Regulation JQKA-R(1): Foreign Students

1. ENROLLMENT OF FOREIGN STUDENTS

Students of immigrant, refugee, asylee, and non-immigrant status may apply for admission to the DeKalb County School District. An immigrant student is defined as any alien who has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and has an Alien Registration Card. A refugee is a person legally admitted to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) as amended. Such a person would enter the United States with a Form I-94 (Section 207). An asylee is a person legally admitted to the United States under Section 208 INA as amended. A parolee encompasses a variety of situations in which temporary entry or stay in the United States is authorized. A non-immigrant student is defined as an alien entering the United States, temporarily residing in DeKalb County, and possessing an Arrival-Departure Record or Form I-94.

Students of immigrant, refugee, and asylee status living in the District shall be enrolled without cost through the normal registration procedures of the International Student Center (ISC) and shall be assigned to the school in the attendance area in which the student's parents reside.

Students of non-immigrant status who are temporarily residing within the District may apply for registration through the International Student Center. If such students are residing with their parents or legal guardians, they shall be enrolled without cost through normal International Student Center registration.

The District is not responsible for making determinations regarding students’ immigration and/or visa status. In accordance with federal law, the District shall accept immigrants and non-visa-holders who meet age and residency requirements and shall not inquire about their legal status.

1. FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENTS

The Board recognizes the value of cultural and academic exchanges. Such experiences provide foreign exchange students with a balanced understanding of our country and provide U.S. students with a broad world perspective.

Students visiting our state for a short stay (B-2 visa), such as a vacation or visit with friends or family, may not enroll in school in the District.

Foreign exchange students who come to the U.S. for a long-term visit (J-1 or F-1 visas) with the intention of attending school may register to attend school in the District through a recognized foreign exchange program.

1. Definitions:

2. Foreign Exchange Student: This term pertains to those students of foreign nationality who visit this country for a specified period of time (usually limited to one year) and who are enrolled in an American school as a Foreign Exchange Student on an F-1 or J-1 visa, as described below.

3. Non-immigrant Visas

4. B-2 Visa, Visitor for Pleasure: This Visa is issued to an alien who has a home in a foreign country to which he or she will return after a short stay in the United States. The purpose of the stay in the United States is to tour, visit friends, or family, or sightseeing. B-2 Visa aliens may not attend school full-time.
5. J-1 Visa, Student Exchange Visitor: This Visa is issued for no more than one academic school year to aliens who will participate in a United States Information Agency designated Exchange-Visitor program. This Visa is only authorized for one time use. The student must have a home in a foreign country to which he or she will return after the stay in the United States.

6. F-1 Visa, Academic Student: This Visa is issued to aliens who will be studying in an academic course at a school authorized by Homeland Security to allow foreign students to attend. Schools must apply for authorization from Homeland Security/the U.S. Department of State. The alien must have a home in a foreign country which he or she will return after a maximum stay. Before alien students can obtain an F-1 Visa, they must pay the school full, unsubsidized per capita cost of providing education for the period of the alien’s attendance.

7. Immigrant: An “immigrant” is a person who has been legally admitted to the U.S. as a permanent resident alien. The immigrant usually has been issued an Alien Registration Receipt Card (INS Form I-551) generally referred to as a “green card.” The immigrant has the choice of becoming a citizen of the U.S. after residing in the U.S. for a period of five years and passing an examination.

8. Refugee: A “refugee” is a person who is unwilling or unable to return to his or her country because of persecution or a well founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular group, or political opinion. Refugees do not hold a “green card,” but they will posses an Arrival/Departure Card (INS Form I-94) annotated “Parolee-Indefinite Stay.”

9. Enrollment of Foreign Exchange Students in the District

10. The District will receive applications for enrollment of only those J-1 Foreign Exchange Students who are sponsored by organizations that meet the requirements and are registered with Georgia’s State Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State (USDOS), and the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET).

11. The length of stay for J-1 Foreign Exchange Students is limited to a maximum of one academic year.

12. J-1 Foreign Exchange Students must beunder 18 years of age on the date of enrollment in the District.

13. Students who have graduated from high school in their home country will not beenrolled or accepted as J-1 Foreign Exchange Students in the District.

14. Sponsoring Organizations Requirements

15. Each request for enrollment in the District must include the following:

16. Name, street address, home and work phone numbers of host family (*Note that host family must reside in the District attendance area)

17. Name, birth date, country of origin, grade level of the student

18. Name, address, and telephone numbers of parents/legal guardians

19. Name, address, and telephone numbers of the contact person of sponsoring organization

20. Letter of application in English in student’s own handwriting

21. Verification of health and accident coverage

22. Immunization and health records

23. An English translation of student’s transcript for previous three school years showing all courses completed (this should include current school year) accompanied by an explanation of the grading system used, number of clock hours of instruction per week per subject and the length of the school year. Specific courses must be listed, e.g. Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, Biology.

24. Verification of English Language Proficiency demonstrated by either

25. Score of 360 or above on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL),

26. 45th percentile or above on the Secondary Level English Proficiency Test (SLEP) or another means of demonstrating English proficiency to the district, or

27. Minimum of five (5) years of formal English instruction and/or attendance at an English speaking school

28. J-1 Foreign Exchange Students and host parents must be present for registration at their assigned host high school prior to the first day of school.

29. Enrollment Guidelines for J-1 Foreign Exchange Students

30. J-1 Foreign Exchange Students will be enrolled as full-time students.

31. J-1 Foreign Exchange Students will be graded and evaluated academically, but will not be granted a high school diploma. Students enrolled as seniors may go through commencement and receive an “Honorary Recognition Diploma” and a “Certificate of Attendance.”

32. J-1 Foreign Exchange Students shall not be included in any class ranking lists.

33. J-1 Foreign Exchange Students at the conclusion of their stay will receive a District Transcript and “Certificate of Attendance.”

34. J-1 Foreign Exchange Students will be responsible for school fees and expenses on the same basis as resident students.

35. J-1 Foreign Exchange Students will be subject to the same policies, rules and regulations as resident students.

36. Eligibility of J-1 Foreign Exchange Students for participation in extracurricular athletics and other such activities is determined by the rules and regulations of the Georgia High School Athletic Association.

37. Organization/Sponsor Responsibilities

38. Each organization/sponsor of J-1 Foreign Exchange Students must meet current USDOS and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) guidelines and District policies and regulations.

39. Selection of J-1 Foreign Exchange Students will be in accordance with above stated District policies and procedures.

40. Organization/Sponsor must provide J-1 Foreign Exchange Students an orientation to the host family, the school, U.S. school system, and the community.

41. The organization/sponsor must comply with the established timelines for notification, placement, acceptance, admission and registration of the student.

42. Should the assurances or documentation provided by an organization/sponsor prove invalid, further acceptance of J-1 Foreign Exchange Students from that organization/sponsor shall be terminated for the remainder of that academic year and the next academic year and thereafter until proof of compliance acceptable to the District is provided.

43. The responsibility for appropriate host family placement, accurate and complete information rests with the sponsoring organization.