More Indian students expected to study abroad in future ...

Australia, United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand and  and Canada have traditionally been the favorite destination for Indian students, 

It’s strongly believed that foreign degrees will help stay ahead of the students who opted to stay at home and study at local colleges and universities. For many parents it’s a matter of prestige that their children are studying abroad, it proves that their children are brilliant and family is well off. Another way to look at this is that a degree from a foreign university has more value in the Indian job market too. Most Indian employers consider foreign degree and exposure a vital factor when making decisions about the applicant to hire. It further demonstrates to your future employers that you possess a go-getter attitude.

Today Indian middle class has easy access to foreign education loans that granted by almost all bank. Apart from this many universities also woo Indian students with strong marketing and branding approaches in granting particial scholarship and bursaries.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM courses) have always remained the top preferences for Indian students, and 2020 will see no exception. Right from software engineering to computer programming, accounting, banking finance and engineering, Indian students will grab such courses as they all want to get lucrative job opportunities following the completion of their degree. In addition to all this the post study work plays a big part and most important role in their decision for going abroad.

Immigration or migration benefit is the other top reasons why Indian students, especially at the graduate level, look to pursue a degree abroad. Presently countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK and USA, all offer work some sort of permit allowing students to seek employment on completion of studies and also other immigration benefits. Indian students will continue to move abroad to fulfill their dreams of working and settling abroad.

Apart from this the high quality life style and living in neat world class cities add up. 

No wonder India ranks second to China in the list of international student enrollment in colleges and universities across the world.

US Sting Operation fake university - Need to have listing of all institutes which can enroll international students

While many Indian students study abroad and this number is growing day by day. While the data on the number of students from India studying abroad is not accurate however the government in the year 2017 has released this data in answer to the question in Lok Sabha raised by one member. 

Please click here to see the report 

According to this reply in the Lok Sabha and as per the government data (2017)  its estimated that almost 5.53 lakh Indian students are studying in 86 countries.  Plus as per this document almost 206708 Indian students are studying in the USA out of the 553440 Indian students studying abroad, the highest for any country.

While USA is the top and favorite destination for Indian students and students are attracted by the the top ranking universities with excellent infrastructure and its believed that US degrees offer them great exposure and get them into a rewarding career. The Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT) available to international students is the major attraction. 

https://factly.in/time-high-2015-16-number-indian-students-usa-set-fall-2016-17/

But the current issue in USA about the fake university and undercover operations to find illegal students who are involved in the "pay to stay" scam is on every one’s mind. Prospective students and parents are confused with the ongoing press and media reports daily. It’s being told that many Indian students (almost 130) have been arrested or being asked to leave the country for breaching the student visa (F1) conditions and termed as illegal students. Its also told than another 500 students enrolled in other such fake universities have received notices. This time the Department of Homeland Security conducted an  undercover operation of creating a fake university and enrolling students in this has led to the current happenings. Some argue that the students were not aware that the university they have enrolled is fake and such claims go on.

Here are some links to this story

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/129-indians-out-of-130-students-arrested-in-us-pay-and-stay-immigration-scam/story-RApI0Xa35VuNMdAyQ6VJmI.html

While they say that U.S. Department of Education has taken numerous steps to strengthen their accreditation system for education providers but still I think it has quite a few loop holes.

In the past few years we have seen students enrolled at Tri Valley University, University of Northern Jersey, University of Northern Virginia, Northwestern Polytechnic University and few others being sent back and their visas cancelled. These fake universities were attracting students promising all goodies like CPT from Day 1 and encouraging students to enroll. 

Almost all such universities were owned by American citizens who knew how to con the students with . In the first place why permit them to set up such fake colleges? Next was there no audit system to monitor their enrollments and course quality that was delivered.

The fact is that in USA there is NO legal registry of courses and education providers (colleges, universities) that can be enroll international students 

In India we have the University Grants Commission (UGC) which very clearly on their website lists all recognized universities both public and private plus also rates them. The website also has the list of fake universities operating in India with a warning to students not to enroll in such institutes. .(https://www.ugc.ac.in/page/Fake-Universities.aspx) 

While most other countries have such information on public domain and easy for anyone to access this information and understand but its MISSING with the United States or confusing. 

The US government must work on a similar model to the Australia or even New Zealand and learn from them.

While in Australia there are some really excellent legislations in this area. The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) is a register of Australian education providers that recruit, enrol and teach overseas students. It’s a strict regulation that education institutions can only enrol and deliver education services to international students in Australia on a student visa if they are registered on the CRICOS.  In addition to this all Education Registered providers must have met, and continue to meet, the requirements of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) and National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2007 (National Code).

(Please see  http://cricos.education.gov.au/default.aspx)

Such strict governments acts or publicly available information is missing with USA  and various departments and it’s also believed that their audit system has enough flaws. 

I must congratulate both Australia and New Zealand governments to have such transparent and good legislation which benefit both all parties including the students,  government agencies and education providers. Having such good legislation's such as ESOS Act and CRICOS will definitely protect the rights of the international students and all involved. The way its implemented is also very well structured. 

In USA there are some associations like AIRC which are non-profit and work for the betterment of the international education industry, at least they must have some information on their websites about these fake or good universities and pass it on to their agency members.

Students must be educated on such fraud and to follow the right protocols instead of such “sting operations”.   

While I am totally aware that the intent of the students enrolled in such fake universities is wrong and they must face the action. However we must also consider the fact that they were encouraged by American citizens to pay tuition fee, luring them with goodies such as no need to classes, earn credits and make progress for actual degree. Yes it’s a “pay to stay” scam but how can such be avoided in future? 

Obstacles in getting part time job for the international students in Australia

As education consultant one of the common and popular questions to me from prospective students is about the part-time jobs.

International students in Australia on a valid student visa can work for up to 40 hours per fortnight (every 2 weeks) while their course is in session, and there is no limit on the number of hours an international student can work during vacations.  

Family members (spouses) accompanying the international student under their student visa have the same work rights as the student – 40 hours per fortnight. For those students obtaining a graduate degree, like a master’s degree or doctoral degree, their spouses can work unlimited hours (full time).

The one good thing about working part-time while studying is the great opportunities which international students can attain with first-hand experiences in the working environment and this can help them prepare for the real working world. It’s a great head-start and develops their interpersonal skills.

International students can get into a wide range of industries and have part time employment opportunities in areas such as:

·         Retail - supermarkets, petrol stations, other retail and clothing stores

·         Hospitality - cafes, bars, sporting venues  and restaurants

·         Tourism - hotels and motels.

·         Agricultural - farming and fruit-picking.

·         Sales and telemarketing.

·         Administration or Clerical roles.

·         Tutoring.

However part-time jobs are NOT easy to find and here I have outlined various reasons that can make it difficult to find one:

Unreliable: Some employers worry that students are unreliable because of busy study and exam schedules and other commitments. The main concern is that  if they employ too many students, then around exam time most or all will ask for time off or even just quit. Another issue is that they think students are not serious and may cause errors and may just walk away without being responsible.

Lack of network with locals: This is a major one. Many international students find it very hard to make friends with locals and their only known friends are other international students from their own university or college and often from their own country or hometown. This makes their network limited and they often don’t hear about jobs which they can get into.

The Right CV: It’s observed that many international students don't know how to prepare a good CV (resume) for employers. The format, spellings and grammar is pathetic and it does not really project on the actual skills of the applicant and how the applicant is suitable for the job or with no emphasis on his skill set.Its suggested that students invest a small bit of money in getting professional help with their CV (resume).

English ability:  This is the most common reason for students not to get short listed for the jobs. In quite a few retail and customer service positions, there is a need for good command of English.  If you're fluent with less mother tongue influence then this won't be an issue.

Not having a local and valid driver licence: This too sometimes can affect ability to get some jobs. Some jobs have a requirement of full driver’s license and knowledge of roads, suburbs, traffic and city.

Experience and Referees: Many international students are not experienced and will need a lot of training especially in customer service and product knowledge. Most employers don’t want to spend time in training and may consider already trained people for the job. Some positions require formal training which include handling food safety, fire and . Its also observed that many international students don’t have a referee. The Referees is a person who can give potential employer information about the applicant’s past work experience, skills, character and conduct.

Prejudice: It’s also observed that a few business owners only prefer to employ people from within their own ethnicity. This is actually wrong and illegal but it does happen. For example, some Chinese employers will only hire Chinese, some Indian employers will only hire people who come from the Indian sub-continent, some European may only employ European etc.  It can also be because of language reasons, but in reality they just feel more comfortable working with people similar to themselves. But again this can also work to the applicant’s advantage if they are from the same ethnic group as the employer.  This may not be common and prejudice is not major, but it can be a factor sometimes.

Most student jobs are advertised on the university/college job-board and popular employment websites and community newspapers. ts also acceptable by many businesses where the job applicant can walk in and drop their resume and ask for vacancies. Its advised that students leave their resume with potential employers and ask them to keep in mind for future vacanciesInternational students must make sure they have a good CV with Australian mobile number and local address and  Tax File Number (TFN)

To make the employment process as easy as possible, students must have a Australian bank account in which the employers can deposit the earnings. They must also apply for Tax File Number (TFN) from the Australian Taxation office, in this way they are not taxed high rate (Almost all employers will provide job seekers with a TFN declaration or it can be obtained online or by calling Australian Tax Office on 13 28 61).

It is important that all international students are aware of their employment rights. They are paid a fair wage for any work they do, so beware of employers who insist on paying ‘cash in hand’ or those who ask  to complete unpaid work on a ‘trial’ basis. Students should also be familiar with the pay and conditions for the area of employment — known as an ‘award’ — and carefully read any employment contracts they sign. 

See the https://www.fairwork.gov.au/find-help-for/visa-holders-and-migrants for more details.

Note: My advice to students is not to depend on part-time work for all their expenses. International students must have sufficient financial support from their home. It is very important for students to concentrate on their studies before looking for work.

Nishidhar Reddy Borra 

Atlas Education Consultants, India 

nishiborra888@gmail.com

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Misconception

F1 (Student Visas) & Pay to Stay scams

The illegal student issue (which includes international students breaching the conditions) is of top concern to the US authorities and they have taken serious steps to curb it. Every country does this.

While the news here is all about the fake University of Farmington undercover operation by Department of Homeland Security, USA – there is a lot of misconception and in the general public. The entire operation was to get the data of international students who have misused their student visa and breached its conditions.

It must be noted that the exact number of students who got the notice or detained by the department is not clear, while a few TV channels claim it to be 600 students and others claim it to be 1500 or even 5000. It’s also projected that ALL Indian students studying in USA  are being targeted. These wrong speculations and projections are creating panic among many parents here.

Website of the fake University of Farmington as on 01/Feb/2019

While the truth is that many students have used falsified academic documents, fake financials and other documents to gain the student visa. Many have changed the courses and universities looking for short-cuts seeking admission into value less courses and dodgy institutes. Many have breached the student visa condition and are working full time. They have knowingly joined such fake and dodgy institutes just to keep their F1 (student visa) status alive and to stay on in the country. While there is unconfirmed news that a few such students have been detained for immigration violation and may face deportation soon.

USA is the home for the largest foreign-born population and is a country of immigrants. Students studying at good universities and who have submitted genuine documents or have not breached the student visa regulations NEED NOT fear at all. Genuine students with intentions to study are always welcome in USA.

As an education consultant and to avoid any such situation in future I urge the media to educate the prospective students and parents of the facts:

    1) That overseas study is expensive affairs and they must have sufficient funds for tuition fee and living expenses

2     2) That Student cannot work while studying and only option is on-campus jobs for up to 20 hours per week which are very competitive and difficult to obtain. Often such on campus work includes cleaning of campuses, working in cafeteria or assisting lecturers.

3     3) Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment only granted for 12 months. Students can opt for this either before completing their studies (pre-completion) or after finishing their studies (post-completion).

      4) STEM OPT Extension: This is only available for certain students who have completed their studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. They must be employed by employers who have registered in E-Verify system and is only available to a maximum period of 2 years

      5) That any sort of fraud submissions will be dealt very severely and fraud of any sort is not accepted

      6) Students must do their homework and sufficient research before they choose their study destination and must examine the post study opportunities, fee, living costs, details about the city and weather before they opt for it. All this information can be easily available on the internet.

Nishidhar Reddy

E-mail: nishiborra888@gmail.com  

Student Visas & Uncovered evidence

Blowing the whistle

It’s an open fact that many students from India have used fraud documentation which have passed through the admission and visa systems and are enrolled in institutes all around the world. Fake degrees, fake financial support documents and work reference letters have been heavily used. A few also have bogus or fake test scores.

It’s also observed that student visa is used to get into a cash rich economy and work. Again and again in the past many years I have seen many countries like Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand having  experienced such high fraud reacting to it by clamping down with some strict temporary regulations. But closing all corners is not possible and it still continues

I have been an international education consultant and been observing this market from the past 18 years. The purpose of writing all this is to address the common risks in international student recruitment arena.  The entire essay is not to exhaustive the level of fraud or corruption in the international education sector but aimed at raising awareness among various stake holders.Thanks to all the inputs from a few students and other fellow colleagues by which I got good idea of the happenings.  

All public sector agencies (government departments) in New Zealand, Canada, Australia, UK, USA or any others would like to maintain high standards of ethics. For all of them dealing with scams is all about risk management and integrity.  All of them have different policies and protocols in place to combat fraud and corruption whenever it’s found.  In addition to this most universities also established processes for risk management and identification of fraud.

As universities become more business oriented and commercial, such instances of fraud is increased. Most universities work with agents (or representatives) all around the world. Agents are very important as they are the first point of contact for majority students and guide the student with the correct protocols which include career counseling, course selection, student follow up, guiding with visa procedures, pre-departure briefing etc .  Agents are fully supported by the international offices by various means which include training, familiarization trips to universities, broachers, intuitional visits etc. The Australian government further makes institutes responsible for ensuring that agents preserve the reputation of Australian education system and trustworthiness.

Who creates these “SCAMS”?

Most agents have the interest of students in mind and work honestly; however the “tight regulations and tougher screening” plus “easy money” can sometimes be blamed for opening doors to such scams. It’s often a “economic decision” for student who dares to submit such fraud credentials that he has not earned. This economic decision can be because of many reasons like tough competition in jobs in India, dollar dream, society reputation and image and many other such excuses. 

 Like any other field there are also “unethical or rouge” agents everywhere. Now let’s now focus on the various kinds of fraud in the market:  

Academic Fraud: Using fake certificates or degrees is a serious problem all over. This can include using of false education documents. Verifying the autheicity for various qualifications in India is a night mare and not possible in many cases.  Fake, bogus or manipulated certificates do arounds and are available at cheap costs and quite identical to the original (real) certificates. One can buy such fake degrees from the most reputable institutes of India for peanuts.

In some cases the degrees are real and number of fails (backlogs) in the year wise memos is edited to meet the entry requirement and this is termed as a common practice in certain parts of India.

Fake Academics is not only an major issue in India but a global problem today

Identity Fraud: Using fake names or other person’s credentials has been deducted a number of times with a few applications. People using other persons name, education documents and obtaining a passport and then applying for visa. There are agents everywhere in all cities promising a passport with in no time, some also open bank account with a new address for the address proof, get a PAN card and also drivers license.

(Note: The Adhar card necessity in India may put an end to this in future)

Such students who use such fake identity and manage to get the visa can be called as “Ghost students,” as such students fails to show up at their university or college at all. In such cases, the apparent motivation is often to work, as opposed to attending classes or studying abroad. .

Financial Fraud: The usage of falsified bank guarantee letters, bank statements, education loans sanction letters or fixed deposits is an ongoing issue and has been on the rise. Students, Agents and corrupt Indian bank officials all play a lead role here.

Fake Education Loans : This fraud is widespread. Falsefied education loan sanction letters are provided by the bank manager at a cost to the agents or students. The bank managers have their own middle men who act. In some cases the bank managers want to help these students who have no finances and on the letter head type and give a loan letter and verify this too.

Bank Statements / Fixed deposits: Funds are shown in bank account and generally these are recent deposits often put in by other individuals in return of small interest. Generally 2% of the deposit amount if charged from the student 

The reason for this fraud to be successful is because it relies on the corrupt bank manager.Other financial documents relating to gold loans, property sale and agriculture income are commonly false or fake.

Misrepresentation via emails and local advertisements and websites: The email id of few individuals or agents I similar to the institutes email id and name. This one case where a student got a email that he can visit XXX agency to meet them on a certain date. The email claimed that representatives from YYY university would be there and this student can meet and discuss all details with them. In reality the XXX agency is not an agent or representative of YYY university and was sending emails to hundreds of students about this.

In other cases it’s found that the local agent is using the logo downloaded from the internet and advertising about spot admissions and assessments by the university staff. Again in reality this agent has no agreement with any institute nor he represented the university he advertised.

One other agency created website using information and logos of multiple universities by downloading logos from the internet which created an impression that this agent represented all those institutes. None of the universities has appointed him as their representative or agent. 

Money Theft: Some students fall prey to dodgy agents who take non-refundable upfront payment for all services, bias fees and overseas institute tuition fee. They promise all kinds of help to the students which in reality are not possible.

Package deals and money theft: A few agents charge a non-refundable upfront payment from students for all the services which include academic tampering, first semester fee payment, airport pick up in host country and accommodation support. They promise all kinds of goodies which in reality are not possible. It’s found that students with weak academic credentials, low English levels often fall a prey to such

Its saidf that most fraud is driven and enabled by agents, with the agreement of the student. 

But the other side of the coin, there are good ethical agencies too all over who guide students with correct protocols and this must be encouraged. 

There are, unfortunately, no easy solutions to combating fraud totally and eliminating it. Fraudsters are hard to prosecute and often getaway.

The Way Forward:

There is no easy solution or regulation to stop all this. In my opinion "self regulation" is the only solution, not only agents  but also universities and institutes need to self-regulate themselves. I have been a member of Association of Australian Education representatives in India (AAERI) and its aim is to assure integrity and credibility among agents recruiting for Australian Education institutes. There is a strict code of ethics to be followed and its members have agreed to be fair and honest in all their dealings with students and institutes. Such is the need of the hour

Another angel is prospective students must be warned about the consequence of using such fraud 

While Studying  Abroad is a common dream among Indian students. The total number of Indian students going abroad to pursue their higher education has been steadily increasing over the years

One of the main reasons why students from India want to go abroad is because they think that their future is outside India. They believe that by pursuing an undergraduate or post graduate course in a foreign country will help them to get a job there and eventually residence and pathway to the country’s citizenship. Settling down in USA, UK, Australia, Canada or New Zealand and some other such countries is very attractive to many. 

The tuition fee plus the living costs abroad is high. Most parents use their life time savings or take a loan mortgaging their assets to pay the fee and cover other costs. So the return on investments is important factor and its determined by options for post study work available or pathway to residence.

Nishidhar Reddy 
nishiborra888@gmail.com 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect on any one person or organisation in particular. It’s a gathering of opinions from author's own experience in the overseas education industry 

One of the most inspirational videos

Ms.Ananda Shanker (IAS Officer from AP) was diagnosed with Cancer in the year 2008, she instead of the deadly disease overtaking her fought back and she took the stage at TED one year later while still undergoing treatment. 

The strength she took from her hobby (dancing) and her  words & performance plus determination serves as a great inspiration. 

Ananda Shankar Jayant fights cancer with a dance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYjK2kANhok

Mera Beta Engineer Banega (Translation: My son will become an ENGINEER)

Back in the 1990’s getting a seat in Engineering was considered very prestigious, in those years there were around 10,000 engineering seats in Andhra Pradesh, many students at that time went to neighboring Karnataka or Tamil Nadu to study Engineering.

Today Andhra Pradesh is the state with the highest number of engineering colleges in the country. There are almost 350000 engineering seats available and the funny part is that not more than 230000 write the entrance exams (EMCET) for these seats thus making the entrance exam just a farce as anyone who wants to get a seat will get one irrespective of the marks they get in the exam.

Here is a table showing the increase of seats has been through the years

Year	Number	Number of seats	Vacant Seats
1995-1996	37	10155	0
1996-1997	37	10455	0
1997-1998	57	14155	0
1998-1999	89	19773	0
1999-2000	102	25064	0
2000-2001	107	30896	0
2001-2002	174	46090	0
2002-2003	217	62710	0
2003-2004	225	65960	0
2004-2005	238	82225	0
2005-2006	262	92600	0
2006-2007	282	98793	0
2007-2008	337	118993	0
2008-2009	530	174742	17577
2009-2010	656	226000	48795
2010-2011	705	252000	74972
2011-2012	721	350000	120000
2012-2013	728 (approx)	354000  (approx)	200000 (approx)

Source: Eenadu Telugu daily 

Thanks to the state government, more and more colleges opened up in the last 8 years and there is a huge increase in the number of seats available. Most of these colleges are run by politicians and influential businessmen. The actual reason for the sudden rise of these colleges is the “Andhra Pradesh Governments Fee Reimbursement Scheme” where any family with a income less than Rs.1,00,000/- per year  are eligible for complete fee waiver and fee was paid by the government. At one point Rs 5000 crores was being shelled out by the state to private engg colleges annually. In addition the belief that holding an “Engineering” degree is prestigious in the society, however we still have surplus seats and student numbers are not high enough to fill all the seats.

This growth has led to a dangerous situation here - students who do not have a liking or aptitude for engineering or sciences are/were studying engineering. The quality of education, faculty and infrastructure in most institutes is pathetic and substandard. The quality of the education has dropped drastically, thus making not more than 30% of the engineering students who pass out each year employable. 70% of the students (approx 200000 students who joined in 2009-10) who have spent 4 years of their lives studying for a degree that is not able to get them a job.

No doubt that overseas education is popular here in Andhra Pradesh especially for the post graduate sector. Many students opt for going abroad and improving their skills and yes they can be re-skilled and trained. This is the reason we find almost 90% of our students wanting to study abroad already having an Engineering degree. Majority of the others go many years (I have seen students who have spent 2 to 3 years) just searching for an appropriate job or joining some training organization to upgrade their skills.

Nishidhar Reddy

Managing Director

Atlas Consultants, Hyderabad

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and author alone.