21 April 2003
Educators Demand Transparency, Timeliness, Predictability in Visa Process
(Conference explores U.S. visa policy impact on international education exchange) (1440) By Anthony Kujawa Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- Changes in U.S. visa policy and new information requirements for international students and scholars in the United States must not hamper legitimate education exchange, says a group of international educators. Government officials and leaders of international education organizations, meeting in a forum on "Sustaining Exchanges While Securing Borders" in Washington April 16, agreed that "secure borders" and "open doors" -- two goals of U.S. visa policy -- are not mutually exclusive. They called for the United States to more effectively communicate visa policies, to introduce transparency into visa application procedures, and to adjudicate visas in a more timely manner. The forum at George Washington University explored how the government and exchange organizations might work to minimize the negative impacts of security measures on legitimate international exchanges. Opening the conference, McKinney Russell, President of the Public Diplomacy Council, said that nurturing "a true spirit of engagement and dialogue" with the world through welcoming students and visitors to the U.S. is "essential to our growth as a nation and indeed to our survival." But he warned that security challenges post-9/11 have "complicated the flow and flowering of exchanges." Common frustrations were voiced by representatives from organizations as diverse as the World Health Organization, the National Endowment for the Arts and various educational institutions that have experienced difficulties in obtaining visas for foreign participants in conferences or international exchange activities held in the United States. From Chinese scientists unable to receive a visa to Armenian folk singers unable to participate in a summer cultural festival, exchange organizations expressed similar frustrations and embarrassment at not being able to receive visas in a timely manner. "Do we just give up coming to the U.S.?" asked one participant, expressing frustration that a Danish children's theater group and other performing arts groups have been denied visas to enter the United States. Participants demanded that clear rules and predictable processes be implemented in U.S. visa policy. State Department Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Maura Harty said the United States values visitors from overseas, and she outlined government efforts taken to achieve both security and openness. "We are an open society. We welcome the diversity and richness of experience that attends international exchange. We must not, as Secretary [of State Colin Powell] Powell has said so eloquently, become a gated America," Harty said. Discussing changes in U.S. visa policy since September 11, 2001, the assistant secretary said the United States now requires more information from all applicants and places more emphasis on the visa interview. While fewer than 2.5 percent of visa applicants worldwide are referred for additional background checks through interagency review, Harty said that "glitches in interagency communications" have resulted in significant delays for those applicants, particularly toward the end of 2002. But she said the government has "made great strides" toward solving these problems and at present 80 percent of these cases are cleared within two weeks of application. "We are making continued improvements in the efficiency of this process, without sacrificing anything in thoroughness," added Harty. In response to rumors that the United States is denying visas to large numbers of applicants indiscriminately, Harty said, "the reality is that the laws relevant to visa eligibility have changed only slightly since September 11." "While procedures have been tightened substantially, we have made every effort to minimize inconvenience to the applicant," said Harty. The United States continues to welcome legitimate visa applicants and issue millions of visas, she said. "We want to facilitate legitimate travel just as we want to identify those who might want to do this country harm." In response to a question on the embarrassment and humiliation some visitors feel upon entry to the U.S. due to fingerprinting or interviews that might take place, Harty said that entering the United States is "not meant to be a demeaning experience." "To the degree that we can make the process predictable, that we can inform people before they travel of what they might expect when they arrive at a point of entry," Harty said, the anxiety associated with legitimate travel can be minimized. She encouraged potential visitors to check a new Web site, www.unitedstatesvisas.gov, designed as a single point of access to information about U.S. visa policy and procedures. "America remains an open and welcoming country," she said. In the panel discussion following Harty's remarks, Miller Crouch, deputy assistant secretary for the State Department's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, added that "we can not allow" visa policies instituted after September 11th to "threaten the continuance of these vibrant exchanges" and must find a "fair and workable balance." Visa delays, political concerns and attractive offers to study elsewhere have affected the U.S. share of the international student market, he said. Marlene Johnson, executive director and CEO of the Association of International Educators (NAFSA), said that "well intentioned actions on the part of public policymakers are seriously jeopardizing exchanges, making it more difficult rather than less difficult to build a safer world." Calling the visa screening process for international students and scholars "inefficient," and "irrational," Johnson said scholars have been unable to attend international scientific conferences in the United States and many international students have been unable to restart school at the beginning of new terms due to changes in visa policy and an inability to obtain visas in a timely manner. Discussing the declining enrollments of students from certain Middle Eastern nations, Johnson said, "It is hard for me to comprehend what would be the national policy interest in a several-year interruption of Muslim and Arab Middle Eastern students coming to our country." Sherry Mueller, President of the National Council of International Visitors, added that the impact of Homeland Security measures and visa policies on professional exchanges has had "incalculable costs" in terms of dollars, missed opportunities and the credibility of organizations hosting international visitors. "I doubt that the Pakistani international visitors coming here [April 12, 2003] to focus on state and local government were very impressed by the eight hour wait at Dulles airport with no food or water," said Mueller, who urged a comprehensive review of the problem. "The way people are treated matters and must be consistent with the core values of our society," added Marlene Johnson. State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services Janice Jacobs said their office's Coordination Division, works with other government agencies daily "to make visa procedures as rational and transparent as possible," and she urged participants to continue to voice their concerns to both government and lawmakers. Jacobs said that the State Department is working with the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies to "introduce predictability back into the system." "I am dedicated to getting procedures done so people know what to expect [regarding the visa application process]," said Jacobs, who reminded the audience that over 97 percent of people who apply for visas normally receive a decision in one to two days. A member of the audience representing a Chinese student association said that his organization has documented nearly 300 Chinese students and scholars enrolled at U.S. education institutions who left the United States but have faced difficulty returning to continue their studies. He said that most of the students left the United States during their school breaks, but faced delays in receiving visas to reenter due to security check requirements. He asked the panel if it could be possible for security checks to be conducted before an applicant returns home. In response, Janice Jacobs said that at present "pre-clearing" a current student before departure from the United States was not possible but that government agencies are discussing the possibility of granting longer-term security clearances. Jacobs said the State Department is working with other government agencies to "introduce more predictability" in the visa process. Conference participants agreed that while much progress has been made, the United States must continue to strive to achieve both security and openness if it hopes to maintain vibrant international education exchanges. The State Department's Miller Crouch added, "We are beyond the either/or discussion of either security or open doors. We can have both. We will have both." Using words of Edward R. Murrow, a former director of the former United States Information Agency, Sherry Mueller said, "Our task is formidable and difficult, but difficulty is one excuse history has never accepted." (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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