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International Education MattersA
Forum for Issues Pertaining
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Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange "Panelists Questioned on Affects of New Visa Policies, Fees on Students, Visitors to the U.S." October 24, 2003 - Citing the testimony of a witness from the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau on the growing negative perception of U.S. policies due to increased visa fees, new visa requirements, and more visa denials, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Richard Lugar (R-IN) yesterday questioned a panel of government witnesses about the effect of the new visa regulations on prospective visitors to the U.S. ". . . for many prospective international visitors, wave after wave of new travel requirements paints a 'big picture' that the United States is becoming a destination that is too difficult to enter, too expensive to visit, and simply not worth the effort," Lugar said, quoting from the written remarks of Jose Estorino, testifying on behalf of the Travel Industry Association of America. Lugar expressed concern over how this trend effects the overall diplomacy of the U.S. Noting that Purdue University in his home state of Indiana educates more than 5,000 international students, Lugar said he sees the potential of a "tremendous loss" if visa delays are causing students to give up and go somewhere else. Lugar recognized that national security is very important and a "serious business," while also inquiring of witnesses from the Departments of State and Homeland Security, "who does a broad overview of what this means to the country as a whole" in terms of an assessment of the loss of national income from exports and other economic factors, the loss of international scholarships, and the perception of our country. Janice Jacobs, deputy assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, responded that all the agencies involved in border patrol and protection recognize the value and the economic importance of tourism, students, and business travelers. She noted that Secretaries Powell and Ridge meet regularly to discuss these issues in detail and to look at the big picture. Stewart Verdery, assistant secretary of homeland security for policy, border and transportation security, added that sharing information and technology between agencies will help ease the process. Lugar noted he was "grateful the Secretaries do as you say" and consider these issues. He suggested that Subcommittee Chairman John Sununu (R-NH) may want to consider benchmarks in this area. Visa fees, pending SEVIS fees discussed as potential deterrents to visitors Sununu questioned witnesses about whether the cost of a visa was another factor that would discourage visitors from coming to the U.S. He noted that the current fee for a non-immigrant visa is $100, and highlighted news reports Thursday stating that the SEVIS fee will be an additional $100. Verdery commented that the SEVIS fee rule would be promulgated "today or tomorrow" and noted that the fee will support the tracking system which was an "overwhelming success" this fall. Verdery stated that when SEVIS was implemented, no mechanism was in place to cover its costs. A decision was made, he said, to have what he called 'the beneficiaries' of the system cover the costs of the program and its enforcement. Verdery noted that there were several hundred cases this fall that require enforcement measures. Jacobs responded that the $100 visa fee is a processing fee that funds consular operations. When pressed by Sununu whether the amount of the fee covers more than the price of the service, her response was no. She went on to note that the number of visa requests dropped from 10 million in FY 2001 to 6.9 million in FY 2003 while at the same time, there has been an increase in the requirements for visa processing, including interviews and biometrics. Her statement drew an additional question from Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) who asked, if applications are down, are you planning to raise the fee? Jacobs replied that State is "still looking at it." "No final decision has been made," she said, "but I don't think it will be raised by much" if it is raised at all. Nelson expressed concern about the effect of raising the fee on the tourism industry, particularly in his home state of Florida, noting that he hopes State will consider whether doing so will deter people from coming to the U.S. before taking any action. Impact of consular interviews on posts questioned Biometrics currently being tested Jacobs also stated in testimony that while the Enhanced Border Security Act does not address the issue of biometrics in the U.S. passport, State believes "it is desirable for the U.S. to commit to a comprehensive program to incorporate this new technology into the U.S. passport in light of the clear security and identity advantages that this new technology offers." State is currently developing an "intelligent passport" with an embedded chip that will use a facial recognition standard consistent with international standards. The objective is to begin piloting the passport in October 2004 with system-wide implementation by early 2006.
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