More than two dozen higher education groups signed a Feb. 3 letter urging the Biden administration to help Afghanistan's "best and brightest" relocate to the U.S. and facilitate their access to colleges and universities.

The Middle East Studies Association, American Institute of Afghanistan Studies and Scholars at Risk implored the White House to create a visa category specifically for Afghan scholars and students. It also asked the administration to waive the intent-to-return and home residency requirements for existing visa categories for Afghan applicants. (Certain visas for students and scholars are not available to many Afghans because they cannot show proof of a residence abroad to which they intend to return, according to the letter.)

The letter was addressed to President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.

The groups also pressed the Department of Homeland Security to expedite processing of Afghan scholars and students who have offers of study, research or work with a U.S. host university, college or association.

"If these specific suggestions are for any reason impractical, it is imperative that you find other solutions to achieve the same objective," the letter stated.

The 22 other groups that signed the letter include the American Anthropological Association, American Historical Association, American Sociological Association and Society for Ethnomusicology.