'Sham' Californian university investigated for US Visa fraud

A complaint was issued by US immigration against Tri-Valley University alleging that the school’s founder and president, Dr Susan Xiao-Ping Su was using the school to issue a US Visa to any foreign nationals willing to pay for it.

Last week, US immigration officials raided the Silicon Valley school and also executed search warrants for three properties under Su’s name.

The ICE complaint states: “Since its inception ... Tri-Valley University has been a sham university, which Su, and others, have used to facilitate foreign nationals in illegally acquiring student immigration status that authorizes them to remain in the United States.”

The immigration investigation began in May of 2010, after it was noticed that the school applied for an excessive amount US Students Visas when compared to the previous year.

 In February 2009, Tri-Valley University was approved to issue visas and by May of that year 11 students were issued a US Visa to study. However, by May 2010, 939 students were issued visas to study at the school.

Over 95 per cent of the “students” were from India, and that the school gave the same apartment’s address for over half of them. 

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The American Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with their  US Visa to the US Embassy.