Transcript for Lost in America: Student Visa Program

The last time we waited this long for D. Was 1994. To a new crackdown aimed at stopping budding terrorists in their tracks. The proposal in England comes two weeks after the execution of James Foley. Tonight british authorities taking the lead after upping the threat level there heading into the weekend tonight saying it is time to seize the passports of suspected terrorists from leaving them in the U.K. And fighting Syria and Iraq and prevent them from joining Isis. To an eye opening ABC news investigation here. With all of that concern in Britain over home ground terror, news tonight 6,000 foreign nationals have traveled here to America and have disappeared. How did they do it and were any of them sneaking into this country? ABC's chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross tonight. Reporter: For a down payment of just a few hundred dollars, there is a much easier way for people to sneak into the country than this, with even less chance of getting caught. Here's how to get a U.S. Student Visa. And then disappear. As of today, U.S. Authorities are investigating the whereabouts of more than 6,000 foreign nationals who arrived in the U.S. On student Visas have vanished, their whereabouts and their intentions unknown. They just disappear. Reporter: That's just what happened with the 9/11 hijackers who flew the passenger jet into the Pentagon and authorities say the problem continues. It's been pointed out over and over again. The fact that nobody has done anything about it yet, that's a very dangerous thing for all of us. Reporter: It's a well intentioned program that allows more than a million foreign students a year to study in the U.S. Our investigation found that homeland security also certifies 86 beauty schools, 36 massage schools and nine schools that teach horseshoing, all Val lid for a U.S. Visa. Why a horseshoing school? What is the value in that for the U.S.? I'm not too sure what the value of that would be, Brian. Reporter: Peter edge heads investigations for I.C.E., immigration and customs enforcement. I do agree it's a problem, Brian. They have blended into the landscape. They have blended into the landscape. It's like disappearing, isn't it? Virtually. Reporter: Ice has brought criminal charges in some cases, including five top people in the micropower institute in New York where authorities say they essentially offered an easy path to U.S. Visas for the price of tuition. None of the administrators would come out when we showed up and have pled not guilty to Visa fraud. The operation remains on the homeland security list of schools certified for foreign student Visas. Here it is right here. Right. How can they still be on that list of certified schools? Brian, I can only say this is the United States of America and everyone has due process. Reporter: In the wake of the 9/11 attacks there were calls for tighter rules and FAA approval for U.S. Flight schools that train foreign students. In the most recent audit, more than a third of the flight schools accepting foreign students still had not been certified by the FAA. Brian, thank you. Tonight from the Syrian border with Lebanon where we

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