IVO News and Events

2008
Bill on Capitol Hill: Gates Wants Visas
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bill Gates is coming back to Capitol Hill with the same wish list he's had for years: more visas for highly skilled workers, more math, science and engineering in schools and more money for technology investment.

Bush Administration Pressured On H-1B Visa Reform
A Senate committee has become impatient with promises from Homeland Security and Labor to visit reforms on visa programs for highly skilled workers.

Spotlight - Top Immigration Stories for 2007
2007 was a busy year for immigration news. Some major changes were introduced to immigration regulations in various countries and plans were introduced for further changes in 2008 and beyond.

2007
DHS Begins Collecting 10 Fingerprints From International Visitors At Washington Dulles International Airport
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is now collecting additional fingerprints from international visitors arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport (Dulles).

NRC report urges creation of science security panel
The NRC report (Science and Security in Post 9/11 World)

New International Student Mobility Data
A new study looks at trends in different countries' top sources of international students over the last 10 years. See how the United States and other top source countries are doing.

Russia to Boost Int'l Student Scholarships
Russia recently announced that it plans to increase the number of scholarships provided to international graduate and postgraduate students earning degrees there.

Study says immigrants launch tech, engineering companies
A study released this week says about 25 percent of the technology and engineering companies launched in the U.S. in the past decade had at least one foreign-born founder.

2006
State Department Finalizes Personal Appearance Waiver Rule
The State Department on December 18, 2006 published a final rule on personal appearance waivers for visa interviews. The final rule amends the interim rule published in 2003 by expanding the restrictions on cases for which the personal appearance requirement can be waived. See 71 Fed. Reg. 75662.

Just The Stats: A Closer Look At STEM Majors
What role does mentorship play in the number of international students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the United States?

U.S. Is Dropping Effort to Track if Visitors Leave
Homeland Security officials have abandoned efforts to develop a system to determine whether foreign visitors leave the country

DNA Testing A Mixed Bag For Immigrants
In Visa Cases, Certainty Has a Cost, Lawyers Say