John Pearson, director of the Bechtel International Center, reminded the Graduate Student Council (GSC) last night that some international students may face delays or denials regarding their student visas. The University has lost some students due to federal immigration regulations, he said.

Currently, international students are refused under Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act if they are unable to demonstrate to the satisfaction of a consular officer that they have sufficiently strong and long-term family, social and economic ties outside the United States. When students do not provide such information, they are required to return home, Pearson said.

He added that U.S. intelligence agencies are performing security checks — which are not issued or done by the University — on some graduate international students depending on their country of origin or research subject.

“If you are an international student doing research in the U.S. who is coming from countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Cuba, North Korea or any country predominantly Muslim,” Pearson said, “you are probably going to have a security check.”

Stanford itself does not issue a background security check.

“Our goal is to help the students,” Pearson said. “We are just told if a student has been cleared or not.”

While the majority of background checks are done quickly, some may take months. According to Pearson, there is no guarantee that a visa will be issued after a background check.

All universities in the United States are required by law to report electronically to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if an international student changes his address, name or major. Universities must also report if a visa extension is needed or if a student is graduating early.

Pearson explained that this process is done through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a computer network set up by the United States government that tracks information on non-immigrant students.

“We don’t send anything through SEVIS without checking first with the student, who needs to understand what it means if we send such information,” Pearson said.

According to Pearson, Bechtel gets approximately 150 alerts in any given day. Often, these alerts are simply due to a student’s change of address.

Bechtel sends emails and notifications to international students, reminding them of their obligations. But if, for example, a student does not enroll before the University’s deadlines, Stanford is required by law to terminate his or her student status.

Pearson said the number of students who are terminated is usually low.

“In the past four years we have only terminated 10 students who didn’t enroll,” Pearson said.

Alex Ene, an aeronautic and astronautic engineering doctoral student candidate, asked what would happen if by mistake, a student were to mistakenly appear as not being enrolled. In the past, there have been problems with the Stanford billing process and holds have been issued on students’ accounts when in actuality, they have already paid, Ene said.

Pearson replied that the Bechtel International Center always double-checks with a student before reporting him through SEVIS.

“We don’t do anything without informing the student first,” he said.

While the University doesn’t want international students worrying about their stay, Pearson encouraged them to be informed.

He also reminded the GSC to disseminate the information that international students should not work without authorization.

“Official regulations state that while you may work on campus, like in the bookstore, you can’t start a business in your dorm room,” Pearson said.

Pearson also reminded the council that, when it comes to travel and re-entry to the United States, students and scholars on F-1 and J-1 visas who travel overseas for a conference or for family or academic reasons should know that there may be a lengthy delay in returning to the United States.