Addressing the New Reality of Current Visa Policy on International Students and Researchers

Marlene Johnson, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA, testified before the Committee on Foreign Relations in the United States Senate.  Her statement titled Addressing the New Reality of Current Visa Policy on International Students and Researchers emphasized three major points. First, in the global age—and even more in the age of global terror—international education and exchange are integral to the national security of the United States. Second, our immediate task is to create a timely,  transparent, and predictable visa process in which efforts are focused on those who require special screening and are not wasted on repetitive and redundant reviews of legitimate visitors. Third, the long-range challenge is to re-establish the reputation of the United States as the destination of choice for students who wish to pursue their higher education outside their home countries—in business terms, to win back the loyalty of those customers.