Ashwin Sharma interviewed by RedFM (Canada) and BBC Radio (India) on US HSI’s Fake “University of Farmington” Sting Operation
Attorney Sharma was interviewed by RedFM Canada, as well as BBC India about the below story on US Immigration’s fake university and the arrests of Indian students – BBC story (Hindi language) begins at about 5:30 min into radio program here:
India has made a diplomatic protest to the US after 129 Indian students were arrested for enrolling in a fake university.
The University of Farmington, advertised as based in Michigan state, was run by undercover agents from the Department of Homeland Security to expose “pay-to-stay” immigration fraud.
Prosecutors say those who enrolled knew that the facility would be illegal.
However, Indian officials say the students may have been duped.
On Saturday, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued the protest to the US embassy in Delhi, expressing concern over the arrests and demanding consular access to those detained.
“Our concern over the dignity and wellbeing of the detained students and the need for immediate consular access for Indian officials to the detainees was reiterated,” the ministry said.
The fake university was set up in 2015 to try to catch foreign nationals who had initially travelled to the US on student visas and wanted to stay in the country, US media reported.
How to Apply to and Study in the United States
Pics from Hyderabad Education Fair-Nov. 7th (Photo credit: EducationUSA International Virtual College Fair)
Via studyinthestates.dhs.gov
The application process in the United States may be very different from applying to a school in your home country. Be sure to read about the process before you begin. To ensure that you properly complete all required application materials, follow the steps below:
1. Choose a school: EducationUSA can help you with information on the process of selecting a school and a program of study in the United States. With over 400 advising centers in 170 countries, EducationUSA represents the largest group of advisers committed to promoting accredited United States higher education institutions to over 14 million students and parents with whom they have contact each year.
All schools that accept F and M students must be certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). With almost 10,000 SEVP-certified schools in the United States, you likely can find a college or university in the state and city of your choice.
2. Receive Acceptance and get a Form I-20, “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status”: When you find a school you would like to attend, apply to the school as an international student. Contact school officials directly or visit the school’s website for more information on required application materials. When you have received acceptance into an SEVP-certified school, the designated school official will issue you a Form I-20, which is a paper record of your information stored in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
The U.S. Immigration Law Blog by Ashwin Sharma 