A new report from the Immigration Policy Center (IPC) recently found that foreign-born scientists and engineers play a significant role in the science and engineering industry in the United States.  However, the U.S. visa system and the security procedures instituted since September 11, 2001, may be causing an increasing number of foreign-born scientists and engineers to avoid coming to the United States according to the study. 

According to the report outlining the IPO’s study, entitled “Maintaining A Competitive Edge: The Role of the Foreign-Born and U.S. Immigration Policies in Science and Engineering,” the foreign-born accounted for 16.6 percent of all scientists and engineers in the United States in 2000, which exceeds their 11.1 percent share of the U.S. population as a whole.  In specific industries, the foreign-born comprise 42.2 percent of all physical scientists and 38.6 percent of all life scientists in educational and health services in 2000, as well as 26.2 percent of all physical scientists in manufacturing. 

The foreign-born account for 51 percent of engineers with a doctorate degree, and 45 percent of life scientists, physical scientists and mathematical and computer scientists with a doctorate.  The report states lengthy delays in visa processing for scientists and engineers are widespread and significant, and often have nothing to do with the amount of time it takes to actually perform a security check on the applicant. 

The number of non-immigrant visas issued by the State Department, which are the primary means by which foreign-born scientists and engineers enter the United States, fell by 35.7 percent from FY 2001 to FY 2002.  That number includes declines of 33.7 percent in H-1B visas for highly skilled professionals and 26.5 percent in F-1 student visas.

The report is available online at http://www.immigrationpolicy.org.