Fewer international students will likely be turned away from Penn State next fall because of an extension of the student visa application process.

The U.S. State Department extended the student visa application process from 90 to 120 days before the beginning of classes, giving students more opportunities to receive a visa on time.

Masume Assaf, associate director for Penn State's International Student Services (ISS), said students in the past have been late getting to campus because they could not get appointments with their embassies.

"There is a problem of thousands of students applying for visas at crunch time, and some are delayed getting an appointment," she said. "We tell them not to come if they can't make it by the late registration date."

If a graduate student is late arriving to campus because of visa complications, the ISS office meets with the department to see if the student can still participate during that semester, she said.

Assaf said there are 3,199 international students at University Park, but only a few are turned away each semester because of visa delays.

However, this number will most likely decrease next fall because of the change, she said.

The extension is for F-1, F-2, M-1 and M-2 visas.

The F-1 visa is for students applying for the first time; the F-2, for their spouses and children; the M-1, for those looking for vocational training for the first time; and the M-2, for their spouses and children, State Department spokeswoman Darla Jordan said.

Students applying to extend their visas may do so at any time, as long as they have maintained student status, Jordan said.

Penn State issues a document for each international student allowing them to apply for a visa, Assaf said.

"Now, we can issue the document earlier so students can apply for the visas earlier," she said.

The decision is part of Joint Vision, a three-part plan by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff to protect U.S. borders while making the visa application process more efficient, Jordan said.

"While security remains paramount, we will ensure that the experience of travelers reflects this welcoming spirit and shows that the United States is open to business travelers, tourists and students while ensuring that our homeland is secure," Rice and Chertoff said in a Jan. 17 statement.

To do this, the plan calls for enrolling companies to help expedite the process, in addition to new technology allowing students to make appointments and complete applications on the Internet, Jordan said. She said the plan also consists of updating passport and identity security and modernizing screening technology for immigration.