Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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US Visa Fees for Foreign Students Going Up

by Abigail Rubel

   International students could soon be paying more for visas to study in
   the U.S.

   The [1]Department of Homeland Security proposed a rule on July 17 that
   would increase fees charged by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program
   (SEVP) and the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

   The I-901 SEVIS fee -- which all F, M and J (exchange student) visa
   applicants pay -- would increase from $200 to $350 for F and M visa
   applicants. The fee for most J visa applicants would increase from $180
   to $220. For a four-month J visa, the fee remains $35 per visa.

   Schools that renew SEVP certification, and schools that change their
   addresses, would also see new fees and fee increases. To be certified,
   schools would pay an additional $1,300.

   DHS said the fee increases are needed to address funding gaps.

   "If the program continues to operate at current fee levels, SEVP
   anticipates it will experience an average annual shortfall of $68.9
   million beginning in 2019. The proposed fees help eliminate this risk
   and allow SEVP to continue to achieve its priorities -- enhancing
   national security and preventing immigration fraud," a department
   bulletin reads.

   "As someone who works in international education, it would be helpful
   to understand why the increases would be justified other than the
   overall shortfall of $68.9 million beginning in 2019. What is causing
   the increase? Hiring more agents?" commented user Michael Dixon to
   [2]Inside Higher Ed about the rule.

   The path to a student visa is complex. SEVP "is a part of the National
   Security Investigations Division and acts as a bridge for government
   organizations that have an interest in information on nonimmigrants
   whose primary reason for coming to the United States is to be
   students," says a [3]U.S. federal website.

   SEVP "manages schools, nonimmigrant students in the F and M visa
   classifications and their dependents" for DHS, the site says. The State
   Department "manages exchange visitor programs, nonimmigrant exchange
   visitors in the J visa classification and their dependents. Both SEVP
   and the State Department use SEVIS to track and monitor schools;
   exchange visitor programs; and F, M and J nonimmigrants while they
   visit the United States and participate in the U.S. education system."

   SEVIS is a database with information on international and exchange
   students administered by [4]U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
   (ICE).

   The rule proposed Wednesday comes amid heightened concern about U.S.
   immigration policy.

   A month ago, the Trump administration limited [5]Chinese students in
   high-tech fields to one-year visas. And the Supreme Court recently
   upheld the [6]travel ban, limiting visitors from several
   majority-Muslim countries.

   The public can comment on the rule until Sept. 17, 2018. When the
   comment period ends, the rule undergoes regulatory review before being
   adopted or rejected, a process that can take several months.

References

   1. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSICE/bulletins/1ff122f
   2. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2018/07/17/proposed-fee-increases-international-students#.W039dRRdNyQ.twitter
   3. https://www.ice.gov/sevis
   4. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/07/17/2018-15140/adjusting-program-fees-for-the-student-and-exchange-visitor-program
   5. https://www.voanews.com/a/4418430.html
   6. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-supreme-court-upholds-trump-travel-ban-/4455139.html