Posted by Louis M. Farrell, Director of ICE's Student and Exchange Visitor Program

Today we are thrilled to unveil DHS’s new website, StudyintheStates.dhs.gov.

It’s with great pleasure that I was fortunate to attend the unveiling of the Study in the States website by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at the University of Wisconsin – Madison today.  It was  a great event and during it, the Secretary announced a new DHS-sponsored initiative to enhance our nation’s economic, scientific, and technological competitiveness by finding new, innovative ways to encourage the “best and brightest” international students to study and remain in the United States while we maintain our national security standards.

Being an international student is a complex process that involves several government agencies. Together with our partner agencies, DHS has worked to make Study in the States a clearinghouse of information aimed at helping international students and academic officials navigate this process. On this website, you’ll find up-to-the-minute news and information related to nonimmigrant international students, as well as detailed information on pertinent topics such as maintaining student visa status or using newfound skills in the workplace while here in the United States.

I was excited to see the Secretary’s support of this website, as the launch of this site has been a long time coming.  I know that international students, the academic community, and our partner organizations within the federal government will greatly appreciate all this site has to offer.

It is my hope that this unified source of information for nonimmigrant international students and academic officials helps attract the world’s best and brightest to the U.S., and increases the knowledge and power of the United States.

You can read more about the Study in the States initiative on the DHS blog.