JEDDAH: Despite efforts by the US Embassy to ease visa process for Saudi students, some still risk being unable to obtain new visas or get their visas renewed on time. Many students scrap their plans to go home during breaks fearing they won’t get visas to return to the US, according to a group of Saudi students running a campaign to raise awareness about the issue.

The group, comprising Saudi students studying in the US, has launched a program under which they study problems faced by the students. As part of the campaign, over 3,000 Saudi students were surveyed and asked to provide details of the difficulties they have faced.

The survey shows that nearly one out of 10 visa renewal requests is declined thus causing problems for those who have already begun their studies in the US.

The group has also hired an immigration lawyer to produce a pamphlet that will contain tips for students preparing for interviews at the US mission.

The survey, conducted in December 2008, was motivated by claims that the complex process of issuing F1 student visas negatively impacts students’ academic performance, their families and financial stability.

Basil Assadhan, one of the leaders of the group and a postgraduate student at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University, said the campaign is not linked to the Saudi government.

“The campaign helps the Saudi Embassy as well as the Saudi cultural mission in communicating with US officials the problems faced by Saudi students,” Assadhan said.

The study identified two major factors that affect Saudi students: One is the denial or delay in visa renewal to those studying in the US and visiting the Kingdom during a break; and the other is delay in the issuance of student visas to those who submit ahead of deadline.

The survey suggests that 8 percent of visa renewal requests are declined and that often the US Embassy offers no explanation for delays in issuing visas that have already been approved.

The organizers of the campaign hope the pamphlet prepared by the group would help Saudi students deal with the visa process.

For example, Assadhan said that during the interview students should emphasize their desire to pursue their studies.

“Students should say, ‘I am going to the US to make my life better,’ and not, ‘I am going because I hear it’s a nice country,”’ said Assadhan.

More that 50 percent of the students surveyed said they don’t go home during breaks because they fear their visas won’t be renewed in time to be back for the following semester.

Somaya Abdul Qadir, a 28-year-old postgraduate student in the US state of Georgia, said she has not visited Saudi Arabia for almost five years because of concerns over timely visa renewal.

“I am not certain that my visa renewal will be delayed, but I am not willing to take the risk,” she said.

Mohammed Ali, 28, said it took him eight months to get a new visa after he decided to visit home during a break from studies.

“I lost two semesters waiting for my visa,” he said. “I stayed unemployed (in Saudi Arabia) because I was too afraid to take a job and suddenly have to leave.”

On the other hand, Hadeel Naeem, a 26-year-old student who went to the US state of Tennessee several months ago to pursue her postgraduate degree, said she did not wait long to receive her visa.

“We thought the process was going to take longer, as everyone warned us,” she said. “In a matter of weeks my husband and I got the visas.”

An official at the US Consulate in Jeddah, who asked not to be named, said the US mission is working to reduce the time for issuing a student visa or for renewing one.

“There may be a public perception based on individual cases — cases that have been delayed,” said the consular official. “The fact is that the vast majority of student visas are processed in a matter of weeks,” he said, adding those denied visas are given reasons in writing for the denial.

“If a person is denied visa, the officer will tell the applicant the reason for the denial,” said the official. “If the officer tells the student that administrative processing is required, it indicates that we want to issue the visa and will do so just as quickly as possible.”

The official also said that once a visa is issued, a student can come and go as long as a form called the I-20 is properly filled, signed and up to date.

The consulate urges students to apply for visas and visa renewals as early as possible.

“Unfortunately we see some cases where the student returns to Saudi Arabia in May and only applies for their new visa in August,” said the consular official.