The OISS gratefully acknowledges Cornell University's International Students and Scholars Office for sharing the below information.

Field of Study

If a visa applicant's area of study is on the U.S. federal government's “technology alert list,” the U.S. consulate may complete a security clearance prior to granting the visa. This process may delay your visa application by anywhere from one to three months. There is no way to know for certain ahead of time whether you will be subject to this type of clearance. If you find that your field of study is on the list, it would be advisable to get a letter from a professor on your committee which describes briefly and in layman's terms the specific area of your research. This letter will not deter a security clearance, but it may expedite the clearance.

Country of Citizenship, Nationality, or Birth

A security clearance may also be required by the U.S. consulate if a visa applicant is born in or is a citizen or national of certain countries. The list of countries is not published, but seems to include the following:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and the territories of Gaza and West Bank.

If you have applied for a visa and you have been waiting for more than one month for the results of a security advisory opinion, please contact the OISS to inform us of the delay.