Tougher US Visa Rules Bring Fear of Longer Delays

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, May 25, 2003

Tougher US Visa Rules Bring Fear of Longer Delays

The US State Department has ordered the tightening of approval process of visa applications, a step that will result in months-long backlogs, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

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The US State Department has ordered the tightening of approval process of visa applications, a step that will result in months-long backlogs, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

The State Department has formally issued rules to 221 embassies and consulates Wednesday, ordering Foreign Service officers to begin on Aug. 1 face-to-face interviews with millions of visa applicants who previously have not merited such scrutiny, the report said.

The rules have prompted strong objections from business, education and tourism groups. The groups say that longer delays in obtaining visas will discourage foreign nationals from visiting the United States at a time when the economy is still struggling.

The heightened scrutiny will be applied to about 90 percent of visa applicants from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, with general exceptions for diplomats and people 16 and younger or 60 and older. The rules will not affect citizens of Canada and 27 other countries -- most of them in Europe-- who are not required to obtain US business or tourist visas, and who make up about half of the 35 million people who visit the United States each year.

"This is probably going to add a lot more time to the process and could bog the system down very seriously," Randy Johnson, vice president for labor, immigration and employee benefits at the US Chamber of Commerce, told the Post.

The policy change is part off an array of new restrictions designed to improve security and monitoring of visitors in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The US government has also established a new Internet-based registration system for foreign students and now requires visitors form many Muslim countries to register and be fingerprinted at ports of entry.

Business and tourism leaders said that while they applaud the goal of improved security, the State Department could cause serious economic damage if it does not provide sufficient staff to handle demand. Higher education groups have expressed alarm that the rules could reduce travel by instructors and students form overseas.

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