Chinese Students Attend Conference Outline Plan to Lobby for Visa Bill

Chinese students at the University and around the United States met with congressional officials at Harvard this weekend to plan a lobbying strategy aimed at upgrading the visa status of Chinese nationals studying in America.

Students unveiled a plan to get legislative support for a bill that would prevent the Immigration and Naturalization Service from forcing Chinese students to return home after their visas ran out, said Luo Zhexi, chair of the Harvard Chinese Student Association.

At the conference, 45 Chinese citizens studying at schools in 22 states met with U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), lawyers and aides to U.S. Reps. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.), Joe Barton (R-Tex.) and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-56 (D-Mass.).

"There was one open session that some of the Harvard students attended," Luo said. "Most of them came to hear Nancy Pelosi speak. Nancy is a big hero for Chinese students right now."

In November, President Bush vetoed legislation sponsored by Pelosi that would have made it easier for the estimated 46,000 Chinese students currently in the United States to remain in the country after they graduate.

Many of the Chinese nationals fear that if they return home their government will punish them for supporting last year's pro-democracy demonstrations.

Pelosi's bill, which passed the House, 403-0, and the Senate by a unanimous voice vote, still can become a law if two-thirds of both houses vote to override the veto on January 24.

"We expect a long and nationwide campaign to override President Bush's veto," said Luo.

Chinese students have criticized Bush for not taking a harder line with the Beijing government after its bloody crackdown on the pro-democracy movement last year. They point to recent visits to China by National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft and the cancellation of sanctions as evidence that the administration is willing to forget China's human rights violations.

After his veto, Bush immediately issued an executive order that contains almost identical visa provisions asPelosi's bill, said Ran Wang '91, a member of theChinese Student Association.

But students call the executive orderunsatisfactory because it does not protectstudents who are unable to find jobs aftergraduation and because the president can rescindthe order at any time.

"The Chinese students are worried about thepossibility of Bush changing his mind and takingback the order," said Wang.

Previously, Chinese students studying inAmerica had "J" visas if they came here throughgovernment-sponsored programs and "F" visas ifthey were supported by friends families orAmerican universities, Wang said.

If students found jobs after graduation, theycould change their visa status to "H" and remainin the United States, Wang said. Otherwise, theyhad to return to China for two years beforeapplying for new visas or permanent residentstatus, he said.

For "F" visa holders, "it's fairly easy for the[hiring] company to change your visa to 'H.' Butvery few companies are willing to pay the highprice that is needed to hire lawyers to change the'J' visa to an 'H,'" said Wang.

Both Pelosi's proposed legislation and Bush'sorder change all "J" visa holders to "F" status