Washington —

Education and immigration advocates say African students face high rejection rates when seeking visas to study in the United States and they are pushing for change.

According to a report released by the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration in July 2023, the Middle East, South America and Africa have higher visa denial rates than other regions, with Africa having the highest rate.

“Whenever we see data like this for any country, let alone one region of the world, we balk,” said Fanta Aw, executive director of NAFSA, an international association of educators.

Aw told VOA that NAFSA and other agencies met several times with State Department officials in 2023 to raise issues and push for changes in visa rulings. She said an investigation is still needed to understand what happened.

They are expected to meet again in the coming months.

“They are very adamant … and don’t want to see inconsistencies across different parts. … We have had conversations about staff training at the national level and at the consular affairs level, and we have assurances that those things are being monitored on an ongoing basis,” she said.

Half of students from African countries who applied for student visas were denied in 2022, data collected through public records requests shows.

In 2023, this trend continues. The visa rejection rate for Ethiopian students was 78%, followed by Nigeria (75%), Kenya (74%), Congo (69%), Ghana (63%), Zimbabwe (47%) and South Africa (17%).

“What’s the root cause here?” Oh said. “Need reassurance [consular officers] Staff on the ground are adequately trained and consistent in how decisions are made. We need more visa appointment slots because as demand increases, if people can’t even get a visa appointment, and when they get turned down, you can imagine the compounding effect. “

For example, in European countries, one in 10 students was denied a visa during the same time period.

A student visa (or F-1 visa) allows international students to study full-time at a U.S. government-accredited institution and is required of all international students.

“We’ve been following this for the past several years,” Washington immigration lawyer Leon Fresco told VOA. “We happened to notice that there was this weird African disparity here. … Is this a function of inertia? This happens because [U.S. officials] Want it to happen? … We just want people to know that there is this disparity. … [And] Start the process of fixing it. “

word spreads

Supporters say high visa denial rates discourage students from applying to U.S. colleges.

“People said, ‘Don’t bother because you’re never going to make it,’” Aw said. “That’s not the message any of us want to see. … International education is one of the most effective bridges because they are the engineers of the future, the businesses of the future, the scientists of the future, the artists of the future, the politicians of the future.”

Countries such as China and India are actively recruiting talent in parts of the continent, while the United States is losing talent, Wu said.

“Don’t get me wrong — if students want to go to China or India, that’s fine, or anywhere else. But it shouldn’t be because they can’t get here,” she said.

urgent matter

U.S. officials told VOA that international students are a priority for the State Department and that all visa applications are processed on an individual basis in accordance with U.S. immigration law.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told VOA that EducationUSA, an education network supported by the U.S. government, is actively promoting U.S. higher education in Africa.

“Demand for student visas has surged in many regions in recent years. Our missions in Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere are [fiscal year] 2023 will be more important than ever,” a State Department official wrote in an email. “As demand increases dramatically, denials are expected to increase accordingly. “

Wu acknowledged that U.S. officials were conducting visa adjudication. She praised changes announced by the State Department in December to waive interviews for student visa renewals.

Students can now apply for renewal without returning to their home country, as long as their visa was issued within 48 months and meets other criteria (such as never being refused a visa).

“We’re happy. … We’re seeing progress. … But even then, it’s consular matters. [official]”Oh said.

The U.S. State Department says more African students will receive study visas to the U.S. in 2023 than ever before.

That’s a 61% increase compared to 2019, before the pandemic. Countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Swaziland, Côte d’Ivoire and Madagascar have issued the highest number of student visas in the past 20 years.

In a January letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, some congressional leaders urged more attention to fairness in student exchange programs and visa adjudication. They emphasized its key role in strengthening diplomacy and boosting the U.S. economy.

“Because of these benefits, it is critical that foreign students from Africa are treated the same as foreign students from other parts of the world. There is no reason for the State Department’s data to reflect this disparity between countries in similar situations,” they wrote.

The next report on international student visa issuances and denials is expected to be released in October.