2022 Open Doors Report: What's Next for International Education?

Every year at the beginning of International Education Week, the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange is released by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Institute of International Education (IIE). This report provides an in-depth examination of the international student and study abroad landscape. As we amplify international education and exchange stories throughout the week, the Open Doors data grounds these narratives and speaks to the larger trends in the field. 

In his remarks during the Open Doors data release, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, “When international students come to the United States—and when Americans study abroad—they bring their talents, perspectives, and cultures to their new communities. And when they work with peers to advance research and knowledge, they spark innovation and forge bonds across borders that can last a lifetime.”  

Below are some key takeaways from this year’s data:

1. International student numbers in the U.S. are on the rise. 

• During the 2021-22 academic year, 948,519 international students studied in the U.S., up 4% from the previous academic year. China, India, and South Korea remain the top three sending countries, though the number of students from China decreased by 8.6%.  

• In conjunction with the 2022 Open Doors release, NAFSA’s annual update to their International Student Economic Value Tool finds that international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities contributed $33.8 billion and supported 335,423 jobs to the U.S. economy during the 2021-2022 academic year.

2. U.S. student study abroad numbers are way down, but a rebound is on the horizon. 

• There was a 91.1% decrease in study abroad participants from 2019-20 to 2020-21. Keep in mind that the Open Doors data for U.S. study abroad lags one year behind, so this large drop is reflecting the worst of the pandemic travel decreases.  

• IIE’s Snapshot Surveys indicate a rebound in study abroad is on the near horizon: 83% of institutions anticipated increased study abroad numbers in 2022-23. The rate of growth in global student mobility has increased steadily over the past 20 years, with the average growth rate being 5%.

3. There is still work to be done to ensure the study abroad population reflects the U.S. population. 

• Diversifying study abroad remains a primary goal; while 46% of students in the U.S. come from minority racial and/or ethnic backgrounds, only 32% of study abroad participants identify as such.  

• As institutions continue to expand study abroad opportunities, “continued focus in this area is necessary to align with the national U.S. student enrollment trend.”

4. Virtual exchange is key for increasing accessibility and sustainability. 

• 32,990 students participated in virtual global learning experiences in 2020-21, with the number of institutions reporting data having doubled since 2019-20. These learning experiences included remote internships, remote academic courses, and videoconference dialogues, highlighting the increasing presence of virtual technology in international exchange

In the words of Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield, “International education is undoubtedly a foundational pillar of our people-to-people diplomacy work to support broader U.S. foreign policy goals.” We are encouraged by the rebounds and resiliency the 2022 Open Doors report reflects and look forward to using this data as we move into 2023.What we’re reading on the 2022 Open Doors Report: 

• The Washington Post: International college enrollment ticks back up after pandemic 

• StudyTravel: Strong recovery in new students for US unis in 2021/22, growth continuing this year 

• Karin Fischer at The Chronicle of Higher Education 

Alliance for International Exchange Names Mark Overmann Executive Director

The Alliance for International Exchange has named Mark Overmann as its new Executive Director. He will begin his tenure on October 3.

Overmann rejoins the Alliance, where he served as Deputy Director, and as Assistant Director/Senior Policy Specialist.

The Alliance, an association of 80 U.S.-based exchange organizations, serves as the collective policy voice of the exchange community.

For the past 3 years, Overmann served as a Senior Manager for Accenture Federal Services, where he managed a major Department of State program focused on global health and diplomacy.

“We are thrilled to have Mark Overmann return to the Alliance as our Executive Director,” said Jennifer Clinton, chair of the Alliance Board and President of Cultural Vistas. “All of Mark’s professional career – his varied work in our community, both with exchange organizations and with the Alliance, his leadership role in the consulting world, and his personal exchange experiences make him the ideal person to lead the Alliance in these challenging times.

“This appointment is the culmination of an extensive and very competitive search. We believe Mark has unique capacities to listen and learn from our diverse membership, and to lead the Alliance to new levels of success.”

Prior to joining Accenture, Overmann worked at InterExchange, a large New York-based exchange organization, as Vice President of External Affairs.

Before his first stint with the Alliance, Overmann was Program Associate at the National Council for International Visitors (now Global Ties US), and Director of College Communications at Georgetown University.

He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and holds an M.A. from American University. As an undergraduate, he studied abroad in France, and after completing his degree, taught English in Northeast China, in a small town near the North Korean border.

Alliance for International Exchange Names Mark Overmann Executive Director

The Alliance for International Exchange has named Mark Overmann as its new Executive Director. He will begin his tenure on October 3.

Overmann rejoins the Alliance, where he served as Deputy Director, and as Assistant Director/Senior Policy Specialist.

The Alliance, an association of 80 U.S.-based exchange organizations, serves as the collective policy voice of the exchange community.

For the past 3 years, Overmann served as a Senior Manager for Accenture Federal Services, where he managed a major Department of State program focused on global health and diplomacy.

“We are thrilled to have Mark Overmann return to the Alliance as our Executive Director,” said Jennifer Clinton, chair of the Alliance Board and President of Cultural Vistas. “All of Mark’s professional career – his varied work in our community, both with exchange organizations and with the Alliance, his leadership role in the consulting world, and his personal exchange experiences make him the ideal person to lead the Alliance in these challenging times.

“This appointment is the culmination of an extensive and very competitive search. We believe Mark has unique capacities to listen and learn from our diverse membership, and to lead the Alliance to new levels of success.”

Prior to joining Accenture, Overmann worked at InterExchange, a large New York-based exchange organization, as Vice President of External Affairs.

Before his first stint with the Alliance, Overmann was Program Associate at the National Council for International Visitors (now Global Ties US), and Director of College Communications at Georgetown University.

He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and holds an M.A. from American University. As an undergraduate, he studied abroad in France, and after completing his degree, taught English in Northeast China, in a small town near the North Korean border.

Farewell Letters: Thanking Ilir Zherka for his leadership

The Alliance for International Exchange and its community of stakeholders are grateful to Ilir Zherka for his leadership over the past seven years. Below are letters of thanks from key Alliance partners that make our work possible:

• Assistant Secretary of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield

• Senator Chuck Schumer

• Representative Jim Himes

Alliance Thanks Ilir Zherka for his Leadership: Zherka Vacating Executive Director Role after 7 years

“The Alliance is very grateful to Ilir Zherka for his leadership during a uniquely challenging time for the Alliance and the broader exchange community,” said Jennifer Clinton, Chair of the Alliance Board of Directors.  

Since Zherka joined the Alliance, the community has significantly strengthened its voice. The Alliance commissioned its first-ever impact reports. Additionally, member and stakeholder engagement increased substantially with greater participation in advocacy days on Capitol Hill and in letter writing campaigns. The Alliance also launched the Exchange Week in the District program to increase grassroots engagement with local congressional offices and the People for International Exchange initiative to increase stakeholder involvement with the Alliance.  

“I want to thank the Alliance Board and its membership for the opportunity to serve this important community at such a critical time,” said Ilir Zherka. “Increasing mutual understanding between people around the world is as important now as ever. We strengthen the cause of freedom and prosperity when we couple traditional diplomacy with exchange programs that often create deep, personal relationships between participants and hosts across borders, cultures, and generations.”

 Zherka is a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Virginia School of Law. He and his family immigrated to the United States when he was a child. Ilir credits the support he received from people in the community and from government programs for helping him and his family succeed. “I have dedicated my life to serving the public interest,” added Zherka. “After taking some time off, I hope to continue making a positive difference in the world by empowering greater engagement in the workplace, in our communities, and with our elected representatives.” More information about Zherka’s background can be found here.

“The Alliance is confident we will select a new executive that will help us take advantage of the emerging opportunities and address the continuing challenges the exchange community is facing worldwide,” Clinton added.   

Michael McCarry, a prior Executive Director at the Alliance, will serve in that role again on an interim basis while the Board finalizes its search for its next leader which it hopes to announce at its upcoming Annual Conference on October 18.  

The Alliance for International Exchange is an association dedicated to promoting the growth and impact of exchange programs and the effectiveness of its members. Since 1993, it serves as the collective public policy voice for nearly 90 organizations comprising the international educational and cultural exchange community in the United States.

ACPD Special Report: Exploring U.S. Public Diplomacy’s Domestic Dimensions: Purviews, Publics, and Policies

The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy (ACPD) released a special report exploring the role that public diplomacy plays in advancing Americans’ understanding of the domestic impact of U.S. global engagement. Exploring U.S. Public Diplomacy’s Domestic Dimensions: Purviews, Publics, and Policies examines the use of USG public diplomacy programs and resources to engage domestic audiences. The report offers key takeaways about the scope and authorities of public diplomacy’s domestic dimension, the identification of key domestic audiences, stakeholders, and potential partners, and the policy and resource implications of a focus on domestic public diplomacy.Learn more about the report and access it here.The ACPD is a bipartisan panel created by Congress in 1948 to formulate, assess and recommend policies and programs to carry out the Public Diplomacy (PD) functions vested in U.S. government entities, to include the Department of State.

Alliance Statement on Ukraine

The Alliance for International Exchange is deeply saddened by the violence in Ukraine today, and we are very concerned about the impact on the Ukrainian people and others in the region from the outbreak of war.

 For many years, Alliance members have supported Americans on exchange programs in the region and have hosted visitors from there as well. Many program participants have developed strong ties across borders and even generations. Our hearts go out to these individuals as well as to our members who are from Ukraine and are being directly or indirectly impacted by these events. Today, we think about all of them and their families and hope that peace will return to Ukraine very soon.

 The Alliance and its members stand committed to the goals of international exchange - to promote mutual understanding between peoples and democratic institutions worldwide. Pursuing those goals in Ukraine and elsewhere will be especially critical in the months and years to come.

House Resolution supporting BridgeUSA programs

On February 2, Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) and Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH) introduced House Resolution 901, which reaffirms bipartisan congressional support of BridgeUSA programs and recognizes the importance of these programs to the United States’ economy and national interests.BridgeUSA programs, formerly known as the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, were created alongside the Peace Corps and U.S. Agency for International Development during the Cold War to promote the diplomatic and foreign affairs goals of the United States, which the State Department still advances in administering BridgeUSA as federal cultural exchange programs.In the press release announcing the resolution, Rep. Moore stated, “the message I have heard from community and business leaders alike is that these programs simply work.” Rep. Kuster added, “Small businesses here in New Hampshire and across the country rely on the BridgeUSA program — a work-and study-based exchange visitor program — to staff their operations and serve their communities.”The Alliance for International Exchange signed on as an external supporter of the resolution along with a number of other organizations and stakeholders.

Afghanistan Task Force

The purpose of this task force is to help members contribute most effectively to supporting at-risk Afghans, especially those who are involved in international education as participants or partners, including human and women’s rights activists, educators, journalists and media representatives, former government officials, non-profit leaders, and other civil society leaders. The task force adds the Alliance for International Exchange’s voice to advocacy efforts and provides members with information to navigate in their communities and with their constituencies.

Learn more and access resources on our Afghanistan Task Force webpage.

Norm Peterson: An Appreciation

We are saddened to report that Norm Peterson, the Alliance’s founding executive director, passed away recently.

In 1993, the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange was born out of a merger between The Liaison Group, led by Norm, and the International Exchange Association. The Alliance brought together for the first time the entire range of international exchange programs – from high school students to senior scholars – and grew into a significant advocacy voice for the entire community.

The Alliance has grown in size, stature, and reach since its founding.  For his role in founding the Alliance and his achievements there and elsewhere, we will remember Norm as one of our field’s all-time advocacy greats.

Read full appreciation

Alliance Statement on Lift of Travel Ban

The Alliance welcomes the news that, starting November 8, the United States will lift the travel ban imposed on 33 nations and admit fully vaccinated foreign air travelers.

This is a critical step towards reinvigorating international exchange. The Alliance urges the Administration to take two additional steps. First, it should ensure that U.S. embassies in travel-banned countries are processing visas immediately. Doing so now will be critical for many program sponsors and hosts who are working to bring exchange visitors to the United States soon after the bans are lifted.

Second, the Administration should develop vaccination exemptions for exchange visitors from countries where vaccines are not routinely available. For these visitors, the Administration should extend the current practice of requiring a negative test and a vaccination within a defined period after entry. Additionally, the Administration should exempt exchange visa holders who will receive the vaccine through their academic institution in the United States.

Alliance Supports Joint Statement of Principles on International Education

Washington, DC: The Alliance for International Exchange’s Executive Director, Ilir Zherka, issued the following statement today regarding the Biden Administration’s announcement of a first-ever coordinated national approach on international education. The below may be quoted in whole or in part.

The Alliance enthusiastically supports the Joint Statement of Principles on international education issued by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on July 26, 2021. The U.S. Departments of State and Education’s shared commitment to promoting international education is a welcome initiative that includes actions seeking to implement a coordinated strategy for international students studying in the U.S. and Americans studying abroad, expand access to international education opportunities, and incorporate international education as part of our recovery from the pandemic. 

We also urge the Departments of State and Education to include the following recommendations as part of its strategy on international education.   

• The inclusion of post-secondary, accredited English language programs in the U.S., which are an important facet of international education. 

• The incorporation of a range of U.S. programs in which international students participate, such as Intern; Optional Practical Training; and Summer, Work and Travel.  

The Alliance for International Exchange is an association dedicated to promoting the growth and impact of exchange programs and the effectiveness of its members. Since 1993, it serves as the collective public policy voice for organizations comprising the international educational and cultural exchange community in the United States.  

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Open Doors 2021 Release

To kick off International Education Week 2021, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education released findings from the Open Doors® 2021 Report on International Educational Exchange. Watch the release event here with remarks by IIE CEO Allan Goodman, other IIE research staff, and Acting Assistant Secretary Matthew Lussenhop.

You can pre-order the full 2021 report here or access featured data on the Open Doors website.

Alliance sends letter to Sec. Blinken from 11 Associations

Washington, DC: The Alliance for International Exchange’s Executive Director, Ilir Zherka, issued the following statement today regarding a letter to Secretary Blinken from 11 associations. The letter urges the Department of State to consider changes regarding the level 4 travel advisory update that impacts approximately 80 percent of countries worldwide. The below may be quoted in whole or in part.

Yesterday, the Alliance for International Exchange sent a letter to Secretary Blinken cosigned by eleven associations expressing collective concerns regarding the April 19, 2021, travel advisory update that increases the number of countries at “Level 4: Do Not Travel” to approximately 80 percent worldwide.

The Alliance joins its colleagues and members in calling on the U.S. Department of State to reconsider its designation of "Do Not Travel" for 80 percent of countries worldwide. Many colleges and universities look to the Department when developing their student travel policies. It is now difficult to discern why advanced democracies that are making progress vaccinating their residents are in the same category as failing and war-torn states.

The Department should consider changes in the Level 4 advisory that acknowledge differences among those countries with that rating. They should also review the change in advisories within 30-days to determine whether states that were recently moved to Level 4 should be moved back to Level 3 and/or whether the alignment with CDC’s rankings is beneficial.

We very much appreciate the Department's strong support of international education and understand the rationale for aligning its advisories with that of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But time is of the essence. Without a change, the new advisories may result in tens of thousands of opportunities for students to travel abroad being eliminated. That would likely affect the readiness of many college graduates entering the U.S. job market over the next few years and deepen the economic crisis facing organizations that administer study abroad and other travel programs.

The Alliance for International Exchange is an association dedicated to promoting the growth and impact of exchange programs and the effectiveness of its members. Since 1993, it serves as the collective public policy voice for organizations comprising the international educational and cultural exchange community in the United States.  

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COVID-19 Restrictions

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for international exchange programs due to their heavy dependence on travel and people-to-people interactions. An estimated 6500 jobs and $303M were lost by these employers and others in related fields last year due to the pandemic. Overall, the BridgeUSA exchange community experienced $1.23 billion in financial fallout in 2020.

Unfortunately, international exchange programs are still stymied by travel and other restrictions. The Administration’s current approach of not issuing most J-1 visas in countries where there are travel bans, as well as its decision not to prioritize these BridgeUSA programs for visa processing in countries without such a ban, will likely mean that program sponsors will go through another year without much income. That would be devastating to exchange employers and to the cultural exchange programs they run, which would in turn hurt the United States’ national security for years to come.

Learn more about the Alliance's advocacy efforts in this space on our COVID-19 Restrictions website page.

https://apnews.com/article/travel-pandemics-jamaica-boston-coronavirus-pandemic-11627ee5df0e9d2477ce13b2c3ed4546 Click to copy RELATED TOPICS Travel Pandemics Jamaica Immigration Boston Coronavirus Coronavirus pandemic AP Top News U.S. News Health Lifestyle Business Help Wanted: In pandemic, worry about finding summer workers

BOSTON (AP) — The owner of seafood restaurants on Cape Cod has eliminated lunch service and delayed the opening of some locations because his summertime influx of foreign workers hasn’t arrived yet.

More than a thousand miles away, a Jamaican couple is fretting about whether the rest of their extended family can join them for the seasonal migration to the popular beach destination south of Boston that’s been a crucial lifeline for them for decades.

As vaccinated Americans start to get comfortable traveling again, popular summer destinations are anticipating a busy season. But hotel, restaurant and retail store owners warn that staffing shortages exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic could force them to limit occupancy, curtail hours and services or shut down facilities entirely just as they’re starting to bounce back from a grim year.

The problem, they say, is twofold: The annual influx of seasonal foreign workers has stalled in places because of the pandemic. Businesses have also struggled to attract U.S. workers, even as many have redoubled their efforts to hire locally amid high unemployment.

“It’s the ‘Hunger Games’ for these employers, fighting for getting these guest workers into the country while also trying everything they can to recruit domestically,” said Brian Crawford, an executive vice president for the American Hotel and Lodging Association, a Washington, D.C.-based industry group. “It’s really frustrating. They’re trying to regain their footing after this disastrous pandemic but they just can’t catch a break.”

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden let expire a controversial ban on temporary worker visas such as the J-1 program for students and the H-2B program for nonagricultural laborers imposed by former President Donald Trump.

But American embassies and consulates remain closed or severely short-staffed in many countries. The U.S. has also imposed restrictions on travelers from countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil and South Africa because of the emergence of new virus variants or rising COVID-19 cases.

Advocates for the J-1 program, which brings in about 300,000 foreign students annually, urged the State Department in a letter Thursday to exempt the applicants from the travel bans and provide other relief so they can start their summer jobs. Ilir Zherka, head of the Alliance for International Exchange, which sent the letter along with more than 500 supporting groups and companies, argued the J-1 program doesn’t just benefit local economies, but also helps strengthen national security by promoting understanding and appreciation of U.S. culture.

Supporters of the H-2B program, meanwhile, have renewed their call to overhaul the program, which is capped at 66,000 visas per fiscal year. The Biden administration, citing the summer demand from employers, said Tuesday it will approve an additional 22,000 H-2B visas, but lawmakers from New England and other regions that rely on the visas for tourism, landscaping, forestry, fish processing and other seasonal trades say that’s still inadequate.

“That’s infinitesimal. It isn’t anywhere close to the need,” said Congressman Bill Keating, a Democrat representing Cape Cod.

Cem Küçükgenç (Gem Koo-CHOOK-gench), a 22-year-old engineering student at Middle East Technical University in Turkey, is among thousands of foreign students worldwide awaiting approval for a J-1 visa.

He’s slated to work at a waterfront restaurant in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, this summer, but the U.S. Embassy in Ankara recently announced that it won’t be unable to process temporary work visas in time for the summer season.

Turkey has imposed a partial lockdown as the coronavirus surges there, but Küçükgenç is still holding out hope the embassy might relent if virus cases subside.

“I graduate next year,” he said. “I’m not sure when I’ll have another chance.”

In Jamaica, Freda Powell says she and her husband have secured their H-2B visas and will arrive on Cape Cod, where they’ve worked in retail stores and restaurants for roughly 20 summers now, in early May.

But the 55-year-old worries her siblings and other relatives might not be so lucky. The U.S. Embassy in Kingston has temporarily halted visa processing because of rising COVID-19 cases in her country, she says.

“In Jamaica, you can work, but it’s hand to mouth,” Powell said. “With the money you make in the U.S., you can buy a car, fix the house, send your kids to school and build savings.”

The uncertainty around international hires has forced American businesses to redouble their efforts to hire domestically, or make tough compromises until reinforcements can arrive.

In New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the Christmas-themed amusement park Santa’s Village is promising college students free housing and utilities.

In California’s Sonoma Valley, business leaders in the famous winemaking region are exploring the idea of pooling employees, among other workforce initiatives.

Mark Bodenhamer, head of the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce, said a restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch could possibly share employees with one that does the majority of its business during evening hours.

“Those solutions are complicated and costly,” he said. “But at this point, it’s all hands on deck.”

In North Carolina’s Outer Banks, the tourist season is already in full swing, but staff shortages abound, according to Karen Brown, head of the beach region’s chamber of commerce.

Some restaurants have been forced to shut down once a week or halt curbside service, while in some hotels, managers are helping maids turn over rooms, she said.

“Everyone is pitching in where they can just to keep the wheels on the bus,” Brown said.

Mac Hay, who owns seafood restaurants and markets on Cape Cod, is among the business owners who have their doubts that extra efforts to hire American workers will pay off.

On a given year, he estimates about a third of his 350-person summer workforce ultimately has to come from seasonal visa workers from Mexico, Jamaica and elsewhere when the jobs aren’t filled locally.

Hay argues the foreign workers are the “backbone kitchen staff” — the line cooks, food prep workers and dishwashers — who make it possible for him to hire Americans for jobs they’re seeking, such as waiting tables, bartending and management.

“We simply won’t be able to meet demand without an increased workforce,” he said.

Business owners and experts say there are myriad reasons why U.S. citizens aren’t rushing to respond to the job boom, from COVID-19-related worries to child care issues or simply a decision to collect unemployment benefits, which have been increased and extended through the summer season in most places.

But the need for international workers on Cape Cod — where soaring housing costs have been a major barrier to generating a substantial homegrown workforce — boils down to a simple math problem, Hay said.

Provincetown, a popular gay resort community at the very tip of the cape, has just 2,200 year-round residents, yet restaurants like Hay’s employ about 2,000 workers in high season alone.

“We’re on a dead-end street up here, basically,” he said. “There’s no one else coming.”

Alliance sends letter to Sec. Blinken from over 500 Businesses

Washington, DC: The Alliance for International Exchange’s Executive Director, Ilir Zherka, issued the following statement today regarding an Alliance letter to Secretary Blinken from over 500 businesses. The letter urges the Department of State to take additional steps to process exchange visas to alleviate the  economic strife affecting the international exchange community. The below may be quoted in whole or in part.

Today, the Alliance sent a letter to Secretary Blinken from over 500 signees who represent the sponsors, businesses, and industries that recruit, host, and support international exchange visitors every year.

We recognize the Secretary's very strong support of these programs and applaud recent steps taken by the Administration to enable them. Unfortunately, those steps are not enough. Most of these signees and others in the exchange community are facing an extraordinary economic crisis and for some program sponsors, the threat is existential.

The Alliance and the signees are urging the Department to take additional steps to process exchange visas, including waiving interviews for J-1 applicants, targeting resources at embassies where demand is high, and lifting travel restrictions in favor of proof of a negative COVID test or vaccination. Doing so will fulfill President's Biden promise to follow the science when fighting to end the pandemic. It would also help protect embassy personnel while supporting the American employers that administer and rely on the exchange programs.

The Alliance for International Exchange is an association dedicated to promoting the growth and impact of exchange programs and the effectiveness of its members. Since 1993, it serves as the collective public policy voice for organizations comprising the international educational and cultural exchange community in the United States.

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Alliance Applauds Administration Decision re P. 10052

Washington, DC: The Alliance for International Exchange’s Executive Director, Ilir Zherka, issued the following statement today regarding the Biden Administration allowing Presidential Proclamation 10052 to expire yesterday, March 31. P. 10052 was intended to suspend the entry to the United States of certain nonimmigrant visa applicants presenting a risk to the U.S. labor market during the economic recovery following the coronavirus outbreak. The below may be quoted in whole or in part.

We applaud the decision of the Biden Administration to allow Proclamation 10052 to expire yesterday. The premise of P. 10052 was deeply flawed: International cultural exchange programs strengthen our national security, while supporting American jobs. Those were also the conclusions of the Federal Court in NAM v. DHS  when it issued an injunction preventing implementation of the Proclamation.

The Alliance urges the Biden Administration to turn its attention swiftly to addressing the continuing economic crisis facing exchange sponsors in the United States. An estimated 6500 jobs and $303M were lost by these employers and others in related fields last year due to the pandemic. Overall, the exchange community experienced $1.23 billion in financial fallout in 2020. The Administration’s current approach of not issuing most J-1 visas in countries where there are travel bans, as well as its decision not to prioritize these BridgeUSA programs for visa processing in countries without such a ban, will likely mean that program sponsors will go through another year without much income. That would be devastating to exchange employers and to the cultural exchange programs they run, which would in turn hurt the United States' national security for years to come.

The Administration can help ease the current crisis by excepting J-1 visas from the travel bans and prioritizing the processing of these visas. The time is now to enable summer participation in exchange programs where possible and appropriate, and to support the American employers who sponsor those programs. 

The Alliance for International Exchange is an association dedicated to promoting the growth and impact of exchange programs and the effectiveness of its members. Since 1993, it serves as the collective public policy voice for now over 90 organizations comprising the international educational and cultural exchange community in the United States.

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Senators urge rescission of Proclamation suspending J-1 visas

On March 17, Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Angus King (I-ME) sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the rescission of former-President Donald Trump’s ban on seasonal, employer-sponsored, and cultural exchange visas under Proclamation 10052.The Senate letter also calls on President Biden to “direct your consulates to resume timely processing of nonimmigrant visas.”

See the full letter here, as well as the press release from Senator Menendez here.

The Alliance thanks and congratulates all those involved in encouraging and supporting this effort. Please help increase the reach and impact of this letter by posting it on your social media.

For more information on P. 10052 and related Alliance efforts, please visit our Presidential Proclamation on J-1 Visas website page.

USGLC Report on Reports: A Roadmap for U.S. Global Leadership

In March 2021, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) released its latest Report on Reports: A Roadmap for U.S. Global Leadership – a review of over 120 reports from think tank and policy organizations across the political spectrum.

As it has done every four years dating back to the 2008 presidential election, USGLC reviewed more than 100 reports from leading think tanks and policy institutes across the political spectrum with recommendations for the Administration and Congress on foreign policy and national security. USGLC’s “Report on Reports” synthesizes these reports, looking for areas of consensus in the hopes American policymakers can find common ground.

Click here to see a brief highlight reel of the report's launch event with President Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and bipartisan state and local leaders.