The foreign student program in the United States, as defined in law, is for bona fide foreign students qualified “to pursue a full course of study” who seek “to enter the United States temporarily and solely for the purpose of pursuing such a course of study.” Yet the program is quickly transforming into a foreign worker program in direct conflict with congressional intent on account of employment programs created at the direct request of business lobbyists seeking increases in cheap, foreign labor. This is a phenomenon that seems to be occurring in many countries throughout the world.
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Governments that offer a foreign student program should be mindful of the fact that there is an effort well-underway to transform what should be an educational experience into nothing more than a cheap-labor program. Without quick changes, the original intent of foreign student programs — spreading knowledge abroad, cultural exchange, and creating good will — will be lost.