Five People Arrested in the US for Student Visas Fraud

The office of U.S. Attorney has revealed the arrest of five people on Tuesday, 12 March, regarding a scheme to help Chinese nationals pass English proficiency test in order to get US student visas. In the scheme, Chinese nationals hired five people, including four Southland residents, who went ahead to use fabricated Chinese passports to sit for an English proficiency test on behalf of the foreign students. The scheme involves conspiracy, fake passports usage, as well as aggravated identity theft as alleged by a Los Angeles federal grand jury. The people involved are Quang Cao, 24, Liu Cai, 23, Mohan Zhang, 24, Samantha Wang, 24 and Elric Zhang, 24. Liu Cai who is in the United States on a student visa is said to be the facilitator of the scheme has personally taken at least five TOEFL exams under disguised identity. Elric Zhang has also taken at least five TOEFL exams using fake identities. Quang Cao, Mohan Zhang and Mohan Zhang also took at least four, two and two TOEFL exams respectively as parts of the scheme.

English Proficiency Test

Foreign nationals who desire to enter the US on study purposes are required to first get an F-1 student visa. In order to get a student visa, foreign students are first required to submit study applications to schools who can enroll foreign citizens as authorized by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). Majority of SEVP-authorized educational institutions in the US require foreign students whose English is not their native language to pass TOEFL exams as proof of English proficiency. Test takers are required to tender original and non-expired government-issued IDs at TOEFL test location. U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that about five years jail term is attached to the conspiracy count, maximum of 10 years for fake passports usage and a compulsory two years jail term for aggravated identity theft. Stay in touch and get alerts & emails directly in your inbox by subscribing to Visa Crimes Check here for our latest immigration updates, local immigration activities, emerging trends, visa news updates for Australia, Canada, US, UK, Germany and more.