A new report by the government accountability office says
the Department of Homeland Security’s Internet-based
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, designed
to collect information on foreign students, exchange
visitors and dependants, has generally improved despite
ongoing problems.
It said the system had a number of performance problems
in its first year but that by June of 2004, performance
indicators were generally positive.
However, according to GAO-05-440T, educational institutions
were still reporting problems at that time and concerns
have been raised that the program could be contributing to
a decline in international students and exchange visitors
coming to the United States.
SEVIS performance continues to improve – based on a number
of indicators, including reports that show key system
performance requirements were being met as of June 2004,
as well as trends showing a decline in new requests for
system corrections – partly due to the installation of a
series of new software releases and increased help desk
staffing and training, GAO said.
It said, however, that several key system performance
requirements were not being formally measured and DHS
might not be able to identify serious system problems
quickly enough to accomplish SEVIS objectives.
Most of the educational organizations GAO spoke to did
not say SEVIS is the reason for declining international
students and exchange visitors coming to the United States.
Rather, the cause, according to a recent report by the
Council of Graduate Schools on a drop in foreign graduate
student applications, admissions, and enrollments between
2003 and 2004, and steeper declines between 2004 and 2005,
is a combination of global competition and changes to
visa policies, said the report.
It also added that the State Department’s efforts to
improve the Visas Mantis program, whereby applicants are
weeded out that seem likely to illegally transfer
sensitive technology, has resulted in faster processing
times.