NAFSA Report on Visa and Immigration Policy

NAFSA: Association of International Educators released a report last month on visa and immigration reform.The report is titled “A Visa and Immigration Policy for the Brain Circulation Era: Adjusting to What Happened in the World While We Were Busy Making Other Plans” and is authored by Victor Johnson, a senior advisor for public policy at NAFSA.  The full report can be found here.

NAFSA gives the following summary of the report:

The report urges U.S. policymakers to move toward defining the country’s security objectives more broadly than has been the case in much of the post-9/11 period, stressing that openness to the world is imperative for ensuring our country’s long-term well-being and security. The report also notes that the United States has been slow to appreciate and adjust to a paradigm shift in global mobility that has fundamentally altered patterns of travel and work around the world. America can no longer assume that it is the preferred destination for people who seek to improve their lives outside their home countries. Talented students and skilled workers have many options around the world – they will go to the places that welcome them and offer the best opportunities. The United States’ challenge is to participate in the global community in a way that lifts up Americans to compete in a global workforce while also being open, accessible, and attractive to the world’s best talent and future leaders.

The report makes recommendations in the following key areas:

• Visa Reform –Revising the policy on interviews for visa applicants; expediting reviews for low-risk travelers; reforming the security clearance process for visiting scientists

• Comprehensive Immigration Reform – Reforming employment-based immigration; attracting international students; improving management of the Department of Homeland Security

• Identity Documents and Document Security – Revisiting REAL ID

The Obama Administration has committed itself to constructive U.S. engagement in the world, to an economic recovery that enhances long-term economic competitiveness, and to robust student, scholar, and citizen exchanges. Congress and the administration must work together to ensure that the United States can be open, accessible, and attractive to the world’s best students and talent.

I have previously written about a small but growing amount of brain drain from the U.S. (international students returning home and Americans choosing to attend school outside of the U.S.) – that post is here. However, I think that the term “brain circulation” is a much better one as it accurately describes the dynamic of student mobility (and the mobility of those who have entered the workplace).   This is an excellent report that focuses on an issue that is at the very heart of global engagement.