"Department Tackles Visa Delay for Researchers" Courtesy The Newyork times

Here is the article published on 2nd June, 2009 in The Newyork Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/us/03visas.html). It raises some hope.....

After months of complaints by university groups and scientific organizations, the State Department is acting to speed up the delay-plagued visa process for foreign graduate students and post-doctoral researchers, an official said Tuesday.
The official, David Donahue, the deputy assistant secretary of state for consular services, said the department started attacking the backlog of requests on Friday. “I am not sure when we will get all of them cleared up,” he said, but eventually routine requests should be dealt with in two weeks. He said the department had brought in extra staff to handle the applications and had revised procedures to speed reviews.
Albert H. Teich, the director of science and policy programs at the American Association for the Advancement of Science called the moves “very gratifying.” Dr. Teich said he and representatives of the National Academy of Sciences, the Association of American Universities and other groups learned of the changes in a conference call last week.
Since last year, science and engineering researchers from abroad seeking to obtain or renew visas have routinely encountered delays of months. The problem became so acute that researchers who left the country often found themselves stranded abroad, not knowing when their visas might be approved.
The delays have caused problems for American universities, which rely on foreigners to fill slots in graduate and post-doctoral science and engineering programs. Foreign talent also fuels scientific and technical innovation in American laboratories, and the visa difficulties discouraged scientific organizations from holding meetings in the United States. Some researchers said the apparent reluctance of the United States to accept them encouraged them to seek work in other countries.
Mr. Donahue said the clearance process was important, especially as it related to “guarding against proliferation of science and technical information.” But he said people in the department were unhappy about the delays. “We should not have been behind, but we will be glad to be caught up,” he said.
Dr. Teich said he attributed the action to the Obama administration’s support for scientific and technical research. But he added: “So far all we know is what they have said. Let us hope it takes place.”
John P. Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, which helped develop the new procedures, said the United States should encourage researchers from other countries to employ their skills here.
“It is more important than ever that we remove unnecessary impediments to collaborative innovation and technical advancement,” Dr. Holdren said.

An article on Visa delay in Washington post

It good to see our concerns in American news paper. Here is the link http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/11/AR2009041102238.html

J2 to J1 visa conversion......personal experience !!

I am in US on J1 visa and my wife came with me on J2 visa. After coming to US, she also got postdoc position and decided to convert her visa category from J2 to J1. The sponsor agreed to this and issued Ds-2019 and asked to go back to India for J1 visa application within 6 months of entry to US.
Does it mean that if one stays for more than six months in US, they can not change their J visa category ? I would like to clear that both of us are subjected to 2 years home residency rule because of our technical qualification.
Anyway but the problem does not end here.........as we thought that there will be no problem in getting J1 visa this time as both of us had already gone through administrative processing (TAL) just 3 months back, when We came to US......but during my wife's J1 visa interview, she was given yellow slip and asked to submit technical qualification questionnaire and ........when she said that I have already gone through security check few months back, visa officer said, it was for j2 visa but this time it will be for j1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't understand the logic.........but can not do anything but to wait for the mail from US consulate.

TAL/ Administrative processing visa delay

Finally somebody heard of research scholars/postdocs, who generally apply for J1 visa. Board on International Scientific Organization from National Science Academy, US has taken initiative by issuing a statement to US government/ DOS for the benefit of international students, scholars, and scientists who have applied for visas to study, conduct research, or attend conferences in the US. (http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/biso/visas/index.htm)

It also says that If you have not got your visa with 21 days of your visa interview, then please submit a questionnaire in order to enable them to generate statistics on visa delay and extending further help as far as possible.

My experience with J1 US visa

I appeared for J1 visa interview on 25^th March 2009 with my wife. Everything went well but at the end, I was given yellow slip and was asked to submit technical qualification questionnaire, offer letter, DS-157 and my CV. I did not expect that……I was shocked and when I came out of embassy, I could not understand what to do for some time.

Whole plan was disturbed, I had booked my ticket for US, and fortunately it was an open ticket. I came home and answered all the questions of the TAL (http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/hitechbs.html). I submitted the questionnaire with other documents and then started waiting for reply from embassy. Meanwhile, I got a acknowledgement mail. Everyday or say many time during the day, I was used to check my mails……..after 3 weeks, my employer in US started asking that how much time will it take (as if I know the answer)……I was nervous, one fear was that if I get visa very late or not at all…….what will I do…….I will have to start looking for other job options in India….and I really started applying to a few places in India. It was a big torture to me and my family……fortunately I got the mail from US consulate on 4^th May 2009, saying completion of administrative processing and asking to submit passport. I submitted my passport on 5^th may and got the visa on 7^th May. I came to US on 12^th May.

If I look back, I get afraid……..I am still afraid of taking any holiday……what if I go to India and then have to wait for weeks/months to come back. Only those people who have gone through this Administrative processing on their visa can understand my situation……..I hope that this situation will improve in future, I am optimistic…….till now !!!!

Finally got PhD.......

Sorry I could not post anything from a long time as I was busy in finishing my PhD. Finally I am a Dr.!!!!!

It was a great experience......I learnt a lot of things not only technically but also could understand life in much better sense. I must say, PhD teaches you a lot. It is not merely a degree, it is an institution in itself. .......hard work, time management, patience, hope, failures, success, dream, love.......everything happened in the last five years. Then the question comes, what next ? I wanted to break the convention by not going for postdoc (as everybody goes for postdoc after PhD). I explored my options in Academic research in India, research in Industry, Academic teaching, Intellectual Property rights........and finally came to the conclusion that postdoc experience is must.....though before joining for PhD, I was used to think that PhD is good enough......I was wrong.

After working on cancer research for five years, I decided to sharpen my skills further and have started my postdoctoral research in the USA........

I will write more about my personal expericne on PhD, US visa, postdoc positions, mentors, Biotech career etc in detail later....till then bye and have a nice weekend !!

Rediff article on why not have an expiry on PhD

Just a few days back an article appeared on rediff by TCA Raghvan on "why not have an expiry date for PhD". It generated lot of comments by viewers of the website. Most of the comments strongly critisized the article and the author of the article.
I would just like to draw attention of you towards something else, with all those comments that article got popular, rediff got lot of people surfing their website.....their job was done. They don't even worry about what it means by doing PhD or say what is actually PhD.
We the PhD students should not even bother to react to such stupid articles and should concentrate on our research. Rediff is not a govt portal so we should not worry whatever is being published there.