The American Hospitality Academy will be allowed to resume bringing foreign students to the United States following the reversal of a previous State Department panel decision.  The unanimous vote to allow the South Carolina firm to resume training the students in the hospitality industry came after a court ruling last week that was critical of the State Department’s decision to bar the AHA’s participation in the J-1 exchange program.

After bringing hundreds of foreign students to the US for up to one year under the J-1 program, State Department officials ended the program on April 1 claiming that the AHA was running a work program instead of a training program.  The State Department’s conclusion came after an inspector found 14 program violations.

The recent court decision followed hearings that were ordered nearly a year ago by a U.S. District Judge who believed that the State Department’s initial action was extreme.  At the hearings, which were held in May, the State Department tried to explain the charges that had led to the revocation.  While the AHA admitted violations of eight program rules, the State Department now concludes that these items were not sufficient to warrant revocation.

The AHA, which operates in South Carolina and Orlando, Fla., began operation in 1998.  In turn, the students were given a $300-a-month stipend.  AHA collected $1,300 to $1,600 a month from hotels and resorts for each assigned trainee.

AHA lawyers are preparing to meet with State Department officials to determine how to get the program back into operation.