New data shows three key immigration numbers are down, reflecting serious changes in the current political and economic climate. Across the board, the government is approving far fewer visas than allowed or expected and giving asylum to refugees at an alarmingly slow rate. The political and economic factors at work since 9-11 have affected immigrants from all levels of society - skilled workers, students, and refugees.

Students

In 2002, the U.S. government gave 253,841 visas to foreign scholars, researchers and teachers, according to a spokesman for the US State Department's Consular Affairs Bureau, about 8,000 less than was granted the year before. Visas granted to undergraduate and graduate students last year totaled 234,322, down by nearly 60,000 from 2001. Officials said the reductions reflected more of a drop in visa applications than a rise in rejections. However, there have been numerous reports of students who were unable to reenter the country or were considerably delayed while the government processed background checks. Many students who were already in the middle of a degree program in the U.S. were prevented from continuing their studies. Some students were still waiting as late as February to be approved for visas to attend schools that expected them last September.

Highlighting the increased scrutiny of the student visa process, some lawmakers have begun introducing legislation to refuse school loans to foreign students. In one bill, students from countries included on the list of those that sponsor terrorism would be denied government education loans altogether. Universities are also now in the process of learning the government's new electronic student-tracking system, SEVIS, which is part of a renewed push to keep a close watch of those who enter the country to attend school. And the government recently released a set of regulations imposing new restrictions on students.

University officials say the laws punish people who are just trying to do their research. Last fall, the University of Minnesota had a 21% drop in its international student population.

"In the long run, the progression of our research is at stake," said Debbie Fountain, a spokesman for the National Cancer Institute's Office of Management, as quoted in a recent issue of The Scientist.

Refugees

The US has admitted only 8,860 refugees during the first half of fiscal year 2003. If the government accepts refugees at this same level during the next six months, fewer than 18,000 refugees will be accepted out of the presidential target figure of 70,000. It would be the lowest number of admissions in decades.

Based on estimates of the costs of refugee resettlement, as compiled by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), the President's FY 2004 budget proposal would only provide funding for the resettlement of 45,000 refugees, an indication that the government is planning for a continued reduction in admissions.

Following 9-11, the government imposed a moratorium on the refugee admissions program. Refugees did not begin arriving again until December 2001. In fiscal year 2002, the United States admitted only 27,000 out of the targeted 70,000.

According to HIAS, the average number of refugees admitted annually since 1980 is 98,000, with a declining trend over the past ten years.

Skilled Workers

The H-1B visa came to be thought of as a "high-tech" visa during the 90's boom, with many computer technologists and software engineers coming in under that category. In 2000, the annual quota was raised in response to a growing demand by companies that depended on a foreign influx to fill then-pervasive job vacancies.

This week the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) announced the statistics for the number of H-1B petitions filed and approved during fiscal year 2002. The BCIS received 215,190 H-1B petitions in FY 2002, including both initial and continuing employment. Of that number, the INS approved 197,000 - 103,584 were for initial employment. A Congressionally-mandated cap of 195,000 on certain individuals applied to 79,100 petitions for FY 2002. The rules for counting individuals against the cap were revised by the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act, under which most foreign nationals approved for extensions are not subject to the annual cap.

The cap on H-1B visas will drop to an annual rate of 65,000 in October and the issue of whether to keep the quota at a higher level is already being debated by members of Congress.

H-1B Petitions Filed and Approved by Type of Petition: FYs 2000-02

Petitions Filed

            Total            Initial Employment   Continuing Employment

2000   299,046               164,814                  134,232

2001   342,035               201,543                  140,492

2002   215,190               109,576                  105,614

Petitions Approved

            Total            Initial Employment   Continuing Employment

2000   257,640                136,787                  120,853

2001   331,206                201,079                  130,127

2002   197,537                103,584                  93,953