21 People Arrested in a Fake University Scheme by US Homeland Security Dept on Student Visa Fraud

File photo: Chinese international students

At first glance, the University of Northern New Jersey (UNNJ) in the U.S. sounds just too appealing to foreign students.

Established in 2013 in Crandford, the university promises to provide an “exceptional” education for foreign students wishing to study in the United States. However, it has no sports teams, no orientation or graduation ceremonies and even no instructors or classes.

In fact, the school was a scheme from beginning to end. It was fake. The university was founded by federal authorities from the U.S. Homeland Security Department. It is just a set up for probing on student visa fraud.

On April 5, 2016, the police launched a sting operation and arrested 21 people involved in a student visa fraud.

The 21 people, described as brokers, recruiters, and employers, are charged with conspiracy to help more than 1,000 foreign students mostly from China and India to get fraud student visas. Some of the brokers also arranged work visas and jobs illegally in the States, the authorities said.

According to the United States attorney Paul J. Fishman, the arrested include naturalized American citizens, legal permanent residents in the U.S., as well as six education agents based in New York City (three of them in Flushing, Queens). These suspects would receive $1,200 to $2,000 commission for hiring one foreign student.

The students with fraud visas have been identified and will be dealt with by immigration authorities – meaning they could face deportation.

The sting operation was a way to understand the extent of the criminal network behind visa fraud, including how students are recruited, how fake universities work, and what happens after the students are enrolled, Fishman said.