AAUP is a co-sponsor of the National Online Petition for International-Student Visa Reform and International Scholars' Rights:

Dear visa reform allies,

As many of you know, GESO and the Yale Unions have been pushing for a student visa reform in the congress. There are currently high-level conversations going on among U.S. Senators about what they are calling a "Student Visa Adjustment" to eliminate the delay problem that we have been highlighting.

WE URGENTLY NEED YOU TO PHONE YOUR TWO U.S. SENATORS AND TELL THEM:

1. Support a "Student Visa Adjustment" to end the student visa delay crisis.
2. Support the bipartisan AgJOBS Act (S. 1645)
3. Support the DREAM Act (S.1545)

Find their local phone number.

PLEASE MAKE THIS PHONE CALL RIGHT NOW, AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO SO.

There has been a lot of momentum created by the AgJobs Act, which now has over 60 Senate co-sponsors and is poised to pass the Senate (the Wall St Journal editorialized in favor of passing AgJobs). The DR EAM act also has significant support. So our allies in the Senate are trying to decide how far to try to take immigration reform in the next month or so.

The student visa delay problem has gained a lot of momentum recently:

* A Nat'l Science Board report blames visa delays in part for America's global scientific decline.
* Harvard's President wrote a letter endorsing security pre-clearance.
* Texas A&M President called for "Urgent Action" by Congress.
* NY Times & Financial Times editorials in favor of student visa reform.
* All Ivy League Presidents expected to speak out publicly on issue later this week.

Thank you for everything you've done to get us to this point. But let's not let up the pressure just as we're so close to success! We need to bombard all senators with phone calls supporting student visa reform, and we need to do that RIGHT NOW!

Let's go!

Yours,
Shar-yin Naomi Huang
GESO/Yale University

Sign the National Online Petition for International-Student Visa Reform and International Scholars Rights!

Since September 11, 2001, international students and scholars seeking to study and work in America have faced increasing difficulties due to visa restrictions, background checks, and other security initiatives implemented by the US government.

In response, a petition proposing solutions has been launched by a coalition of organizations committed to establishing a fair and supportive environment for international workers at U.S. universities. This coalition already includes:

* the AFL-CIO,
* the 43-campus Association of Chinese Students and Scholars of New York (ACSSNY),
* local graduate employee unions on 20 different campuses,
* the American Association of University Professors (AAUP),
* the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students (NAGPS),
* and others.

Over 4,000 academics had signed the petition as of September 28. Let's keep spreading the word!