The document is a joint statement issued by twenty-five leading American associations representing higher education, science, and engineering. It addresses concerns regarding new U.S. visa procedures implemented to enhance security, expressing strong support for the goal of safeguarding national security but raising significant concerns about the negative impact of inefficient, lengthy, and opaque visa processes on American scientific, economic, and security interests. The organizations argue that current visa system inefficiencies are discouraging and deterring talented international students, scholars, and scientists from coming to the United States, thereby threatening the nation’s global leadership in research, innovation, and higher education. The document emphasizes that an open and robust system of international exchange is essential both for advancing national security and maintaining the country's competitive edge.
To address these challenges, the statement offers a series of recommendations aimed at streamlining and improving the visa process without compromising security. These include extending the validity of security clearances, enabling easier visa renewals for academic travelers, increasing transparency and establishing priority processing for delayed applications, providing better training for consular staff, revising visa reciprocity agreements, and implementing user-friendly fee collection mechanisms. The signatories also call for increased funding and staffing for agencies involved in visa adjudication. Collectively, the recommendations are presented not as a tradeoff between security and academic openness, but as mutually reinforcing objectives vital to U.S. interests. The organizations commit to collaborating with the government to ensure the visa system protects against threats while welcoming the world’s brightest minds to contribute to America’s scientific and educational enterprises.
