Over 20 research groups call for steps to address visa-processing quagmire
By Jyotirmoy Datta

More than 20 science, higher-education and engineering groups, representing some 95 percent of the U.S. research community, in an article in the May 7 issue of Science, the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, urged the federal government to adopt six practical recommendations for solving the current visa-processing crisis, by removing unnecessary barriers to multi-national discoveries. The statement is believed to be the first time that U.S. science and academic leaders have endorsed a comprehensive plan to address the visa-processing quagmire, which emerged from heightened security concerns in the wake of terrorist attacks. The recommendations are designed to combat "the misperception that the United States does not welcome international students, scholars and scientists," according to a joint statement by AAAS, the world's largest general science society, the Association of American Universities (AAU) and other top groups.
"We are resolute in our support of a secure visa system and believe that a more efficient system is a more secure one," the groups said in a statement routed to U.S. policymakers. "We also are confident that it is possible to have a visa system that is timely and transparent, that provides for thorough reviews of visa applicants, and that still welcomes the brightest minds in the world."
While "the need to ensure national security is indisputable," said Alan I. Leshner, chief executive officer of AAAS and executive publisher of Science, "legitimate applications from scholars and students seeking to improve human welfare must not become snared in red tape."
(Compiled from Science Web site)