indian students Radio Tagged in U.S.

Indian students radio -tagged in U.S.

More than  a dozen Indian students from among  hundred who have been  scammed by dodgy university in California have been ‘Radio  Tagged “ with tracking devices in an action New Delhi described as unwarranted and asked to be removed even  an angry community activists said it is a violation of their rights and dignity.

Authorities from immigration and customs enforcement( ICE)who interrogated scores of Indian students evidently conned by Sham Tri -Valley university in Pleasanton, California  university shacked ankles of several victim’s with Radio Tracking devices. The students said officials told them that devices fitted with GPS technology were meant to monitor their movement while their cases were being examined.

Scores of students mostly from Andhra Pradesh were caught up in a scam  in which dubious university allegedly helped foreign nationals illegally acquire immigration status. Investigation by U.S. authorities found  that while students were admitted to residential and online courses of university and on paper lived in California ,in reality they worked illegally in various parts of country.

The students say they were  unaware of dodgy nature of university and they were conned. In a petition to the secretary of homeland security and director ICE the effected students said they signed up believing it was a bona fide and legitimate university that had been registered with studies exchange visitor information system (SEVIS ) database.

In deed Tri-Valley  university is among the SEVIS approved schools listed on the U.S. ICE website. But U.S. officials say some of the students obtained visas fraudulently and other are on violation of their visa and immigration status. ‘ such students have been placed under ISAP ( intensive supervision and appearance program by ICE and put in removal proceedings necessitating Radio -Tagging “ they said.


Hundreds of Indian students who have gotten scammed by a dodgy California based had it coming. Tri -Valley university ( TVU) had reputation as a “ diploma mill “ that offered a spurious route to job and immigration in the U.S.inquiring  students and professionals knew about it , discussed it in immigration forum  and warned others about it. But eager believers looking for  a short cut to immigrating to U.S. through questionable academic route ignored the red flag’s. after U.S. authorities busted the scam and estimated 1500 students, some of them gullible victims, some of them scheming immigrant hopefuls, face financial loss of time, loss of credits, loss of face, and even some case  face deportation.

Here the how the scam unfolded . India from among all countries has been sending the maximum  number of students to U.S. colleges over the past decade -some 10,000 to 15,000 try to get into the top 50 schools, which have stringent  qualification standards, including exams such as GRE and GMAT,beside TOEFL an English  proficiency test. The process involves giving admission on the basis to test scores, in view  of  which the university sends 1-20 documents to accepted students , which he or she present to embassy or consulate in home country to get F-1 student visa.

But recent years several dodgy varsities have come up which waive GRE/ GMAT requirements as long student can pay dollars up front in the form fees . More permanently there colleges dubiously facilitate optical curricular practical training (OPT) and curricular practical training (CPT) two routes to employment and at the end of college degree from the first day of enrollment.

Typically in recognized, well -regarded universities all students must be enrolled as full time studies for a year before receiving CPT/ CPT. For hundreds of thousands of Indian students who are eventually become U.S. citizens, OPT and CPT are the first steps to employment-based visa (usually HI-B) ,green card and citizenship in that order.

The Tri-Valley university and similar schools had a “well earned reputation of shortening the process by offering OPT / CPT from day one which meant ‘students could get on employment track, even they began “college” . In fact  TVU did not even have a campus in traditional use. It had solitary ,sorry looking building, bought in 2010  which housed every thing from distraction offices to class room, from which random lectures were transmitted over internet to students across the U.S.

It took January this year for U.S. authorities to cotton on the scam or look at charitably to spare the man power for a nation wide crackdown . Although TVU has based on Pleasanton, California its students scattered thought country from east coast to middle to west to deep south . Many of them illegally employed. Although it was allowed only 30 students admission pending a rendition , TVU  managed to work the system to admit 1500 students. Apparently there were companies across U.S. which used TVU F-1  visa based  CPT/ OPT to beat the H1-B visa requirements which regulate delay, insist on not replacing  American  workers.

On January 19, after raiding TVU  getting student record from school and shut it down, immigration  officials began knocking on the doors of TVU students across country or leaving NT As (notice to appear ) asking them to get in touch with local office . In some cases, officials merely made preliminary inquiries, in other students were interrogated for up to three hours. Some had their passport taken away if they decline to deposit voluntarily. And in rare cases where officials found egregious violation  visa terms on questionable visas, students were shacked with electronic monitoring devices till further  inquires.

Worried parents in Hyderabad who called up the helpline 23220603 on Sunday left frustrated a lot . The CMO opened the helpline  to provide information to parents and relatives of students stuck in U.S. but on Sunday no body answered the calls.

A major chunk of the scammed students are from A.P. , Tana  and human rights group urged chief minister Kirankumar  Reddi to speak directly to U.S. Consulate in city. Ironically several parents discovered too late that their wards had taken admission in Sham university.

‘ We were under impression that our boy was another university in California . We did not know that he had taken admission in Tri -Valley two month back . We are worried now .” a parent said.

Students are now left two options. Either a pay bond of 1500 dollars to immigration magistrate to get rid of the tracking tags and return to India or get immigration papers settled and opt for another university a relative of student informed.

Condemning the radio -tagging of Indian students in California  Tri-Valley university as in human and unacceptable. India’s minister for external affairs  Mr. S.M. Krishna on Sunday demanding action against official responsible for it.

“ the Indian students are not criminals . The radio-callers should be removed, and U.S. government should take action against official responsible for in human act .” Krishna told to reporters.

Addressing reporters  Krishna further said “ A number of scholars have got transfers from some universities and there are number of students who got necessary Visa from U.S. Consulate in India. The sudden closure need to be looked into by federal government  . “

Krishna told the parents of students not  to worry saying that government had taken up the issue with washing ton.

Overseas India’s affairs minister Vayalar Ravi on Sunday said he has asked India mission in Washington to see whether any agent in Andhra Pradesh was involved in this incident.