Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano introduced a new website to a packed UW-Madison auditorium Friday, designed to ease the process some foreign students experience when trying to study in the United States.
Napolitano described the website, called Study in the States, as a ""one stop shop"" where students can find information about acquiring and renewing visas while staying compliant with visa laws.
International students previously had to fill out documents and seek information from several different federal agencies to complete the necessary paperwork to acquire a visa. Napolitano said the new site brings all documents as well as information on how to complete the documents to one comprehensive website.
""I hope [the website] will help us maintain that critical balance between opening our doors to lawful international students who want to contribute their time and talents and energy to institutions like this one,"" Napolitano said.
At the same time, Napolitano stressed the importance of preserving national security.
""We have to take some necessary precautions to protect against [security threats and] protect our schools and universities from exploitation,"" Napolitano said.
Following her announcement, Napolitano took questions from students in the audience.
One graduate student from Egypt said he had to wait more than two months to receive his visa. In addition to the lengthy process, he said he had to answer questions on various forms asking him if he planned to commit acts of terrorism upon arriving in the states.
The student wanted to know how he could live a more ""normal"" life in the U.S., one that does not include frequently being stopped at airports, even after acquiring a legal visa.
Napolitano said increased biometrics—methods for recognizing a person based on one or more physical traits such as fingerprints—will help airlines ensure international travelers do not commit visa fraud and reduce suspicion of innocent travelers that result in unnecessary searches.
Napolitano hopes the new site and procedures will benefit international students by making U.S. study abroad programs more accessible. Napolitano also said universities can benefit from international students' economical contributions.
She said UW-Madison is a ""shining example"" of a university that benefits economically from its international students. Last year, Napolitano said, international students contributed nearly $217 million to Wisconsin's economy during the academic year.
