HYDERABAD : Authorities in the US have raided offices of another university, the University of North Virginia’s Annadale campus, on the charges of fraud, this time in the suburb of Washington.

About 2,400 students were enrolled at UNVA and roughly 90 per cent of them were from India with 1,500 from Andhra Pradesh.

In a day-long exercise, dozens of officials from different federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and FBI, raided offices at the University of Northern Virginia's Annadale campus and took away with them a large number of boxes full of documents and computer hard drives division.

The visa fraud has come as a double blow for students from Andhra Pradesh, many of whom are former students of the Tri-Valley University, California, that was shut down in January this year after being charged with immigration fraud. They paid between $5,000 and $10,000 for admission to UNVA as it was offering courses similar to TVU.

The university declined to communicate with its students and staff, except for posting a notice on its entrance informing that the university is still open.

The students of the University of Northern Virginia's Annandale campus have the choice to move to other varsities or look for other options if they want.

UNVA students must leave the country if they are unable “to continue to attend classes and maintain active status in a manner required by federal regulations,“ reads the notice posted on the door of the university's offices.

Consultants and agents exploited the ex-students of TVU by telling them that they would be “out of status“ if they did not transfer immediately to another university within a limited period of time. They recommended UNVA because it was offering CPT. A student with F1 visa can work after nine months of entering the US under CPT (Curricular Practical Training).

Established in 1998, UNVA is an unaccredited private institution and offers Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degrees online and in class, with locations in Annandale, Manassas and Centreville in Virginia.

Mr P. Vijayendar who paid $5,000 for admission of his son to UNVA, said that he had cross-checked with the designated officials at UNVA about the university's accreditation status several times after the TVU fiasco. “They said it was an accredited university and there will no problem,“ he said. According to him, about 100 students from Hyderabad alone who got admission to UNVA were former TVU students.

In New Delhi, the Centre has asked the US to ensure that the students are not victimised as they all valid documents. This newspaper, in its issue dated February 5, 2011, had cautioned students against seeking admission in the UNVA (10,000 from AP face deportation) following a fiasco at the TVU. It had warned that students would be in trouble if US cracked down on sham universities.

No tagging of students US officials have assured that no arrest or detention or electronic monitoring would be done on students and UNVA would not be immediately shut down but would be given a 1 month notice for explanation.

Students would have one of the three options: con tinue at the university while it functions; seek transfer to another university; seek voluntary return to their country.

The visa status of the stu dents would not be termi nated.