May 19, 2005, Bellingham, WA--SPIE and 40 engineering, scientific and academic associations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association of American Universities, and the National Academy of Sciences has issued an updated list of recommendations for enhancing the U.S. visa system, urging the government to accelerate its effort to reform the visa process for international students, scholars, and researchers. Six recommendations were made for reducing or eliminating barriers that cause undue hardship.
Building on the joint visa statement issued in May 2004, the group noted that progress had been made during the past year, but emphasized the fact that additional steps were needed to dispel the misperception that the U.S. does not welcome international visitors. Appreciation was expressed for significant recent improvements to the U.S. visa system but considerable barriers remain.
Dr. Eugene G. Arthurs, Executive Director of SPIE, states "SPIE leadership recognizes the value of the free-flow of appropriate technical knowledge. The relationships built through international meetings and scientific exchange programs are beneficial not only to science, but to global understanding. We are pleased that the improvements in the U.S. visa issues since our earlier statement of 2004 have made the interchange of knowledge easier, but as described in our joint statement, more needs to be done. The U.S. science and engineering community welcome scientists and engineers from all corners of the globe, and are eager to gain knowledge from our foreign colleagues."
The complete joint statement can be viewed at the SPIE website: http://spie.org/Announcements/CommunityVisa05.pdf