An official issues the first port visa to an Australian citizen named Frederick at the Pingtan Aoqian Port, Fujian province, May 3. [Photo/ptnet.cn]

More than 20 people were recently arrested by undercover agents of the US Department of Homeland Security for allegedly conspiring with 1,000 foreign nationals to falsely acquire visas. The suspects, mostly American citizens of Chinese and Indian backgrounds, were caught when they attempted to obtain visas for individuals enrolled in so-called diploma mills. Beijing News commented on Monday:

Why do so many Chinese students get easily caught up by diploma mills in the United States?

Because it is difficult to get a work visa, when they are in want of legal entitlement to stay, some people opt to apply to a school.

First, China is indeed the biggest contributor of overseas students to universities and colleges in the US. According to the US Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, by March 2016, the number of international students in the US was 1.18 million, of which 353,000 were Chinese students, twice as large as the number from India, which was the second largest.

Second, the domestic employment situation in China is fiercely competitive. Some Chinese students want to stay in the US for a while to accumulate some competitive advantages. Regardless of the fact that they cannot stay in the US for very long, when returning to work in China, these international social resources can help them even if they return to start their own business.

Furthermore, Chinese students have found the H1B work visas even harder to obtain. For international students, when their F1 student visa expires, if it cannot be converted into an H1B work visa, they have to return home. So some will choose to apply for diplomas while they look for opportunities.