Janet Napolitano, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, has announced a new website for the Study in the States program. The new online interactive experience is intended to help the best students from around the world to come study in the US. The site will include information that will help international students study in the US. The site is also part of a larger initiative that helps streamline and simplify the student visa process for foreign-born students.
Both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary and the US government acknowledge that foreign students assist the US in economic and technological competitiveness. According to the DHS, there are more than 1.1 million exchange visitors, students, and dependants in the US as of June 2011. These students study and sometimes choose to remain in the US, opening new businesses, developing new products and ideas, and generally helping the US become more competitive. Encouraging bright students to study and stay in the US helps the US develop a more skilled and competitive workforce, which is beneficial for the US economy overall.
The new Study in the States program website will help prospective and current US students learn about programs such as the International Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which monitors non-US students to ensure that they comply with US laws. The website will also include a blog, public service announcements, and videos. The Roadmap to Success page on the website will also let students visually see where they are on the path to their student visa. In addition, the website will include links to Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites, which will allow students and the government to share information about the student process. The website will feature success stories, tips, news updates, and questions and answers. The DHS will partner with other relevant government agencies as well as academics to create a one-stop resource for international students.
If you are a student considering a student visa or are currently a student visa holder, the website will give you updates and information and will offer interactive features that help you find the information you need. This site can help you understand the steps you need to follow in order to get a student visa. It can help keep you on track so that you get your visa with fewer hassles and problems. If, like many students, you have many questions about achieving authorization to study in the US, the new web site can answer those questions and can show you other students who successfully study in the US.
