Organizations Urge Changes to Student, Scientist
Visa Processing
"We are committed to working with the federal government
to construct a visa system that protects the nation from terrorists
while enhancing our nation's security not only by barring inappropriate
visitors but also by enabling the brightest and most qualified international
students, scholars, and scientists to participate fully in the U.S.
higher education and research enterprises." -- Statement and
Recommendations on Visa Problems Harming America's Scientific, Economic,
and Security Interests
A call for the federal government to revise its visa policies for students
and scientists was issued on May 12 by 25 science, engineering, and
education organizations. The signatories include the National Academies
of Science and Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, the American
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Association of
American Universities, and the National Association of State Universities
and Land-Grant Colleges. Two AIP Member Societies, the American Physical
Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers, also signed
the statement.
The increasing number of visa applications undergoing time-consuming
reviews (initiated by either the Department of State or the Department
of Homeland Security) has increased substantially since the 9/11 terrorist
attacks, leading to a backlog of applications and delays in processing
that have caused some foreign scientists to miss conferences and students
to miss classes. According to AAAS, between 2000 and 2002, the number
of non-immigrant visa applications being reviewed under a screening
procedure known as Visas Mantis grew from 1,000 to 14,000. (A 2003 report
by AIP's Statistical Research Center, at www.aip.org/statistics/trends/reports/international.pdf,
documents the impacts of visa delays on physics graduate departments.)
"We strongly support the federal government's efforts to establish
new visa policies and procedures to bolster security," the statement
says. "However, we believe that some of the new procedures and
policies, along with a lack of sufficient resources, have made the visa
issuance process inefficient, lengthy, and opaque. We are deeply concerned
that this had led to a number of unintended consequences detrimental
to science, higher education, and the nation." The statement continues,
"In particular, there is increasing evidence that visa-related
problems are discouraging and preventing the best and brightest international
students, scholars, and scientists from studying and working in the
United States, as well as attending academic and scientific conferences
here and abroad. If action is not taken soon to improve the visa system,
the misperception that the United States does not welcome international
students, scholars, and scientists will grow.... The damage to our nation's
higher education and scientific enterprises, economy, and national security
would be irreparable. The United States cannot hope to maintain its
present scientific and economic leadership position if it becomes isolated
from the rest of the world."
The statement offers policymakers six recommendations for improving
the visa process. The recommendations are summarized below:
1. To avoid repetitive security checks and lengthy visa issuance
delays, extend the validity of Visas Mantis clearances for students,
scientists and scholars from a one-year period to the full duration
of their course of study or academic appointment.
2. Establish a timely and efficient process whereby F and
J visa holders can revalidate their visas or begin the revalidation
process before leaving the U.S. for academic, business or personal
reasons.
3. Create a mechanism to inform visa applicants and their
sponsors about the status of pending applications, and ensure that
applications pending for longer than 30 days receive priority.
4. To ensure consistent treatment of visa applicants, provide
updated training to U.S. embassy consular staff, to include the appropriate
use of screening tools and proper protocols for initiating a Visas
Mantis review.
5. Revise visa reciprocity agreements with key countries
sending students, such as China and Russia, to extend the duration
of visas and reduce repetitive visa renewals.
6. Implement a fee collection system for the Student and
Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) that allows for a variety
of quick, secure, simple fee payment methods.
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