BRAZILIAN EXCHANGE STUDENTS FLOCKING TO THE UNITED STATES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SAO PAULO 000787 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR CA/P, CA/VO/F/P, ECA/EC/PS, ECA/EC/CU, WHA/BSC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CVIS KFRD OEXC ELAB SMIG BR SUBJECT: BRAZILIAN EXCHANGE STUDENTS FLOCKING TO THE UNITED STATES SAO PAULO 00000787 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: AmConsul Sao Paulo had a 23 percent increase in J visa applicants during the first semester of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006. This is the continuation of a trend that has resulted in a 185 percent increase in demand for J visas over the past five years. The increased popularity of au pair and summer work travel programs is driving this demand, combined with ever increasing interest among Brazilian youth to study or conduct exchanges overseas. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- Au Pair and Summer Work Travel Programs Driving Growth -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) AmConsul Sao Paulo had a 23 percent increase in J visa applicants during the first semester of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006, and a 35 percent increase compared with 2005. This growth is attributed primarily to the increasing popularity of the J1 work programs, notably au pair and summer work travel. Brazil's largest exchange organization, Student Travel Bureau (STB),reported a 130 percent increase thus far in 2007 in au pair clients and a 65 percent increase in summer work travel clients compared to the same period in 2006. AmConsul Sao Paulo expects to interview approximately 11,000 summer work travel candidates in October and November, a 57 percent increase over the 7,000 that applied in ¶2006. ¶3. (U) While the popularity of J1 work programs is on the rise, the J1 high school program is increasingly losing students to other countries. According to Tereza Fulfaro, Educational Director of another large agency, Central de Intercambio (CI),this can be attributed not to decreased interest, but rather to difficulties in securing host families and schools. In 2005, 66 percent of CI's high school clients went to the U.S. That percentage dropped to 55 percent in 2006 and 44 percent in 2007. The same trend is noted by STB, which has had to redirect students to Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Switzerland. ¶4. (U) The overall increase in J1 numbers corresponds to expanding demand within the Brazilian student population for exchange and study opportunities overseas. Exchange organizations Experimento and CI, for example, have grown 40 percent in each of the past five years in worldwide exchange and study programs. STB is growing around 30 percent a year, with U.S. programs growing above this average. Word-of-mouth is the biggest factor driving this growth, buttressed by a well-developed exchange industry and a strong Brazilian currency. -------------- -------------- J Programs Growing Since 9/11 Despite Competition -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) The overall popularity of the United States among Brazilian students is rebounding after leveling off post-9/11. While interest in J1 exchange programs was not affected to the same degree as F1 language and academic programs, real and perceived obstacles in the visa process - combined with security concerns and the devaluation of the Brazilian currency - drew many Brazilians away from the U.S. and towards Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. ¶6. (U) According to Patricia Zocchio, CEO of Experimento, the U.S. has historically been the top destination for Brazilians participating in study and exchange programs. Until 2000, 40 percent of her clients studying abroad (F1 visa holders) chose the U.S. After 2001, Canada and Australia surpassed the U.S. as the top destinations for students looking for academic and language study, diminishing the U.S. market share for such programs to 20 percent. ¶7. (U) J1 work programs have gone in the opposite direction. After J visa applications decreased by 5.4 percent in 2001 compared to the previous year, demand has increased every year: by 1.1 percent in 2002, 10.7 percent in 2003, 68.1 percent in 2004, 39.3 percent in 2005, and 8.8 percent in 2006. This is a 185 percent increase over the past five years. Brazilian exchange organizations have been selling the summer work travel program since 1998. Combined with the rising popularity of the au pair and trainee/intern programs, the U.S. has dominated this market over the past decade. While similar work programs have opened up in England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, Experimento maintains that "the programs offered in the U.S. are second to none" as they combine "reasonable costs, attractive salaries, and the renowned American work ethic." SAO PAULO 00000787 002.2 OF 003 -------------- -------------- Residual Perception of Difficulty in Obtaining Student Visa -------------- -------------- ¶8. (U) Conoff asked four of the country's largest exchange agencies about how visa requirements weighed on a client's decision to choose the U.S. over another destination. While all four organizations noted recent improvements in the visa application process - shorter wait times and a general increase in clarity - all confirmed that U.S. visa requirements do push potential students and exchange visitors towards other countries. Among the obstacles, real and perceived, include the need to appear in person for an interview, fear of being denied, difficulties in proving ties to Brazil, and the wait time. ¶9. (U) The visa issue certainly looms large when comparing U.S. visa demands to those of other potential destination countries. New Zealand, Ireland and the U.K. do not require visas for Brazilians on short-term programs. The process for Australia and Canada is less complex and usually does not require the applicant to appear in person, a huge consideration in a country that is larger than the 48 contiguous U.S. states. According to Felipe Jendiroba, Managing Director of Intercultural, the fact that foreign students can also work part-time in Australia, Canada, Ireland and England is a big draw. According to a recent study conducted by the Brazilian Education & Language Travel Association (BELTA),the cost of the program is the most important factor in deciding location, followed by visa requirements, availability of work permits, and the cost of living. ¶10. (U) COMMENT: In 2006, AmConsul Sao Paulo denied 10.3 percent of J1 visas, compared to the overall visa denial rate of 13 percent. The denial rate of F1 visas is 27 percent. The Canadian Consulate in Sao Paulo has similar statistics. While their overall visa denial rate is around 12 percent, they estimate that about 20 percent of students are denied. Sao Paulo has prioritized student appointments, and the current wait for F1 and J1 applicants is less than a week, compared with over two months for tourist visas. END COMMENT -------------- CONSULATE OUTREACH -------------- ¶11. (U) The Brazilian exchange market is exceptionally well-developed. AmConsul Sao Paulo is in regular contact with over fifty organizations that assist students with J1 programs, although a handful of for-profit organizations dominate the market. STB, for instance, has 51 branch offices across the country and sends 5500 clients annually to the U.S. on F1 and J1 programs. These agencies serve as "one-stop shops" for students wishing to travel to the U.S., selecting the program that best fits the student's goals. ¶12. (U) AmConsul Sao Paulo has held over 30 meetings with exchange agencies over the past year, in addition to a summer work travel planning meeting that brought together almost fifty exchange organizations. In preparation for the Summer Work Travel season that begins in October, ConOffs have attended six job fairs and pre-orientation meetings for student candidates, in addition to meetings with agency heads. Through this outreach, ConOffs have directly reached about 1,400 students, 20 U.S. employers and six U.S. designated J1 sponsors. In the coming months, ConOffs plan to expand existing outreach. -------------- Growth in J Programs Expected To Continue -------------- ¶13. (U) Despite the obstacles, indications are that Brazilians will continue to seek out exchange opportunities in the U.S. over the coming years. A strong currency, a competitive and globally integrated labor market, and a well-developed exchange industry all make J1 exchange programs an easy sell. The perception within the industry and among potential participants is that the U.S. au pair, summer work travel and trainee programs are the best when considered on a cost-benefit basis. For high school exchange students, demand currently surpasses supply, but the demand itself does not seem to be diminishing. ¶14. (U) As the total number of exchange students has increased, so has the refusal rate. Whereas the refusal rate in 2005 for J1 visas was 5.6 percent, that number jumped to 10.3 percent in 2006. SAO PAULO 00000787 003.2 OF 003 Interviewing officers and Fraud Prevention Unit (FPU) are paying close attention to possible fraud trends within the program and carefully monitoring applicants and their sponsors. An unfortunate problem ConOffs have encountered involves unscrupulous agencies motivated by profit that fail to screen applicants appropriately. Isolated incidents of agencies using the J program as a vehicle for immigration are being investigated by FPU. ¶15. (U) COMMENT: While setting high standards for applicants and exchange organizations, AmConsul Sao Paulo hopes to encourage the continuing growth of J exchange programs for Brazilian youth, particularly among social classes that may not be able to access more costly F1 study programs, and among young adults who may not otherwise have the opportunity to visit the United States. ConOffs are disseminating this message through post's ELO outreach program targeting several universities that have not had close contact with the Consulate. AmConsul Sao Paulo will continue these efforts and look for new opportunities to highlight exchange and study opportunities in the United States. END COMMENT. ¶16. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Brasilia. #White