Wall Street Journal - May 13, 2004
Antonio Regalado, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Twenty-five associations, including the Association of American Universities and the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, warned that unnecessary barriers to travel could harm international research aimed at curing AIDS and other diseases.

The associations called for a series of changes to liberalize visa rules, and cautioned the U.S. could become "isolated" as top talent seeks training elsewhere. "It's beginning to have repercussions," said Alan Leshner, chief executive of the AAAS.

The visa problems are blamed on new screening procedures instituted after Sept. 11, 2001, including more-extensive security and background checks.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said the agency was "aware of the problems" and planned to outline policy changes in the next several weeks.

The department took overall responsibility for visa policy in 2002, although visas are still processed and issued by U.S. embassies and consulates abroad reporting to the State Department. Officials there denied there were significant delays in processing student visas.

In their statement, the academic organizations outlined steps they said were needed to improve the visa process, including allowing visitors to obtain security clearances that last for the duration of their studies. The groups also called for the government to allow students to renew visas while inside the U.S., or at least be able to initiate the process here.

Universities began reporting anecdotal evidence that students and visiting researchers were having difficulty entering the U.S. soon after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Dr. Leshner says organizers of international scientific meetings also are questioning whether to hold them in the U.S.

Total international applications to graduate schools dropped 32% this year over 2003, according to a survey by the Council of Graduate Schools. A separate study by the Association of American Universities found that 50% of the students affected by visa delays were from China, and that 27% of the affected students were from Arab or Muslim nations and 8% were from India. China and India send the most students to the U.S.

According to data collected by the National Academy of Sciences, the average wait for delayed visas is more than 4.5 months. The group formed an International Visitors Office in July 2003 to help researchers get visas approved, said Wendy White, a program administrator, and has tracked 1,382 visas so far.

"Scientists are the ones tripping the security rules, because there may be questions about what they are studying," Ms. White said.

Write to Antonio Regalado at antonio.regalado@wsj.com

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