Main Campus West Lafayette IN 4,695 37,871 12% 5 University of Texas at Austin Austin TX 4,673 50,616 9% 6 Boston University Boston MA 4,412 27,767 16% 7 Ohio State University Main Campus Columbus OH 4,302 48,477 9% 8 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign IL 4,287 37,684 11% 9 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor MI 4,149 38,248 11% 10 University of Florida Gainesville FL 3,884 45,937 8% 11 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 3,820 21,853 17% 12 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison WI 3,744 41,552 9% 13 Florida International University Miami FL 3,723 31,822 12% 14 University of Maryland College Park College Park MD 3,711 34,160 11% 15 Texas A&M University College Station TX 3,563 44,689 8% Source: Institute for International Education, "Open Doors 2002 Report"

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The Department of Homeland Security has implemented a new tracking system to monitor all international students.

On August 1, 2003, after a series of introductory phases, the Department of Homeland Security implemented a program to collect, maintain, and manage information about all foreign students and exchange visitors during their stay in the United States. The program, called the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), requires all schools and related academic institutions to enter and regularly update student information electronically into a central database that can be accessed by the government. SEVIS was mandated in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, and the full implementation date of August 1, 2003 was set forth in the Patriot Act of 2001 and the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002. Yet, as of July 29, only 5,937 schools had been SEVIS-certified. Another 600 schools had not been approved or had neglected to file applications.

Many policy makers and academics maintain that SEVIS's implementation has been plagued by delays and errors. While agreeing that there are valid reasons for establishing this type of system, they have expressed concerns that the tight deadlines mandated by Congress do not allow for the creation of an adequate and accurate database. Furthermore, the same critics maintain that limited resources will not allow government officials to follow up on crucial information provided by the system. (For more information on SEVIS, see Policy Beats from August 2003 and February 2003).

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