National Academy Heads Question Visa Restrictions on Foreign Scientist and Engineers

In a high-profile statement released on Dec. 13, the heads of the National Academies of Science and Engineering and the Institute of Medicine called on the federal government to revise its current visa restrictions impeding entry of foreign scientists, engineers and qualified students. According to the Academy heads, “recent efforts by our government to constrain the flow of international visitors in the name of national security are having serious unintended consequences for American science, engineering and medicine.” To ensure that national security is not compromised, the statement called for development of new visa screening procedures, including such mechanisms as pre-security clearances for scientists and engineers with proper credentials, creation of a special new visa category for established researchers, and collaboration with the U.S. scientific and technical community to identify foreign citizens properly engaged in research collaborations and/or to assist the government in determining areas of particular security concern.
From the IEEE-USA Eye on Washington, December 24, 2002.