Guide to the In Transit Collection SC1581

Creator: Alisjahbana, Irene

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: Irene Alisjahbana speaks about her experience of being an international student at Stanford University and the process of adjusting to a new culture when she first arrived in the US. She also describes her experiences of traveling during the pandemic to visit her family in Indonesia, her views of the proposed visa rules and restrictions related to international students that came out in 2020, and the uncertainty she experienced as an international student during the pandemic. She speaks about her volunteer work that focuses on helping international students, and offers advice to other students applying for visas. Additionally, she explains the process of applying for the American visa in Indonesia, including the long lines that start forming at about 6:00 a.m. to enter the American Embassy and the tight security that applicants must go through when entering the Embassy premises. She identifies the visa process as "complex," "stressful," and "expensive."

Creator: GB

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: GB speaks about her time at Stanford University as an international student from Canada. While Canadian citizens do not need to have a visa interview to enter the US and enjoy a level of privilege, GB describes the enormous fear and anxiety she experienced given all the rules one needs to follow to maintain one's legal status as an international student in the United States. GB also talks about the experience of finishing up her PhD and applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT) in the middle of the pandemic, and the challenges she faced in wrapping up her writing with limited resources. She explains how she relied on help from the Bechtel International Center at many junctures and offers a sense of the challenges faced by international students at Stanford. GB also points out the positive aspects of immigration-related processes in Canada, and compares and contrasts them with processes in the US. In terms of improving the system, she suggests borrowing from industry best practices to further automate systems and speed up document processing.

Creator: HH

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: HH speaks about his experiences as an international student from Iran at Stanford University, and the challenges he has experienced because of his citizenship. He describes how he is sometimes viewed negatively, and how, over time, he has learned to be more understanding of the perceptions held in the United States regarding Iranian citizens. He describes the difficulties associated with obtaining a US visa, and how Iranian citizens need to travel to third countries such as Turkey to apply for the US visa. HH also speaks about the challenges he underwent when applying for the Canadian visa while being in Iran, and how he had to compile a justificatory narrative of about forty pages to apply for the visa. He also explains how, after his US visa expired, he has not seen his family and friends in Iran for over three years. He expressed fear that he will not be able to obtain a US visa again if he leaves the US. This is also the reason HH cited for not taking part in any international conferences. He expressed concern about his ability to apply to jobs that would require him to travel internationally because his citizenship would make it very difficult for him to obtain visas. He also pointed out how successfully obtaining a visa provides no guarantee of entry into the US. HH identifies "uncertainty," "challenging," and "fear" as words he associates with the visa system.

Creator: Khan, Minha

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: Minha Khan, a dual citizen of Pakistan and the United States, speaks about the path that led her to Stanford and some of the struggles she experienced in adapting to the Stanford environment and finding a place where she felt she belonged. Khan talks about her Stanford study abroad program at Oxford, the difficulties of having to depart suddenly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how Stanford facilitated the process. She describes how she struggled to get through the quarter due to the time zone difference while living in Pakistan, and recounts some of the travel challenges she experienced when she decided to fly back to the US to complete the fall quarter. She shares memories of her experiences applying for visas and reflects on how her identity as a Muslim woman with connections to both Pakistan and the United States and her status as a Stanford student have affected her experiences moving across borders. She describes instances when she felt discriminated against when traveling and advocates for a process in which travelers and applicants are treated with more empathy. Finally, she talks about South Asian Winter Camp, a program she co-founded to help children re-engage with school in the midst of pandemic disruptions.

Interview closed

Creator: Liu, Lily

Abstract: Lily Liu reflects on her identity as an international student and describes the process of obtaining permanent resident status in the United States. In talking about her experiences with different visas, Liu uses words such as "scary," "stressful," "high-stakes," and "convoluted." She discusses the benefits of being a Chinese citizen with permanent residency status in the US, as well as some of the challenges, including limitations on travel flexibility and career options. Speaking about possible changes to the visa process, she highlights the importance of developing accountability measures, a desire for more human interaction and assistance, and the need for transitioning to digitized forms and systems.

Creator: Maranca, Alessandra Rister Portinari

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: Alessandra Rister Portinari Maranca explains in detail the difficulties that she experienced in obtaining the American visa to come to Stanford because the US Embassy and consulates were closed in Brazil due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She explains how her interview was cancelled multiple times by the embassy, and how she could not apply for her visa through Brazil, her home country, although she had already paid the visa fee. She describes how she decided to apply for the visa through a different country, and the harrowing experience of applying to and finally obtaining the American visa through Ecuador. Additionally, she speaks about life at Stanford University as an international student, and highlights the challenges she faced in adjusting to a new life in the US as a freshman in college. She also speaks about the difficulties she experienced during the Fall 2020 quarter when she was taking classes while in Brazil, including a five-hour time difference. In reflecting on the visa system, Alessandra uses the words "helplessness," "restricted," and "scary" as the words she associates with the visa.

Creator: Mittal, Smiti

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: Smiti Mittal speaks about what it has been like to be an international student at Stanford, including the initial difficulties that she experienced and the ways in which she became more integrated into the Stanford community. Mittal also talks about her decision to leave Stanford to return to India as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US, the positive and negative aspects of working from home, and how the transition has impacted both her social and academic lives. Additionally, Mittal provides details about her experiences applying for visas, including the stress of visa interviews, and interacting with Customs and Border Protection when entering the US. Mittal also shares her views about transit visas, the ways in which the visa system could be improved, and the need for community education and support about visas.

Creator: Moussawi, Hala

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: Hala Moussawi speaks about the different types of American visas she has applied for in the past few years and provides details about her experiences with the visa application process. She explains how applying for her G4 visa was easier than applying for her other visas. She also talks about how expensive it is to apply for the US visa, noting that the cost of the visa can depend on the nature of the diplomatic relationship between the two countries. She points out how she paid over $700 for her American visa during a time when the US did not have a very good relationship with Lebanon, her country of citizenship. Additionally, Moussawi offers her opinion on some problems with the visa system and provides some suggestions as to how things can be improved. She views the visa system as unfair because of the limits visa laws place on citizens from some countries. She also commends the high level of support that Stanford University extends toward its international students.

Creator: Pearson, John, 1948-

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: John Pearson, who was the director of the Bechtel International Center at Stanford from 1988 to 2016, speaks about the circumstances that brought him from England to the United States as a graduate student and eventually led him to Stanford in 1985. He describes some of the center's efforts to build community among international students and highlights important changes in Bechtel's role, especially its increased bureaucratic responsibilities for providing students with information related to visas and documenting international students via the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) in compliance with federal regulations.

Interview is also part of the staff series in Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program (SC0932_s5)

Creator: Saadi, Olga

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: Olga Saadi speaks about the challenges she has encountered as an international student, including the inability to return to her home in Brazil because of the various travel restrictions imposed due to COVID-19. Additionally, she discusses the process of applying to American and other visas through Brazil and shares her general views regarding the visa system.

Creator: Tragus, Nicolas Jean-Jacques

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: Nicolas Jean-Jacques Tragus speaks about his experiences as an international student at Stanford University both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the "intense" nature of the adjustment process after arriving in the United States and the challenges he faced while completing the Spring and Summer quarters from France in 2020. Tragus also talks about traveling during the pandemic and shares the story of undergoing an additional security check before boarding a flight at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport in France. He describes the process of applying to the American visa, including paying fees and proving that he had access to finances. He reflects on why it is important for international students to freely participate in higher education in the US, shares his impressions of the visa system and American culture, and offers advice to future international students.

Creator: Anonymous Student

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: Anonymous speaks about her work supporting international students through organizations such as the International Student Advocacy post in Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) and the Society of International Affairs at Stanford (SIAS). She also describes in detail her experiences as a citizen of Turkey in obtaining visas, including the American visa and the Schengen visa. Ustabas narrates the difficulties she experienced while putting together the required documents for the visa, while waiting in line for hours to attend her visa interview, and while interacting with the consular staff. She also talks about incidents at airports, embassies, and consulates when she felt she was mistreated as a result of her citizenship, including her experience of going through secondary screening at the San Francisco airport. Anonymous explains why she considers visa laws to be unfair, racist, and condescending, and advocates for more open borders and better treatment of visa applicants, especially international students.

Creator: Xu, Bruce Changlong

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: Bruce Changlong Xu speaks about his time in New Zealand and Hong Kong before coming to Stanford University. He discusses the different visas he has had to apply for, including the visa to study in the US, and provides an overview of the steps involved in applying for a visa. He mentions the queues that form outside the US Embassy in Hong Kong, and the long wait in order to enter the Embassy. He describes his discomfort while he waited in the rain for his appointment outside the embassy. He also carefully reflects on the positive as well as negative aspects of the visa system, and shares his views on borders, international students, and travel.

Creator: Zhao, Shirley

Creator: Jayasinghe, Dharshani Lakmali

Abstract: Shirley Zhao speaks about how she ended up at Stanford after completing her undergraduate degree at New York University, Shanghai. She explains how much she enjoys being at Stanford and the different ways in which she feels integrated into the community. She also discusses both the positive and the negative aspects of living on campus since the pandemic struck. When discussing visas, Zhao talks about her experiences in applying to visas, the existence of "agencies" to help people apply for visas in China, some of her experiences with officers at the airport and at Customs and Border Protection, and the importance of having a reasonable and fair way to regulate border crossings. She recalls feeling anxious due to existing tensions between the US and China and how she is unable to return to China for winter break due to travel restrictions. She also comments on how immigration is an important aspect of America's past and future.