US visa rules may change

The United States government is considering extending the validity of visa security clearances for international students, scholars, and scientists, according to comments made at a recent meeting of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the US State Department, and science community stakeholders. But no definite changes have been decided on, nor a timetable set, DHS and State Department spokespeople told The Scientist yesterday, August 31. "We're hopeful that we may be able to find a way to make changes that will balance out the national security needs with the needs of the individuals," said Bill Strassberger, spokesperson for DHS, without providing further details.Kelly Shannon, a Bureau of Consular Affairs spokesperson, said that several improvements are being considered, including a review of visa reciprocity agreements, the mutually agreed upon number of entries into the country that visa applicants are allowed per visa.But Shannon said the State Department urges the science, academic, and business communities to recognize how much the system has already greatly improved. Wendy White, director of the Board on International Science Organizations at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), noted that the visa backlog has diminished and that transparency has improved—many consulates, for example, now post on their Web sites the expected visa processing times in an attempt to make the process seem less open-ended. According to recently released State Department figures, student visa applications have actually increased 9.4% and visa issuances are up 11.2% in the period of January to June for fiscal year 2004, compared to fiscal year 2003.False perceptions about visa-related difficulties, said Shannon, might keep talented students and others from looking to the United States. "What we're worried about really is that a lot of these impressions, perceptions are steeped in historical anecdotes rather than reflecting the current processing," she told The Scientist."We may have to move to fighting the perception that's out there as much as fighting the procedures," said White.In May, several science, engineering, and educational associations, including the NAS, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Association of American Universities outlined several problems plaguing the United States' visa application process. Among them was the maximum one-year security clearance for scientists and others working in what the government deems to be sensitive fields. For students who travel during a multi-year academic stint in the United States, repetitive security checks can cause major delays in returning to their American home institution. "To the extent that you make it frustrating and more difficult to get in, we're going to lose some students," said Mark Frankel, director of the AAAS's Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program. "There have been too many reports of students that have not been able to make a fall term because of the backlog back in the US consulates in their home countries."One possible improvement to the system, said Frankel, would be to extend the validity of security clearances for the duration of a student's program at his or her academic institution unless that student switches to a major listed as sensitive, such as nuclear physics. In part, improved monitoring of students has made this move a possibility. Universities and consulates have begun to adapt to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a computerized database of run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator program (US VISIT), which uses biometrics such as fingerprint scans to track persons entering and exiting the country, continues to ramp up.But it's still unclear what sort of a change the government will make. "Both departments seemed very confident that we would be seeing some changes in the system," White said. "But they didn't go so far as to tell us what those changes were going to be." "My sense is that some version of it will happen," said Frankel. "They're just working out the mechanics." Government officials have also said, according to Frankel, that they'll work with the scientific community to pare down and update the list of "sensitive" fields to prevent unnecessary delays.

US visa rules may change

Government considering extending some clearances, but says system has already improved

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