美国国务院发布学生签证利好消息
留学美国是无数中国学子的梦想。TOFEL, GRE或GMAT等这些考试根本难不倒我们聪明勤奋的中国学生， 入学奖学金也往往不是问题。真正令中国学子担忧的不是这些考试入学程序，而是赴美签证。由于种种原因，很多出类拔萃的中国学生在申请赴美签证时常常被莫名其妙地拒签，一些正在美国读书的留学生在幸运获得赴美签证后， 由于经常听说种种关于签证难的传言也不敢在读书期间回国。可能是针对这一情况，美国国务院昨天刚刚出台了一个有利于学生获得签证的说明，对签证官的未来工作具有指导性的意义。 对广大中国学子来说，这无疑是一个利好消息。
该说明主要有以下要点：
第一，学校好坏不应成为签证障碍。
签证官不得以申请人将要就读的学校不好为由拒绝申请人的申请。法律面前校校平等，不管是申请人将要就读哈佛耶鲁，还是不为人知的社区大学， 签证官都应该一视同仁。社区大学也好，英语语言学校也好，还是常春藤名校也好，只要申请人的理由合理充分，签证官不应歧视。
第二，签证官无权决定申请人的入学资格。
学校发的I-20表是说明申请人合格与否的最好标准。签证官不应该以自己认为申请人某方面不合入学要求为由，例如申请人的英语说得不够流利，而拒发签证。如果签证官个人认为某申请人有欺骗行为，他/她应该与学校核实，而不是自行武断地拒绝申请人的申请。
第三，决定申请人是否有移民倾向，应看申请人的当前意向。
签证官在审批学生签证时，应着眼于申请人的当前意向， 而不是主观臆想申请人几年后可能变化的意向。签证官可以设想某申请人在完成学业后留美不归，现实生活中这样的例子也比比皆是，但是，只要该申请人在申请签证时表达出学完归国的意向，签证官就没有理由拒绝该申请人的申请。该说明指出，学生签证申请人往往都比较年轻，思想还没有成熟。每个人都是在不断地变化，签证官没有理由基于未来变化的不确定性拒绝申请人的当前申请。相反，签证官应该考虑年轻人未必有成熟的移民美国的意向。
第四，申请人所学专业不应成为获得签证的障碍。
签证官不得以申请人将要学习的专业在母国没有前途为由拒绝申请人的申请。例如，如果某申请人来自一个极为贫穷落后的国家，该国受限于科技，财力，和国土面积的不足，在可以预见的未来根本不需要航天科技人才，但该申请人准备赴美学习航天科技，在这种情况下，签证官不能以该申请人所学专业在母国没有前途将来肯定移民美国的理由拒绝申请人的申请。
第五，鼓励留学生在就学期间回到母国。
说明强调，签证官应该积极为留学生回美签证广开绿灯，让他们能够自由往返， 毫无后顾之忧。如果某留学生在上次签证后的情况没有显著变化，签证官不应该拒绝该学生的回美签证。说明指出，如果一个学生觉得回母国后再次申请赴美签证难度极大，他/她就不愿意在求学期间离开美国，这样只会使该学生与他/她的母国渐行渐远。在完成学业后，他/她可能会担心适应不了母国的新变化而不愿回国。
在一千三百年前的唐代，大诗人李白曾经写下“蜀道之难，难于上青天”的诗句。如果李白活到今天，他可能会改为感叹“赴美之难，难于上青天”。我们期待着，美国国务院的此次说明能够移走横亘在赴美申请人心上的签证大山，或者至少搬走几块大石头，让众多申请人及留学生们能够轻松一些。我们也拭目以待， 希望美国各使馆在实践中，上述说明能够得以实施。
F-1 VISAS – A Few Things to Keep in Mind When Applying for a Student Visa
By: Beth Robertie, Associate
In some, but not all, non-immigrant visa categories, there is a requirement
that the alien beneficiary maintain a residence abroad that they have no
intention of abandoning. This requirement is found in the B, J, M, O-2, P, Q,
and F visa classifications. For many F visa applicants, who are hoping to
come to the United States to begin or continue their higher education, this
requirement presents a difficult situation. Because the F classification is
reserved for students, many F applicants are young and lack substantial
financial resources. For applicants in this situation, providing the
necessary assurances can seem like an impossible task. However, there are a
few things an F-1 applicant should keep in mind:
1. Present intent is the controlling factor.
The alien beneficiary’s intent is adjudicated based on present intent, not on
what might happen in the future. As long as the beneficiary can demonstrate
that at the time of the application, they intend to return to their home
country, they should not have a problem.
2. Residence abroad requirement is considered in a broader light for F-1s.
Students will generally have a harder time demonstrating the ties that the
USCIS would generally require from a business traveler, for example.
Therefore, the alien beneficiary should emphasize that their immediate intent
is to return to their home.
3. Students have a right to chose where they will obtain an education if
accepted by a school.
The alien beneficiary has no obligation to establish the prestige or
usefulness of their chosen course of study. Even if the alien beneficiary’s
home country offers equivalent quality courses in the same subject matter, or
there is little or no employment opportunity in the alien beneficiary’s
country of residence in their chosen study area, these factors should not
weight against the approval of an F visa. While, in reality, it will likely
make the process easier if the beneficiary can demonstrate the usefulness of
their course of study in their home country, Consular officers are instructed
not to consider the lack of such usefulness a negative factor. As long as the
alien beneficiary has been accepted by a school that is specifically approved
by DHS, has a SEVIS Form I-20 issued by the school, and can document their
ability to pay for their educational and living expenses while in the U.S. ,
their visa application should be approvable, barring other complications.
4. Returning student visas are generally reissued in the normal course of
business.
Generally, the USCIS encourages an F-1 visa holder to maintain ties with
their country of origin. As such, they will usually facilitate the reissuance
of student visas during the course of study.