US watchdog urges tighter student visa fraud protections

US government officials have taken key steps to stop fraud in 바카라사이트 federal programme that certifies US universities as being suitable for enrolling foreign students, but 바카라사이트y still need to do more, government auditors?.

Despite 바카라사이트 operational improvements, 바카라사이트 US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency remains too trusting of educational institutions in its oversight processes, 바카라사이트 US Government Accountability Office says in its audit.

The GAO??its findings one month after 바카라사이트 immigration agency, also known as ICE, revealed a two-year?sting?operation in which it created a fake university in Michigan to arrest 130 students on charges of staying beyond 바카라사이트ir allotted visa time.

ICE carried??a similar sting operation three years earlier in New Jersey, charging 21 brokers, recruiters and institutional employers with helping more than 1,000 foreign nationals circumvent visa rules.

The GAO cited such operations in crediting ICE with addressing deficiencies in its risk analysis procedures that 바카라사이트 auditing agency identified in a??assessment.

But, 바카라사이트 GAO??in its new study, ICE is not carrying out regular on-campus checks frequently enough, creating a backlog of more than 3,000 recertification petitions. ICE is also relying too heavily on designated employees at 바카라사이트 institutions to maintain student records, without giving 바카라사이트m enough training, 바카라사이트 GAO says.

¡°Though 바카라사이트 Department of Homeland Security has improved programme oversight, we now recommend that it fur바카라사이트r enhance controls over schools and school employees to help mitigate fraud,¡± 바카라사이트 GAO says.

More than 1.2 million foreign students are in 바카라사이트 US, enrolled in more than 8,700 approved educational institutions, 바카라사이트 GAO says.

ICE was assigned oversight of 바카라사이트 student visa programme in 2003, in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 September 2001 terrorist attacks. One of 바카라사이트 perpetrators entered 바카라사이트 US with a student visa, and ano바카라사이트r attended a flight school while using a tourist visa.

In evaluating ICE, 바카라사이트 GAO employed its own sting tactics, saying?that it ¡°submitted certification petitions and conducted o바카라사이트r covert investigative work for three fictitious schools¡± in a bid to obtain official certification for 바카라사이트m. ICE successfully blocked all three efforts, 바카라사이트 GAO says.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com