A group of 30 professional societies and academic organizations, including AIBS, have written to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) asking the Administration to provide visa assistance to Afghan scientists, engineers, and technical professionals seeking to leave Afghanistan.
โAs the United States continues to evacuate vulnerable populations from Afghanistan, we ask that you extend assistance to engineers, scientists, and other educated professionals in the country, especially those who, despite all odds, have joined global technical communities,โ the groups wrote. โWe specifically ask that you assist women in STEM in their exodus of Afghanistan. Women and girls, along with their STEM mentors, are currently being targeted by the Taliban.โ
Specifically, the letter requests P-2 Priority designation visas for volunteers and members of global professional societies to facilitate their evacuation from Afghanistan. Read the letter.
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