Visa Delays: What's the Hold-up and What's the Cost?

According to a study released 2 June by the Santangelo Group, an international business and economic development consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., visa backlogs have affected U.S. businesses financially. In particular, small- to medium-sized exporters experience disproportionately severe losses because of the way the government handles visas for foreign business travelers.

The Santangelo Group surveyed 734 small, medium and large U.S. companies from various industries, including technology, health care, pharmaceuticals, retail, energy, automobile, publishing, engineering and construction, airlines, and financial institutions. The organization wanted to determine whether delays or denials of business travel visas have caused an economic impact on trade; determine the key causes of those delays and/or denials; collect quantifiable data; and recommend improvements.

The companies surveyed measured the financial impact of the visa backlog in two categories: revenue loss and indirect expenses. Statistical analysis indicated that the impact on all U.S. exporters totals more than $30 billion.

“When legitimate foreign business executives and vital international customers cannot enter the U.S. to conduct normal business, our companies, our workers, our economy and international relations pay the price,” said National Foreign Trade Council president Bill Reinsch.

Santangelo Group Recommendations

Santangelo Group’s survey resulted in 100 recommendations to remedy the visa delay/denial problem. The top five recommendations are:

• Publish clear, concise and complete visa processing instructions
• Ensure communication transparency among U.S. government agencies, especially the U.S. Department of State (including its embassies and consulates) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (including U.S. Customs)
• Establish a “fast track” for U.S. companies with recurring, long-established visitors
• Add more State Department resources for security reviews
• Consider extending visa durations, so the number of applications can be reduced

IEEE-USA Urges Processing Improvements

On 12 May, IEEE-USA President John Steadman and leaders from other science, education and engineering organizations signed a statement urging the federal government to solve the current visa-processing crisis by streamlining the admittance of international students, scholars and scientists. The letter cites several problems in the visa process:

• Repetitive security checks, which cause lengthy issuance delays
• An inefficient renewal process, which also causes lengthy delays
• Lack of transparency and priority processing in the visa system
• Inconsistent treatment of visa applications

In August, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would extend the validity of security clearances for foreign students and scientists for the duration of their study or academic appointment, thus eliminating the need for a new security review each time researchers apply for a reentry visa. According to C. Stewart Verdery, DHS assistant secretary for border and transportation security policy, "We've heard loud and clear from the university and scientific communities that the image of this country as a venue for research and scholarship has been suffering, and we want to change that."

In a 7 September response to IEEE-USA, the State Department reported progress in addressing the visa processing concerns, noting that 98 percent of all Visa Mantis cases are being cleared in less than 30 days, and that U.S. foreign embassies and consulates have been instructed to provide expedited visa processing to student applicants to ensure eligible candidates can start their academic programs on time.

IEEE members traveling to the United States for conferences, research appointments or school are still encouraged to apply for their visas at least 3-4 months in advance, and to be aware of new U.S. visa requirements and border security measures. For more information, see the State Department's travel Web page  (www.travel.state.gov), DHS' U.S. Visit program at (www.dhs.gove/dhspulbic/theme_home4.jsp), and the National Academies International Visitors Center  (http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas).

The statement also recommended that “Congress and the Administration should ensure that adequate resources are provided for efficient processing.”