On September 25, 2020, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) announced its proposal to replace “duration of status” for international students, exchange visitors, and foreign information media representatives. With this change, these individuals including nonimmigrant Ph.D. students, will only be permitted to stay in the U.S. for a fixed time when they come for their studies. SIAM is gravely concerned about the implications that this proposal carries for the health and vitality of the U.S. scientific research enterprise and, as such, has written and submitted the below letter to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, the Honorable Chad Wolf, opposing the policy change. SIAM and its Committee on Science Policy continue to monitor policies in Washington, D.C. and speak up against those that damage our mission and our members, including our international students. We will keep you informed about any further developments. In the meantime, please read the below letter for more information on SIAM and its opposing view regarding the policy change. Members of our community who wish to weigh in on this policy change are encouraged to contact their representatives in Congress. To find out who represents you in Congress, visit https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative. Contact information for your Senate delegation can be found here: https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact.
Dear Acting Secretary Wolf,
I write on behalf of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), and its 14,000+ members, to express our strong opposition to the proposal titled “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media.” (DHS Docket No. ICEB-2019-0006). SIAM is gravely concerned about the implications that this proposal carries for the health and vitality of the U.S. scientific research enterprise.
Nonimmigrant students holding F, J, and I visas are currently able to remain in the U.S. provided that they continue to make progress toward earning their degrees. This “duration of status” enables them to fully concentrate on their studies and research under the assurance that their presence in the U.S. is sanctioned by the federal government. The imposition of two-year and four-year limits, as proposed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, would subject nonimmigrant students to routine bureaucratic reauthorization. It is also worth noting that the shortcomings around program oversight and foreign espionage that this proposal purportedly targets are already addressed through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. As such, this policy change would not only foist an undue burden on nonimmigrant students, it would send a clear signal that the U.S. no longer welcomes international scholars.
Adopting such a posture would only serve to weaken the U.S. scientific research enterprise. Nonimmigrant visa programs enable the best and brightest undergraduate, graduate, and vocational students from around the world to contribute to scientific advancement in the U.S. In fact, international students comprise a majority of doctoral candidates in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. In fact, of the new doctorates in the mathematical sciences earned at U.S. institutions during the 2016-2017 academic year, 46 percent of those awarded at large and medium- sized public institutions went to candidates from outside of the U.S. At all other Ph.D.-granting institutions, including all large private universities, the majority of doctoral degrees in mathematics were issued to foreign students. Many of these students elect to stay in the U.S. following graduation to contribute their talents to the domestic high-tech industry or to help drive cutting edge research, representing a key competitive advantage for our nation.
With these considerations in mind, I urge you to rescind this proposed rule. Furthermore, I encourage you to ensure that any policies implemented in the interest of safeguarding the public do not cause undue harm to international students—especially in the midst of a major health crisis—or jeopardize the research enterprise that underpins U.S. economic vitality.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lisa J. Fauci
President, SIAM