With the school year getting started up, the nation’s high schools will soon be full of students again. Among the students who attend U.S. high schools are international students. It is estimated that, in the fall of 2016, U.S. high schools had an international student enrollment of nearly 82,000.
Over the past decade, the number of students from other countries studying at U.S. high schools has gone up significantly. While the pace of this increase has slowed in recent years, the increase has continued.
According to a recent report, between 2013 and 2016, international student enrollment at U.S. high schools went up 12 percent.
Many international students at U.S. high schools are from countries in Asia. China in particular is a major country of origin among such students. The report indicated that students from China make up about two out of every five international students studying at U.S. high schools.
It also appears that students from China have been one of the big driving forces behind the increase in the number of international students at U.S. high schools over the past few years. The report indicated that there was a 48 percent increase in Chinese individuals enrolled in U.S. high schools between 2013 and 2016.
Studying at a U.S. high school can present many opportunities for students from other countries. However, there can be challenging issues that come up in relation to such international study as well. This includes complicated visa issues.
The two primary types of visas international students at U.S. high schools are in the country on are F-1 and J-1 visas. F-1 visas are student visas for individuals pursuing studies at U.S. academic institutions, including high schools. J-1 visas are for participants in cultural exchange programs. Among international students enrolled in U.S. high schools, F-1 visa holders outnumber J-1 visa holders by quite a bit, according to the report.
Families of international students studying at U.S. high schools may have questions about the visa their child is in the U.S. on or issues that have come up in connection to that visa. They can take such questions to experienced immigration lawyers.
Source: NBC News, “Report Finds China Sends Most International Students to U.S. High Schools,” Chris Fuchs, Aug. 14, 2017