The State and Homeland Security departments have reduced from months to weeks the time it takes foreign students and scholars trying to travel to America to clear a key visa review, according to a new government report.

The findings are welcome news for education leaders, though they have cautioned streamlining the visa process will not, on its own, reverse the trend of declining interest among foreigners in attending American colleges and universities.

Amid complaints from higher education groups and major business leaders, including Bill Gates, that visa hassles were discouraging foreign students from attending American schools, a Government Accountability Office investigation last year found average delays of 67 days for applicants to clear a security check for scientists known as Visa Mantis. Some delays were considerably longer, and some applicants waited as long as 12 weeks just to get an interview to start the process.

In a follow-up report to be released today, the GAO finds the average wait following the interview has now fallen to 15 days, according to a source who has been briefed on the findings and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The report credits the overall improvement to better technology, coordination among agencies and policy changes – such as priority interviews for student applicants. It cautions that problems remain and some scholars still face considerable delays.

The report comes just a week after the government announced it would allow international students to keep their Visa Mantis clearance for the duration of their studies, up to four years – a change that will likely further reduce delays. Reapplications from those who had been previously cleared were a major bottleneck, and a source of anxiety for applicants, who worried they might be unable to get back to school if forced to return home in an emergency.

Peggy Blumenthal, vice president for educational services at the Institute of International Education, praised U.S. embassies for making an improved visa process a top priority. Still, public relations challenges remain, she said.

“Even more important than the actual wait times, which have improved, is combatting the perception abroad by students that the situation is the same as it was shortly after September 11,” she said. “Students right now are going on what they heard from their cousin or friend or neighbor who applied three years ago.”

About 600,000 foreigners study in America, but international graduate student applications fell 32% last year, according to an IIE survey. Another survey released in November found the number of first-time foreign enrollees in American graduate schools was down 6% – the third straight decline after a decade of growth.

Universities depend on international students for teaching and research help, particularly in the sciences. In some fields, including engineering, foreigners comprise more than 50% of students. More than 75% of their funding comes from abroad, and they contribute $12 billion annually to the U.S. economy, according to IIE.

Visa delays may prove the most easily solvable of the challenges facing American schools. Students from China and India who have traditionally gone to the United States are finding better domestic options, and are encountering aggressive marketing by schools in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.

“Competition is hot and heavy,” Ms. Blumenthal said.