Introduction Of Legislation To Require The Accreditation Of English Language Training Programs, And For Other Purposes

Floor Speech

Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce, along with Chairman Barney Frank, legislation that requires the accreditation of English language training programs for student visa holders.

Accreditation of these programs will ensure that foreign students here on temporary visas receive the high level English language education that they deserve and expect. And this legislation will help give the students a positive experience in America.

* The bill prevents fraud in the student visa program and raises the quality of English language training programs in the United States. It does so by requiring accreditation, which is achieved only after certain learning criteria are met.

Under section 101(a)(15)(F) of the ``Immigration and Nationality Act,'' a foreign national can get a student visa to study at a U.S. college, high school, or other learning institution, such as an established ``language training program ..... approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security after consultation with the Secretary of Education.......''

This bill requires that a nonimmigrant foreign student seeking to enter the United

States to study at a language training program must enroll in a program that is recognized as accredited by the Secretary of Education. The Senate passed this legislation by unanimous consent last Congress.

Intensive English Programs (``IEPs'') serve to teach English to foreign students. There are about 75,000 such students in the United States. The programs range in length from 2 weeks to 1 year, but average 12 weeks. There are nearly 1,000 IEPs in the U.S., and students must study a minimum of 18 hours per week to meet their visa requirements.

Currently all IEPs must be officially recognized, but that sometimes means there is just a check to see that the building in which the IEP is supposedly located actually exists. The result of such lax monitoring is fraud in the IEP community.

Illegitimate IEPs either do not teach English well or serve as scams for individuals who want to come to the United States through fraudulent means. In April 2008, the Los Angeles Times reported, ``The operator of two English language schools was charged Wednesday with running a scheme that allowed foreign nationals, including several Russian prostitutes, to fraudulently obtain student visas to enter and stay in the United States.''

And just 2 weeks ago, two individuals who ran an English language school for immigrants in Duluth, GA, were indicted for submitting fraudulent documents to the Department of Homeland Security. They did so in order to get student visas for ``dozens, and perhaps hundreds, of `students.' ''

Such fraudulent programs, along with IEPs that do not function well, tarnish the reputation of the entire IEP industry. That's why the American Association of Intensive English Programs supports this legislation. And legitimate IEPs are interested in ensuring the quality of their programs.

Under this bill, IEPs can meet the accreditation requirement in one of two ways. First, they can be under the governance of a university or college that has been accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Or, second, they can be individually accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) or the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA).

The three typical steps in the accreditation process are (1) the completion of a written self-study that documents how the program or institution meets the standards of the accreditation agency; (2) a site visit by an agency team to verify that standards are being met; and (3) follow-up measures on the part of the school to correct any deficiencies, subject to review and final approval by the accreditation agency.

Currently, many legitimate IEPs are voluntarily becoming accredited on their own.

* I support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to cosponsor the bill.

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