Foreign Scientists Steer Away from States

D.F. Dowd When terrorists unleashed a new kind of fear in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, few Americans may have guessed their attacks would also have significant repercussions for scientists and scientific research. Frustration over visa delays, discouragement over visa denials, and fears that US students, researchers, and employers might now be reluctant to work with them have led some foreign scholars to look elsewhere to advance their careers. As a result, concerns are growing that new immigration policies could--or already have--put foreign students at such a competitive disadvantage that their failure to come to this country will put the United States at a disadvantage as well. "In the long run, the progression of our research is at stake," says Debbie Fountain, with the National Cancer Institute's Office of Management. "These folks play a major part in our research team here in Bethesda, and the longer it takes to bring someone in, if you're without a portion of your team, it slows the research down." Ursula Oaks, spokeswoman for the Association of International Educators, represents 8,500 school administrators who lure from other countries the world's "best and brightest" scholars and researchers. But post-Sept. 11 visa regulations are slowing or preventing the entry of foreigners into this country, and that is convincing some scholars to abandon their dreams of studying here. "We hear that some of the students are saying, 'Well, I've gone ahead and taken this other thing in England,'" Oaks says. "This is one of our fears--that there is healthy competition from other countries that work on recruiting international students, especially in the United Kingdom and Australia." SEPTEMBER SETBACK Before Sept. 11, applying for a foreign-student visa or scholar visa was a relatively straightforward process. Foreigners accepted at American universities applied for visas at the US embassies in their countries, which required a passport, a university letter of recommendation, and records showing they could afford to live in the United States. Visas were registered with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) so authorities could track where students were, what they were studying, and when they returned to their homelands. A certain amount of background checking was always involved, especially for students from countries that posed a threat to the United States. Now, however, background checks have become far more thorough, causing extensive delays. In 2002, the United States gave 253,841 visas to visiting scholars, researchers, teachers, and speakers, says Stuart Patt, a spokesman for the US State Department's Consular Affairs Bureau. That was about 8,000 less than was granted in 2001. The US State Department also gave 234,322 visas to undergraduate and graduate students in 2002--down by nearly 60,000 from 2001. Patt says these reductions reflect more of a drop in visa applications than a rise in rejections. Joseph Roche, a University of Maryland doctoral student from India, was asked on his visa application whether he had experience with biological weapons or had ever been part of an armed conflict. It is a question the State Department now puts to all men between the ages of 16 and 45, but Roche questions whether would-be terrorists would answer it honestly: "The thing is, I don't know how effective it is just asking the question. And why would only males have to fill it out? I think that if such a form has to be filled out, the question should be asked of everyone, irrespective of gender." Authorities also look more closely at students who are from certain countries, including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Sudan. They do the same with those who want to study "sensitive" fields, most of them related to the military--munitions, nuclear technology, missile technology, aircraft propulsion, and navigation. At the University of Iowa this past fall, visas were delayed for four Middle Eastern students because they wished to study "sensitive" science fields such as physics and biochemistry. Visiting fellows at the National Cancer Institute have been questioned thoroughly because they had backgrounds in chemical or biotechnology engineering. "Problems will spring up when we're not expecting them," says Fountain of the National Cancer Institute, which hosts 700 or more foreign postdoctoral students each year. "The background checks have literally added a lot of time onto the visa process, which is already pretty lengthy." Those who do get their visas may be subject to more impediments. The National Security Entry and Exit Registration System (NSEERS) now requires special procedures--fingerprinting, photographing, trips to check-in at district offices--for students born in selected countries that the United States considers sponsors of terrorism. But in fact, school officials say, the INS--which has been bifurcated into two new agencies--often requires this for students, even from countries not on the list. The State Department's Patt says his agency processes most visa applications in about a month. "There are some exceptions to that," he acknowledges. "Typically [for visas] involving highly technical or scientific fields, those take longer because they require a different kind of review. Not only is it more thorough, but different [pairs of] eyes have to look at it." But it could also be that the delays are a function of government inefficiency, says Robert Leiken, director of the Immigration and National Security program at the Nixon Center, a think tank in Washington, DC. "The INS is probably our most inefficient government department, and at the State Department, the people in charge of processing visas are entry-level folks ... rookies,'' says Leiken. "It's not the kind of job people go into the State Department to do, so people don't have a lot of expertise, or high morale ... or very good resources." LOOKING ELSEWHERE Whatever the reasons, officials who work with international students say there is little doubt about the repercussions. Visa delays or rejections are leading some foreign scholars and researchers to accept offers at universities in other countries that are battling hard for their attention. Others conclude that--even if they do eventually get visas--they will face a certain amount of ostracism in this country that would hinder their careers. "Clearly, there have been ... scientists whose careers are being stymied by the State Department restrictions," says Leiken of the Nixon Center. "I think it's going to take a while before this all gets sorted out." In fact, many foreign students interviewed for this article refused to provide their names, because they feared that complaining about their circumstances would prompt immigration officials to make it more difficult for them to get their visas. Some also feared they would experience discrimination from peers and prospective employers. "This issue is sensitive after Sept. 11," says Tao Xing, an Iowa University student, and president of the school's Chinese Professional Association. "If any Chinese student accepts [a journalist's] phone interview ... that might cause some problems for his [or her] future in the US." The new regulations also pose problems for the spouses and children of those who come to the United States on student visas. If these dependents travel outside the United States for any reason, the new regulations forbid them from returning until they apply for a new visa in their home country. In some cases, this means they must remain in their homelands--separated from spouses and children--for an indeterminate time. And they have no guarantees they will be able to return. "We're trying to figure out what to advise these [people] to do," says Steven Hoch, dean of International Programs at Iowa University, where US officials last autumn refused 51 visas for foreign students already accepted at the school. "We can't guarantee that it will all go well." Dana Wilkie (dana.wilkie@copleydc.com) is a Washington, DC, correspondent for the Copley News Service.

Foreign Scientists Steer Away from States

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