美领馆签证官员表示，12月圣诞节和明年1月春节的探亲高峰期即将到来，签证处的工作将会比较繁忙，希望签证申请者，尤其是学生签证申请者早做准备，尽可能提前预约。从去年开始，为了节约签证申请人以及签证处职员的时间，美国驻上海总领事馆宣布启用新的网上申请表。新的网上申请表含有条形码，允许签证处进行电子传输信息，从而减少了签证申请过程中的等候时间。从2004年2月起，对于那些在签证材料中提交新的印有条形码的申请表的申请人，签证处提供优先处理签证申请和进行面试预约的服务。在建议使用电子表格的同时，目前仍然提供手写表格的下载。不过，自2006年1月起，赴美签证申请人将被统一要求使用电子表格。一旦申请表格在网上填写完毕，申请者自行进行打印，并在签证面试的当天递交给签证官员。

美国驻上海总领事馆 Jennifer　Bosworth 说，虽然此前美国国务院出台了关于签证的指导意见，但这并不代表美国的签证政策有所改变，“实际上，这些指导意见是针对全球的美国签证官，是为了告诉签证官哪些学生可以给予签证。”根据美国国务院指导意见，是否给予学生签证，必须具备三个条件：是否合法的学生、是否能支付学费、是否有意向归国。学生被拒签的理由大多是因为资金问题。根据领馆目前的统计，上海、江苏、浙江的申请人中，已经有83%开始使用电子表格，明年起，剩下的人也必须使用电子表格。对于一些重新回美国念书的人，美领馆仍然要进行背景核查，比如在美国念完了本科、硕士研究生，现在希望开始念博士，对于这些学生，我们将重新核查他的研究方向、导师和简历，大概需要三个星期的核查时间。 Back

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　　由国务院发展研究中心发展战略和区域经济研究部、中国社会科学院中国经济分析与预测中心、商务部中国国际经济技术交流中心共同主办，发现杂志社、北京国际交流协会承办的“第七届中国经济学家论坛暨2006年中国社会经济形势分析与预测国际研讨会”将于2005年12月11日在北京人民大会堂隆重开幕。

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US in move that may bar foreign researchers (Edward Alden & Stephanie Kirchgaessner)

http://www.businessdayonline.com/?c=125&a=3160&sid=b35e5eeb5cb7cfae00cff26f95185fac

The US government is poised to propose rules that could restrict the ability of Chinese and other foreign nationals to engage in high-level research in the country, a plan that is generating fierce opposition from companies and universities. The move comes amid growing fears in the US that its relatively open rules allowing foreign nationals to work with sensitive technologies leave the country open to espionage.

Law enforcement and intelligence officials fear China in particular could be using some of its more than 150,000 students in the US to spy on behalf of Beijing. In a few weeks, the commerce department is expected to respond to a report by its inspector-general, which warned of the espionage risks last year. The inspector-general’s proposal called for an expansion of the rules that restrict the sharing of advanced technologies with foreign nationals.

Under existing law, companies or universities are required to seek a government export licence if they allow citizens from controlled countries, most prominently China, to engage in research involving technologies with potential military uses. But licences are not required if a Chinese national becomes a citizen or a permanent resident in another country – such as Canada or the UK – which is not subject to stringent US export controls.

There are particular concerns about the tens of thousands of Chinese who have taken out citizenship in countries that exchange technology freely with the US. The proposal under consideration would expand the so-called “deemed export” requirement to cover anyone born in China or other controlled countries such as Iran and North Korea, even if they had taken out citizenship in another country. The idea has particularly angered US universities, which have seen the enrolment of foreign students drop sharply owing to the stricter visa requirements imposed after the September 11 2001 terror attacks.

International student enrolment at US colleges and universities has fallen by 1.3 per cent in the last academic year, following a 2.4 per cent fall the year before. “The most alarming outcome of this proposed rule will be the substantial negative impac