Posted on 06/04/2009 10:03:13 PM PDT by Schnucki
US officials say they have greatly shortened delays in getting visas faced by foreign students and researchers, many of whom come from India and China.
The time needed for a visa security review, which is aimed at preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, will be reduced from several months to two weeks. The changes follow complaints from academic and scientific organisations over the past year.
"We are confident that the new streamlined process both dramatically reduces wait times and maintains the same level of security," Stephen Heifetz, deputy assistant secretary for policy development at the Department of Homeland Security said.
There are widespread concerns that scientists would head elsewhere to complete their studies.
"We think that we're the best place to do this kind of work. We're cutting edge," said David Donahue, the deputy assistant secretary of state for consular affairs. "We want people to feel comfortable about coming here."
Last year the US issued around 56,000 visas for graduate students and scientists at research laboratories and for scholars attending academic conferences, Mr Donahue said.
But security checks and the weight of applications meant the US sometimes took months last year to issue these visas. Indians and Chinese are major recipients of scientific visas.
Mr Donahue blamed the backlog on a staffing shortage and a surge in applications.
US universities have voiced concern that students are turning to other countries due to the difficulties and delays of obtaining US visas.
Delays in the American visa application process have troubled American universities that have relied upon foreign science and engineering graduates and doctors to drive scientific and technical research projects. Even scientific organisations have been deterred from holding meetings in the US because of the visa delays.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
LOL! What will our globalist slavers pay them with—more debts?
Yeah, cause we really want to cut corners on background checks for people getting their hands on cutting edge technology (defense) and scientific research (bio-warfare.)
They can’t walk across the border like everyone else?
Yeah and they want to make up for the doc shortage in the US with foreign docs...
The first major signs that a country is terminal? Brain drain and capital flight.
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