RUSSIAN STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS FACE INCREASED VISA DENIALS

According to an article recently publics in the New York Times, the number of visas issued to Russian students and scholars has declined sharply over the past year.  As much as forty percent of the students who sought to self-finance their education in the US were denied visas, which is twice the rate of denials in previous years.

When asked about these numbers, the US Consul General in Moscow pointed to Russia’s economic collapse during 1998.  The increasingly difficult economic situation there has led the embassy to use caution during the visa application process, because of concerns that applicants may attempt to establish permanent residency in the United States.  While poor economic conditions may be a factor in whether a person overstays a visa, American educators and former diplomats have expressed their concern that worthwhile candidates are being denied visas.  They also point out that the number of student applications from Russia has actually decreased in the past year.

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