“Student Visas: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”

International students are a significant part of worldwide migration patterns. Some of the largest student cohorts come from India, China, Mexico, and Nigeria. Their destination is often the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia, countries where they hope to graduate and achieve permanent residence. However, their journey is not without peril: many countries are reassessing the impact of large numbers of young foreign students on housing, the labor market, and culture, and seeking to limit the size of that population to more manageable levels. Many students fall victim to fraudulent agents, and others focus only on achieving residency at any cost and not on the quality of their education. The panel will discuss:

• Recent policies and legislation to obtain student visas
• Foreign student rights and restrictions on work
• The path to residency for foreign students
• Visa fraud and how it can be detected and avoided
• Best practices and practical advice