Scientific leaders are increasingly fearful that tighter immigration procedures, introduced in the wake of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, are threatening the United States' position as a magnet for the world's scientific talent. Researchers from countries as diverse as Indonesia and Germany are now subject to detailed security checks and rigorous interviews. The clampdown covers first-time visitors to the United States and those returning to lab positions there ― delaying trips by weeks or months, and deterring some from coming at all. The consequences of the change, which intensified with the introduction last August of new visa guidelines for consular officials, could be far-reaching. "We are in a rapid transition, whereby the United States will cease to be the destination of choice for researchers," predicts Irving Lerch, director of international affairs at the American Physical Society.
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