New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS) US Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer Wednesday assured ‘fair and appropriate treatment’ to around 1,500 Indian students affected by the closure of a sham California-based university and said the US was committed to protecting them from predatory visa fraud rings.
‘We are working closely with the Indian government on the issue of Tri-Valley University and ensuring the fair and appropriate treatment of Indian students,’ Roemer said here.
The US envoy warned prospective students of the dangers of predatory visa fraud rings and reiterated the US’ commitment ‘to protect them from committing visa fraud’.
‘Visa fraud has universally harmful effects, whether it is committed by Americans or Indians, and can diminish opportunities for other aspiring students,’ he said.
‘It is wrong to fraudulently exploit the hopes and dreams of young students for financial gain and it is important that all prospective students take advantage of the free resources offered to them by the embassy and fully research the academic options available to them,’ he said.
Some 1,555 students of the sham Tri-Valley University (TVU) in California, 90 percent of them from India – mostly from Andhra Pradesh – face the prospect of deportation unless they can get admission in another institution to retain their student visa status.
The US envoy’s reassurance of fair treatment of Indian students came days after External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna spoke to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the welfare of Indian students affected by the closure of Tri-Valley University.
Alluding to ‘open, widely publicised and well-attended information sessions’ organised by the US embassy and its consulates across India, the envoy said all students wishing to study in the US are strongly encouraged to attend these free seminars.
The embassy also frequently offers online webchats for students unable to physically attend a seminar, he said while stressing that the US was very proud to host the more than 100,000 Indian students studying in America.
