Wait for US visa just got longer

NEW DELHI: Being a country possessing nuclear capability can''t be easy. Indians applying for non-immigrant visas to the US have a new cause for worry.
Indians seeking entry for business or academic purposes or any such activity listed on the technology alert list will be subject to increased background screening known as a ''Visas Mantis'' cable.
However, India can take heart. The Chinese, Russians, Israelis and Pakistanis too have to undergo increased screening. The move, it is said, is not targetted at these countries; the main purpose is to identify illegal transfers involving certain "sensitive technologies."
The technology alert list broadly includes areas of study that have a direct application to the development and use of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear technology, chemical engineering and robotics, studies involving lasers, high-performance metals, navigation and guidance systems, missile propulsion.
The move, however, is not new. All it means is that security has taken on an additional sense of urgency in the Gulf War-II scenario. Last year, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy introduced an enhanced mechanism of visa review for foreign nationals seeking to study in certain sensitive areas of science and technology.
What it means for students applying to the US is a slightly longer waiting period for a visa. This would hold especially true for researchers whose field of work or study potentially falls within the purview of the list. For Indians who are already in the US, it would be prudent to avoid travelling out of the country.
TAL comprises 16 sensitive technologies. Some of the categories are broad, and encompass work of a purely non-threatening nature.
Those working or studying in a "closely" related field or one that is categorised as "dual use" may also be subjected to increased processing procedures and delays.
There is some apprehension that this stringent science visa screening may bar those with honest intentions from travelling to the US and participating in academic research.
The technologies on the list include conventional munitions, that is, technologies associated with warhead and large calibre projectiles, fusing and arming systems, technologies associated with production and use of nuclear material for military applications.
It also includes missile technology, aircraft and missile propulsion and vehicular systems, navigation and guidance control, chemical and biotechnology engineering, remote imaging and reconnaissance, materials technology, advanced computer and microelectronic technology, information security, laser and directed energy systems, sensors, marine technology, robotics, advanced ceramics, high performance metals and alloys.
Says Arun C Vakil, Mumbai-based immigration expert, "Anyone planning to apply for a student or other non-immigrant visa to enter the US should keep the additional security process in mind. It has become important for them to select their courses carefully. If one''s field of work or study potentially fits within the TAL, there may be an extended wait for visa processing. Given the deadlines for starting or returning to work or school, this can pose a big problem for an applicant. Some of the categories mentioned in the TAL are quite broad and encompass purely academic work, which is non-threatening in nature. Additionally, those who work or study in a related field or one that may be categorised as ''dual use'' may also be subject to increased processing procedures and delays. It is the job of consular officers to determine whether the person''s work or school activities fit within the regulated fields."
Agrees Sudhir Shah, an attorney specialising in immigration issues: "Students applying for the coming Spring term should be very careful and send in all their papers on time. The entire process of getting admission into an US university takes about three months. But under the technology alert list, it could take more time."