U.S. for Success Coalition sets new goals for and boosts membership

In a statement, the U.S. for Success Coalition said that achievements within the first year included the Department of State’s action to extend the visa interview waiver policy for eligible student visa candidates.

Consistent and high-level communication with Congress and the State Department to address disproportionately high visa denial rates affecting Africa and a related advocacy campaign that has resulted in 1,300 messages to members of Congress and a sign-on letter from eight U.S. senators to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging clarity on student visa adjudication standards were other highlights, it said.

Membership: After a year, the membership of the U.S. for Success Coalition has now reached more than 40 entities across the international education sector.

The U.S. for Success Coalition was established to provide coordinating advocacy for the sector.

The U.S. for Success Coalition was initially established by 11 organizations including AIRC: The Association of International Enrollment Management ; the Alliance for International Exchange; ETS , administrators of the TOEFL and TOIEC tests; the Institute of International Education (IIE); NAFSA Association of International Educators ; the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration; and Shorelight .

Members to have joined in the subsequent 12 months include ApplyBoard , EC English , ELS Language Centers , EnglishUSA , IDP Education , IELTS USA, INTO University Partnerships , Kaplan International Languages , Pearson PTE Academic and the The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) . Click here to see the full list of members.

As a result of the growth, the Coalition has added to its Executive Committee and has formed a new Advisory Council to help shape its future agenda.

Advocacy goals: Moving forward, the U.S. for Success Coalition said it will “mobilize to accelerate positive change and protect against potential threats to positioning the United States to effectively compete and cooperate on a global stage”.

On the eve of the presidential election, the organization said that it will engage with the next administration and Congress to “build upon its call for a whole-of-government approach to competing on the global stage and embracing ways to more efficiently handle government processing and interagency coordination”.

This will include calls for improvements to visa interviews and processing, and stronger pathways for students to work in the country.

Work with higher education institutions in the USA will also be strengthened “in order to increase and diversify international student enrolment and postgraduation pathways”.

Rohit Sharma, SVP of Global Mobility Solutions at ETS, said, “As a founding member of the U.S. for Success Coalition, ETS is proud of our continued efforts to champion international students. By championing inclusive policies, we enrich campuses, fuel innovation, and strengthen the economy. Creating opportunities for these students ensures a more connected, competitive, and prosperous future for all.”

“At a time when our nation is facing demographic shifts that will have major implications for our colleges and universities, it is so important to come together as a community to support both international student success and the success of our institutions hosting these students,” said Allan Goodman, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Fanta Aw, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA, added, “We are encouraged by the progress we’ve made in the coalition’s first year and firmly believe partnership will be the way forward, especially in these unsettled times politically.

“Drastic changes in other major destinations recently reinforce the critical importance of sound, coordinated national policy with student success at the center. International students and scholars, institutions of higher education, and society all benefit immensely from international exchange, given how interdependent our world is and that global solutions require global engagement. There is no better investment than education. We look forward to making more inroads in 2025.”