US visa fraud institutions highlight regulatory gaps, loopholes
ByAlya Mishra. Herguan University in Sunnyvale, California, is the third institution in less than two years to have been raided by US officials and accused of visa fraud by the federal authorities, leaving hundreds of foreign student stranded.
As in the case of Tri Valley University in Sunnyvale, shut down under similar circumstances last year, and the University of Northern Virginia’s Annandale campus, which was raided by immigration officials, the majority of international students are from India. The succession of high-profile cases has highlighted the way in which dubious institutions are able to continue to attract Indian students, and the gaps in regulations that allow students to be duped. On 4 August, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a notice of intent to withdraw accreditation to Herguan University, where Indians comprise 94% of the 450 students enrolled.