Washington

Foreign students and scientists coming to the United States are suffering big delays caused by immigration restrictions, a congressional report has confirmed.

The report, which is set for release this week, tracked 71 science students and scholars who underwent security screenings in the wake of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. It found that they waited a mean period of 67 days for their visas — well above the state department's 30-day target.

“The report gives weight to what a lot of us were guessing at from anecdotal evidence,” says Wendy White, who works on international issues at the National Academy of Sciences.

The House Committee on Science commissioned the study last year from the Government Accounting Office (GAO), after hearings showed that foreign scientists were facing lengthy visa delays (see Nature 422, 457; 2003).

The delays are particularly bad for scientists from countries such as India, China and Russia, who must undergo frequent interagency security reviews that involve the FBI, the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security.

The GAO says that most delays are caused by communication lapses, either between these departments or within the state department, which administers the embassies and consulates. It can take up to two-and-a-half months for a request to get from an embassy to the FBI, and as long as 45 days for the FBI's clearance to reach the state department, it says.

The report also says that consular staff “lack guidance” on when to apply security reviews, and receive little feedback on whether they are providing the right information about an applicant.

Stuart Patt, a spokesman for the state department, defended its position, saying that it was hiring new consular officers and providing some scientific training for existing ones. He added that the department would soon install a new computer system, which should aid internal communication.

But White's office has received more than 1,100 complaints from foreign scientists since last June. She says that the state department's plans will help to reduce delays, but that much more remains to be done. “The mechanics of the process are getting better,” she says, “but the overall feeling that the United States is no longer a welcoming place persists.”