ICE targeting two more CA "schools"

[JoeF]

There have been reports in the press that students from two shady CA universities have been denied entry.

From one article:

"US government has blacklisted two universities in California—Silicon Valley University (SVU) and Northwest Polytechnic University (NPU)

...

During wee hours on Friday about 13 students were supposed to board a plane to the US. They were sent back from Shamshabad Airport by the immigration authorities upon their arrival for getting boarding pass. They were caught unawares when the immigration authorities refused to allow them to board the plane as the universities they were about to attend were blacklisted. 

The US government has already sent an advisory to the immigration offices and travel agents but the students were unaware of the development. The students who were on student visa to these universities had to face tough time after the authorities blocked them. The classes were about to begin on January 4, the students continue to have anxious moments. Some students who had already reached the US were being deported with a penalty of Rs 25,000. "

 

[JoeF]

Of course, the universities mentioned deny on their websites that anything is wrong...

[rahul412]

Wondering how did they got F1 visa?

[rahul412]

Attorneys, can you answer my simple question?

[JoeF]

One article quoted somebody from SVU:

"Some students did clear immigration in San Francisco, but others did not, said Simon Au, Silicon Valley University's associate dean. "The ones that got turned back faltered in answering questions," said Au."

 

Which of course leads to speculation about what questions can possibly be answered "wrong" about studying... My guess would be that people are working with CPT instead of studying.

[JoeF]

From an article titled "An unlikely hero: Air India saves students from 'diploma mill" US college nightmare":

"Fortunately, Air India's ground staff was quietly efficient and alert on Sunday night in stopping 19 students from Hyderabad from boarding a flight to San Francisco, as they risked being deported when they arrived on the West Coast to enroll in two 'blacklisted' US Bay Area schools."

"Air India was acting upon a tip-off from the US Customs and Border Protection Agency about the Silicon Valley on 19 December about the Silicon Valley University, in San Jose and North Western Polytechnic College, in Fremont.

Air India's move comes amid reports that 14 Indian students who travelled to the US last week were deported, allegedly after being kept in jail in San Francisco for three days. The students who had their American college dreams shattered said they were also quizzed by the FBI during their detention.

"So far, 14 students who travelled on Air India flights to San Francisco have been deported. Students travel on a one-way ticket to the U.S. and, in the event of deportation, incur a huge expenditure to buy a ticket back to India on the first available service," said the Air India official."

 

Other reports say the deported students were in jail for 15 hours:

"Ten students from Hyderabad who travelled to the US last week for admission in the Silicon Valley University, San Jose and North Western Polytechnic University, Fremont, in the US have been deported.

The students alleged that they had been kept in a jail in San Francisco and questioned by the FBI for about 15 hours. While 14 students from India were deported, 10 are said to be from Hyderabad alone."

[JoeF]

And more, from the Times of India:

"The 19 students who were offloaded from an Air India flight in Hyderabad on Sunday, when they were on their way to San Francisco to join Silicon Valley University in San Jose and North Western Polytechnic in nearby Fremont, were clearly coming to an educational warehouse."

...

"The Silicon Valley venture capitalist who accompanied this correspondent to SVU says he has never even heard of the university in all these years (and he has seen the North Western Polytechnic building only because it is close to his house).
After we speak to a couple of students and learn they are paying $ 20,000 in tuition and other costs for their degree, he does a quick back-of-the-envelop calculation.
''If there are 1,500 students like these kids say, at $ 20,000 for a degree, that's $ 30 million. Even if he's spending $ 20 million, that's still a cool $ 10 million profit every 18 months. Why didn't I think of this before? It is such an interesting business model,'' he jokes."

...

"But another student concedes that there are too many questionable newbies coming to America with questionable documents and certificates, affecting even genuine students.
''They don't even speak proper English. They failed the interview at immigration. That is why they were sent back,'' says one student, in passable English."

 

Time to shut these frauds down.

[rahul412]

That means those two schools are not blacklisted. Someone is lying here.

[pawanismfan]

ha ha ha... listen to yourself JoeF, please do some research before posting :). Those student are new to States, how would they work on CPT without joining the university? And by the way NPU doesn't offer CPT. 

 

According to DHS, those students were deported on 22 CFR 41.122 E basis, which is more common in few Port of Entry airports such as SFO and ORD. 
 

Few students didn't have any money to pay their return trip back (after visa revocation), AIR INDIA made them sign consignment form which states they would refund AIR INDIA (in one example 89,000 rupees) at hyd airport.

Air India was in losses due to no payment upfront, so they emailed hyd airport to stop students coming to these universities, in belief they would confront more loses due to new students coming to SFO airport on these universities. 

Both Universities are not blacklisted, according to ICE senior staff member. universities are Non-Profit organizations with Accreditation and SEVP (SEVIS approved) colleges. Many students got their VISA stamped @US consulates after this incident as well. 

 

Due to recent incident in CA, border security and immigration security at POE is tightened. Few airports such as LHR, MANCHESTER in UK need pre-clearance as well (not sure about others). It not only F1 students all non-immigrants need to be cautioned with valid documentation and be prepared for questioning at immigration. 

But bottom of the line is, do not join CPT universities, if you did don't illegally misuse CPT. Be prepared for more documentation and questions. 

 

[JoeF]

Any link to that DHS statement? Or are you just making things up?

This stuff about "increased security" is complete BS, made up by these "schools."

Last I checked, the male attacker of San Bernadino was a born US citizen, and his wife got a fiancee visa, not a student visa.

People who attend real schools are not sent back...

[pawanismfan]

Proofs for my statements:)

VISA revoked based on 22 CFR 41.122 E (you can see its written on the passport)

 

 

Air India Promissory form 

[jairichi]

Air India will not lose any money as the deported students will be sent back at their own cost (recoverable) in the first available flight back to home country. The return can be any airways to home country and no airways has the right to say no if they have available seats. And, Air India has been running on loses on crores of INR for so many years. So a few thousands is not going to compound their misery.

 

Unless the US agency and MEA of India comes with a press release about this issue nothing can be said for sure.

[JoeF]

And of course, the students are supposed to have enough money to attend school.So,

 this whole "not having money for the flight back" is BS, unless the students have been lying about their financial situation.

Shady "schools" giving out I-20s for anybody who can walk, like Trivalley,  is issue number 1 here.

These fake students having to work illegally, with fake CPT at convenience stores like with Trivalley, or even without work authorization, is issue number 2.

Coincidentally, a "visa consultant" in India has been arrested:

""Amer Ali Khan has sent over 300 students to the US in the past six years, mainly to Northwestern Polytechnic, University of Findlay, American College of Commerce and Technology, and a few institutes in the UK and Australia," Task Force inspector Ch Sridhar told TOI.
Police seized 59 forged account statements of various nationalized banks, fake loan sanction letters, recommendation letters, letterheads of various colleges, affidavits prepared on fake non-judicial stamp papers and fake rubber seals of various banks, universities and colleges."

[rahul412]

 

People who attend real schools are not sent back...

100% agreed. People should realize that US education is not cheap and you can't get a degree within a year. Real degree is very hard to get and you need to work hard.

[GNH]

Why do the consulates give visas based on admissions to these diploma mills ?

[rahul412]

Why do the consulates give visas based on admissions to these diploma mills ?

These are cheap schools and management runs the schools just for money. Consulates will issue the visa if the candidate is well prepared during the interview and as long as that school follows the rules. In this case, these students couldn't answer even the basic questions at POE, that's were all this drama started. After the interview at POE it was clear that these students were entering into US on F1 but not to study.

 

Few days ago came to know that one of the above university has about 1500 students during last semester which is alarming when compared to size of university building. Its' interesting to notice that when **** was raided it had 1500 students at that time and now one of the univ's has the same number.

[JoeF]

Why do the consulates give visas based on admissions to these diploma mills ?

 

They probably won't anymore...

[pawanismfan]

Any link to that DHS statement where universities are black listed? Or are you just making things up?

Again NPU doesn't offer CPT :).

Fake Universities?? Are you questioning US embassy and its work policy?? by not knowing abt these universities (than you) and approving visas to students. Again I believe in US immigration and judiciary system, No BS :).

[princearies]

They probably won't anymore...

Stop spreading false rumors.. NPU does not offer CPT. And my friend got  VISA one to those universities after this incident as well.

Yesterday GMU(George Mason University - one of the top schools) student VISA was revoked at Port of Entry in JFK.

VISAS are being revoked if the non-immigrants are not able to answer immigration officer questions. 

[GNH]

http://m.timesofindia.com/india/University-of-Manavallu-In-Silicon-Valley-a-dodgy-Chinese-Telugu-alliance/articleshow/50295648.cms

Not sure if link goes through ... If not Google search for 'dodgy Chinese Telugu alliance ' . Interesting article in TOI

[rahul412]

Stop spreading false rumors.. NPU does not offer CPT. And my friend got  VISA one to those universities after this incident as well.

Yesterday GMU(George Mason University - one of the top schools) student VISA was revoked at Port of Entry in JFK.

VISAS are being revoked if the non-immigrants are not able to answer immigration officer questions. 

Chill dude, NPU has enrolled more than 1000 students for the current semester and most of them are from same region. Its a clear indication that something is wrong with that university. If you don't believe me then go and ask any current student of NPU.

 

Even top rated schools doesn't have that many admissions.If you are currently at NPU then go find another school ASAP before its too late.

[JoeF]

According to an article, some "students" said they planned to work while studying.

That implies CPT.

Illegal work would even be worse.

So, these are not rumors. There is abuse of CPT involved.

[JoeF]

And looking at the NPU "CPT Handbook", it is clear that they abuse CPT.

CPT is only for work as an integral part of the curriculum. That means it is for work if a class requires it. And the university would find appropriate internships.

At NPU, the student has to find the job. That's a big red flag right there.

Both of these schools are shady and people need to stay away from them.

[JoeF]

Proofs for my statements:)

VISA revoked based on 22 CFR 41.122 E (you can see its written on the passport)

 

 

 

Air India Promissory form 

 

I was asking for an official statement from DHS, not some copy of somebody's passport, which may or may not have anything to do with this.

Anybody can photoshop some image.

My statements stand.

[jairichi]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Honour-your-own-visas-says-India-as-US-clarifies-on-deportation-of-Indians/articleshow/50384593.cms

 

NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs (MEA) has said that it has asked US officials to honour the visas issued by their own embassies and consulates. The MEA press comes at a time when US immigration officials have denied entry to a number of students, who had been admitted to two California universities that have been 'blacklisted'.

The Centre's statement to this effect was part of an advisory it issued to all Indians travelling to the US. The advisory asked the travelers to carry proper documentation to ensure they are admitted into the US.

The row over the denial of entry to the students has also been accompanied by a similar turning away of some business travelers and tourists.

 

The US however has said its decision to deny entry to even those with valid visas had nothing to do with the the 'blacklisting' of the two universities. It said some individuals had been denied entry as they provided 'inconsistent information' to immigration officials.

"We have strongly emphasized the need for the US authorities to honour the visas issued by their own Embassy/Consulates," read the advisory issued by the MEA.

"The US Government has conveyed that the decision to deny entry to these students is not because of the corresponding institutions being 'black-listed' but based on the assessment made by the US immigration authorities of individual applicants," said the MEA.

 

 

"According to the US Government, the deported persons had presented information to the border patrol agent which was inconsistent with their visa status," the MEA advisory read, adding that India continues to remain closely engaged with the US Government on this subject.

 

 

The advisory stressed that all Indian students seeking admission in US educational institutions should do due diligence to ensure that the institutions to which they are seeking admission have proper authorisation and capacities.

Apart from travel documents, the students should also carry all required documentation regarding their study plans, housing, financial support, health care arrangements etc. and be prepared for admission (entry to the US) interviews with US immigration officials, it said.

 

 

In continuation of December 23 advisory in connection with denial of entry by the US to Indian students having valid student visas to pursue studies in educational institutions -Silicon Valley University at San Jose and Northwestern Polytechnic University, Fremont, the ministry noted that there have been more cases of deportation of Indians.

 

Subsequently, there have been further cases of denial of entry to Indian students holding valid visas to pursue studies in other US educational institutions, it said, adding some Indian nationals travelling on business/tourism/work visas have also been deported.