AAMC Joins Letter to Secretary of State to Support International Students

The AAMC joined a Feb. 3 letter with 30 organizations within the higher education community welcoming newly confirmed Secretary Marco Rubio to the U.S. State Department (PDF) and encouraging him to take actions to support international students and institutions of higher education.

Specifically, the letter urged the State Department to ensure timely processing of student visas, including J-1 visas, which are an important pathway to residency training for physicians from other countries. The letter also expresses concern with slowdowns in visa interview scheduling and reported increases of denials, calling for efforts to address wait times and student visa processing. Further, the letter referenced the higher education community's past work to address national security threats targeting research and education and expresses hope for ongoing collaboration with the State Department on issues impacting exchange programs, international students, and research.