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University, the student has to get
permission to enter the United States.
This involves the usual glut of paper work
and then approval of a visa by a U.S.
consul or embassy.
The most common visa is the "F"
variety, issued to students who will
finance their education from their own or
families' pockets. "J" visas are issued to
students who have received scholarships
or fellowships from a variety of
organizations.
At UNL, over 80 per cent of the
foreign students are self-supporting and
hold "F" visas. Only 50 have "J" visas.
When they do get to the U.S., foreign
students live under a variety of
limitations. The student with an "F" visa
is required to take at least 12 credit hours
and has to renew his visa yearly. Students
with "J" visas may stay two years.
Foreign students are allowed to work
on campus, but if they want to work any
place else they must obtain a work
permit Generally, these are issued "as a
result of unforseen financial
circumstances."
"If a student came here before the last
tuition raise, he is more likely to have a
work permit," Boykin said. Also, foreign
students are allowed to work during the
summer if they are in good standing and
preregistered for the fall.
If he violates any of these regulations,
the foreign student can be told to leave
on his own or he can be deported. If the
student leaves on his own he will have the
chance to return at a future date. If he is
deported, he can not.
"Such things didn't use to happen at
all, but seem to be happening more and
more," Boykin said. "Especially if the
student is caught working full-time."
If the student wants to stay in the U.S.
after receiving his degree, there are a
couple of routes open to him-he can
apply for practical training or he can
emmigrate and become a permanent
resident.
The student can get a practical training
Profiles by Ron Clingenpeel and Verena E. flflaethner
permit if he is offered a job in his field of
study after graduation. The stay must be
approved for six months at a time and is
limited to a maximum of 18 months.
There are now 12 UNL students with
practical training permits.
Up until January, 1971, it was easy for
a student with a U.S. degree to
emmigrate. But a depressed economy
gave rise to a new, tougher law. Now
there are four specified ways for a
student to obtain permanent residence.
If the foreign student is a doctor,
nurse, physical therapist, dietician or
nutritionist he's home free.
Or, if the student can get the Labor
Department to say that no unemployed
American can fill his particular job, he'll
be allowed to emmigrate. One UNL
student from India received permanent
residence by working in cancer research
under this program.
If the student marries an American
citizen, he or she is allowed to stay.
Or, if the student volunteers for the
draft, he becomes an instant citizen and
even qualifies for G.I. benefits.
'The threat of going to Viet-Nam
many of the students from going this
direction," Boykin said. "But now that
the threat has lessened, three have gone
into the service."
When asked why they came to UNL,
most foreign students say either that a
friend or relative encouraged them to
come or that the University of Nebraska
proved to be relatively inexpensive.
Many of the students from the Middle
East, Africa and the Indian peninsula say
they came to learn the technical
knowledge needed for the development
of their countries.
King Yoa, an undergraduate from
Hong Kong, said students come from his
country because there are very few
universities there and the enrollment is
limited.
When asked what they thought of
Nebraska, almost every foreign student
this reporter talked with mentioned the
weather, particularly if he came from a
warmer climate.
'The hardest part is to adjust to the
weather, the unpredictable changing in
extremes of temperature," said Raad
Hermes, an electrical engineering
undergraduate from Iraq. "Considering
their weather, it's amazing the people of
Nebraska are not too versatile."
Nipa Viuasunee, a tiny agricultural
econimics graduate student from
Thailand, said she particularly dislikes the
cold and wind.
Viuasunee, who is the only woman in
most of her classes, said in Thailand
women are equals to men on the job. But
she still believes men should help women
carry heavy items.
Columbian biochemistry
undergraduate, Elizabeth Lopez, defined
a date as being with someone you feel is
interested in you. Lopez said she has aone
