A Study of the Impact of Changes to International Student Visa Policy and Procedures since the 9/11 Attacks

Abstract

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, U.S. international student visa policy and procedures underwent drastic changes having an obvious and immediate impact on foreign students, higher education institutions, international education administrators, and U.S. visa services. This phenomenological study intends to analyze the long-term impact of the changes to the international student visa policy and procedures through describing the lived experiences and perceptions of six international education administrators. Major visa-related areas this survey research focuses on are (1) procedures regarding international student visa policy, (2) the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), and implementation of Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Results indicate that although it has been a decade since many of the changes took place, they had an enduring impact on American higher education at the local, national, and global level. As one of the research participants stated “No one should expect that things will be the same as they were before the 9/11 attacks.”