Đoàn Trang
(Ms_Independent)
Điều hành viên
On the turning away
May 6th 2004
From The Economist print edition
Visa delays are deterring scientists from going to the United States
AMERICA is, both proverbially and in reality, a nation of immigrants. That is particularly true of its scientific community which has, since the second world war, attracted and relied on foreign talent to help create the world's most formidable research machine. Since the country's economic and military might depend in large measure on the success of that machine, anything which diminishes this flow of talent is likely to be bad for America. And a study released on May 4th by the National Science Foundation (NSF) suggests that delays in the processing of visas since September 11th 2001 are having just that effect.
According to the report, in 2001 the number of visas issued to foreign students fell by 20% from the previous year, with further falls since then. The State Department does not track science students separately from those in other disciplines, so it is impossible to work out the precise size of the decline in their numbers. However, the report concludes that “limits to entry imposed by US national security restrictions” are contributing to a declining inflow of science talent.
Other surveys, such as one of more than 530 American universities conducted in February by a consortium of five large educational groups, point to similar conclusions. According to this survey, 60% of the research universities in America reported a decline in applications by foreign graduate students between 2003 and 2004. Nine of the institutions ranked in the top 25 nationally reported declines of over 30%. Another report, by the General Accounting Office, a congressional investigative agency, took a random sample of visa applications by science students and scientists between April and June 2003, and found that the average time required to get a visa, for those applications sent to Washington, DC, for a security review, was 67 days. And according to a statement released in late April by NAFSA, an international association that promotes student exchanges between America and the rest of the world, almost all applications in the sciences are sent to Washington, DC, for such a review. These security reviews are one reason for the delays. Perhaps they are necessary. However, the outdated and incompatible computer systems of the various government agencies involved mean that they take far longer than they should in the vast majority of cases where there is no cause for concern.
The second reason for the delays is that virtually all applicants for non-immigrant visas are now required to attend an interview at an American consulate, overwhelming consular staff with short interviews of dubious value. Indeed, the most pronounced delays in visa processing—and the most pronounced decline in applications—has occurred for Chinese students. This suggests the delays are not directly related to concerns about terrorism.
Things may be improving. According to Maura Harty, the assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, visa-processing times have dropped significantly over the past few months. Ms Harty says that consular officials have been instructed to send students to the head of the queue, and officials from the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security are working closely with scientific bodies to improve things. The National Academies of Sciences and Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine, for example, are operating a website intended to expedite the processing of visas that have been held up. Those with a grievance can register it on this site, and the institutes will then take their complaints up with the government.
Despite all the hassle, of course, America remains the pre-eminent place in the world to do scientific research, and that is unlikely to change quickly. Nevertheless, the country might help its chances of remaining top dog if it applied some of its technical know-how to the task of processing visas more efficiently.
May 6th 2004
From The Economist print edition
Visa delays are deterring scientists from going to the United States
AMERICA is, both proverbially and in reality, a nation of immigrants. That is particularly true of its scientific community which has, since the second world war, attracted and relied on foreign talent to help create the world's most formidable research machine. Since the country's economic and military might depend in large measure on the success of that machine, anything which diminishes this flow of talent is likely to be bad for America. And a study released on May 4th by the National Science Foundation (NSF) suggests that delays in the processing of visas since September 11th 2001 are having just that effect.
According to the report, in 2001 the number of visas issued to foreign students fell by 20% from the previous year, with further falls since then. The State Department does not track science students separately from those in other disciplines, so it is impossible to work out the precise size of the decline in their numbers. However, the report concludes that “limits to entry imposed by US national security restrictions” are contributing to a declining inflow of science talent.
Other surveys, such as one of more than 530 American universities conducted in February by a consortium of five large educational groups, point to similar conclusions. According to this survey, 60% of the research universities in America reported a decline in applications by foreign graduate students between 2003 and 2004. Nine of the institutions ranked in the top 25 nationally reported declines of over 30%. Another report, by the General Accounting Office, a congressional investigative agency, took a random sample of visa applications by science students and scientists between April and June 2003, and found that the average time required to get a visa, for those applications sent to Washington, DC, for a security review, was 67 days. And according to a statement released in late April by NAFSA, an international association that promotes student exchanges between America and the rest of the world, almost all applications in the sciences are sent to Washington, DC, for such a review. These security reviews are one reason for the delays. Perhaps they are necessary. However, the outdated and incompatible computer systems of the various government agencies involved mean that they take far longer than they should in the vast majority of cases where there is no cause for concern.
The second reason for the delays is that virtually all applicants for non-immigrant visas are now required to attend an interview at an American consulate, overwhelming consular staff with short interviews of dubious value. Indeed, the most pronounced delays in visa processing—and the most pronounced decline in applications—has occurred for Chinese students. This suggests the delays are not directly related to concerns about terrorism.
Things may be improving. According to Maura Harty, the assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, visa-processing times have dropped significantly over the past few months. Ms Harty says that consular officials have been instructed to send students to the head of the queue, and officials from the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security are working closely with scientific bodies to improve things. The National Academies of Sciences and Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine, for example, are operating a website intended to expedite the processing of visas that have been held up. Those with a grievance can register it on this site, and the institutes will then take their complaints up with the government.
Despite all the hassle, of course, America remains the pre-eminent place in the world to do scientific research, and that is unlikely to change quickly. Nevertheless, the country might help its chances of remaining top dog if it applied some of its technical know-how to the task of processing visas more efficiently.
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