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Institute of International Education
809 United Nations Plaza
7th Floor
New York, NY 10017
USA
Tel: +1 (212) 984 5367
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Cable from China: 2005 Student Visa Applications Increasing
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An unclassified cable sent earlier this month by the US Embassy in Beijing
reports on the success that the U.S. Government is having in restoring the
numbers of Chinese students who are receiving visas to study in the U.S.,
after four years of declining numbers. (Full text of the cable is at the end
of this message.)
A coordinated outreach strategy by the Embassy's Public Affairs Section, in
cooperation with Consular Affairs and IIE's China Advising Coordinator
(based in the Embassy) has proven successful in countering misperceptions
that visas are impossible to get and that the U.S. no longer welcomes
international students.
It is too soon to tell if the numbers of Chinese students coming to the U.S.
next fall will actually increase, since students getting U.S. visas may
still decide to study in the U.K. or Australia, or to stay at home and study
in the increasingly strong universities of China. But the fact that numbers
of approved visas are up 15% from this time last year is a very good sign.
IIE has been working to assist in this effort, both in China (as noted in
the cable) and throughout the world, through our Regional Educational
Advising Coordinators based in IIE/Latin America and IIE/Southeast Asia, and
through the new training program that we have developed for consular
officers before they head to their posts abroad, highlighting the importance
of international students to the U.S. economy and to U.S. higher education.
For over 20 years, IIE's offices in Asia have also helped U.S. campuses
recruit Asian students by organizing annual fairs, at nonprofit prices to
the U.S. campuses and free to the students, so that they can meet together
face to face and share information. This October's "U.S. Higher Education
Fairs in Asia" series begins in Hong Kong on October 9, and continues
through November 3, with stops in Shanghai, Beijing, New Delhi, Mumbai,
Jakarta, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Kobe, Nagoya and Tokyo.
We have added a new US Higher Education Fair in Beijing, which will be held
on October 13 this year. With the good news about more students applying for
and receiving student visas to come to the U.S., we specifically encourage
you to consider participating in this fair.
Remember, IIE member institutions receive a special members-only discount
for fair registration, and you are welcome to join all 12 fairs or select
the ones that best fit your travel schedule and recruitment strategy.
For more information, or to register for the fairs, please go to:
http://www.iiehongkong.org/fair/2005fairs.htm
The registration deadline is August 8, 2005.
Thank You.
-------------------------------------------------
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TEXT OF THE UNCLASSIFIED CABLE
UNCLASSIFIED BEIJING 00011449
VZCZCXRO6200
R 180006Z JUL 05
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 011449
FOR CA/VO, EAP/CM, EAP/PD, ECA/A, ECA/A/E, ECA/A/S
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS, CASC, KPAO, OEXC, SCUL, CM
SUBJECT: 2005 Student Visa Applications Increasing in
Beijing
REF: 04 Guangzhou 017717
1. Summary: After four years of steady decline, the number of Chinese
students applying for visas in Beijing has increased dramatically in the
first two months of the 2005 "student season." This year the China Mission
has undertaken a vigorous outreach effort to convey and reinforce messages
by Assistant Secretaries Maura Harty (CA) and Patricia Harrison (ECA) that
the United States welcomes foreign visitors and students. The effort was a
model of synergy etween the Consular and Public Affairs sections. End
Summary.
--------------------
Changing Perceptions
--------------------
2. For several years, the number of Chinese students pursuing undergraduate
and graduate studies in the United States declined. Many attribute this to
changes in visa policy instituted after the September 11, 2001 attacks, but
the decline actually pre-dates 9/11. Beijing believes there are numerous
factors behind the decline (Septel to follow), and simple misconceptions may
have been the biggest reason for reduced interest.
3. In early March, Assistant Secretary Harty delivered a speech at Peking
University during which she emphasized the State Department's commitment to
making the United States a welcome place for foreign students. While
Mainland China ranks behind only India in the number of students it sends to
the United States, Beijing's Consular and Public Affairs (PAS) sections
assiduously repeated the Assistant Secretary's message that "the loss of
even one qualified student is too many."
4. With this in mind, Beijing developed a focused Consular- PAS outreach
program for 2005 to combat common myths, demystify the visa application
process, portray the United States as the premier destination for foreign
students, and reinforce the importance of bringing diversity to U.S.
colleges and universities. Minister-Counselor for Press and Cultural
Affairs began the 2005 charge with a much-reprinted speech, "Chinese
Students at American Colleges and Universities", delivered at the American
Center for Educational Exchange in January.
5. Complementing the effort, the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs
provided a grant to the Institute for International Education (IIE) to move
a staffer to Beijing to promote study in the United States across China.
The IIE staffer works out of the Public Affairs section, and his visits to
campuses and educational counseling centers helped to replace rumor with
accurate information.
------------------------
Reaching Out to Students
------------------------
6. Throughout the late winter and spring officers fanned out across
Beijing's district to deliver student visa presentations and take questions
from thousands of Chinese students. In addition to Beijing itself,
officers visited schools in the major regional cities of Xi'an, Wuhan,
Jinan, Qingdao, and Zhengzhou. An active program of Web chats arranged by
PAS complemented the on-the-platform presentations. The message was simple:
the Embassy will issue a visa to every qualified student, there are no
quotas for students from China, and a student will never be denied due to
his or her area of study.
7. Officers walked prospective students through the application and
interview process, even going so far as to act out scenarios to give nervous
prospective applicants insight into what to expect at the interview window.
On a more practical level, officers explained new SEVIS regulations and
encouraged students to use the Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF).
Officers also reminded students of the priority treatment the Embassy
provides them during the busy summer season. While the wait time for
general appointments can extend to approximately one month, student visa
applicants can usually be scheduled for an interview within roughly 48 hours
of contacting the visa appointment call center. If a student applicant
requires a Security Advisory Opinion (Visas Mantis), the cable is
BEIJING 00011449 002 OF 002
generally drafted and sent the same day. Responses from Washington are now
arriving within three weeks.
8. Audiences responded well to the presentations and many said that they
felt more encouraged after hearing about policy and process directly from
the interviewing officers. PAS further strengthened the outreach effort
through summary press releases that often received prime placement in major
Chinese media.
9. Beijing closed its 2005 student outreach program with a Web chat hosted
by Sina.com, one of China's largest Internet portals. In addition to
answering questions from many of the tens of thousands of students who
logged on, officers also took this opportunity to remind the audience that
the United States and China recently agreed to extend the maximum validity
of student (F and M) and exchange visitor (J) visas to twelve months,
multiple entry. The previous maximum validity available was six months,
double entry.
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Scoreboard
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10. The effect of Beijing's outreach efforts can be quantified in part by
comparing recent student application numbers to the same period last year
and by considering this year's reports from other English-speaking
embassies. In May and June of this year, Beijing conoffs adjudicated 4,487
students visas versus 3,904 during the same period last year. This
represents a more than 15% increase, and the other four United States
Consulates in China report a similar upsurge after their own outreach
efforts (Reftel). If this trend continues, Beijing will issue more student
visas in 2005 than in any of the preceding five years. By comparison,
Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Great Britain recently indicated their
application numbers in Beijing have not shown a similar vigorous increase
over last year.
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Conclusion
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11. A recent editorial in the China Daily declared "Chinese Enthusiasm to
Study Overseas Cools Down." Post believes reports like this are highly
exaggerated. Despite what may have been a temporary cooling, the United
States remains the destination of choice for Chinese students. The China
Mission will continue its outreach efforts to ensure that Chinese students
understand that the United States continues to be a welcoming destination
for foreign students.
BT
#1449
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UNCLASSIFIED BEIJING 00011449
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