[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1122-E1123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE THE ACCREDITATION OF ENGLISH 
           LANGUAGE TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LAMAR SMITH

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 12, 2009

  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

[[Page E1123]]

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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