Jackson (US): The State Department is capping a popular exchange program for foreign college students over persistent problems that have included low-paid participants turning to homeless shelters, a walkout over working conditions at a chocolate factory and in one case a woman forced to work as a stripper.
The agency published new rules today that limit the number of future participants to this year`s level and put a moratorium on new businesses becoming sponsors for thousands of foreigners who use the program to visit the United States. The changes to the J-1 summer work and travel program come 11 months after widespread abuses were reported, including some students paid USD 1 an hour or less for menial jobs.
The students given temporary visas for up to four months are required to have jobs and often work in resorts and restaurants. Participation has boomed from about 20,000 students in 1996 to a peak of more than 150,000 in 2008 and roughly one million foreign post-secondary students have participated in the past decade.
The State Department enacted stronger rules this past summer, but says complaints remain high. The department says future participation will be limited to the "2011 actual participant levels."
Bureau Report