U.S. envoy promises faster visa approval<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesians planning to go to the United States, especially
\nstudents, can expect faster visa approval, ambassador Ralph L.
\nBoyce has promised.<\/p>\n
The presence in the next few months of officials from the
\nDepartment of Homeland Security will not slow down the process,
\nhe stated. The officials "will help us make sure the application
\nprocess is not lengthier, but shorter," Boyce said.<\/p>\n
Decisions on visa applications, however, will remain with the
\nconsular officers.<\/p>\n
The new agents' job will not be "to oversee or to make
\ndecisions on specific visa cases, but to be a resource for the
\nconsular officers who, as always, will be the ones who do the
\nmain part of the work just as they do today and will continue to
\ndo so," Boyce said.<\/p>\n
The speedier visa application process would hopefully increase
\nvisits to the U.S. by foreigners. The ambassador stressed that
\nthe U.S. still wants visitors, particularly students, from
\nIndonesia and as such "we are very concerned... and want to make
\nIndonesians feel comfortable and not threatened."<\/p>\n
Since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, two years ago, the number
\nof Indonesian students visiting the U.S. reportedly decreased by
\n10 percent.<\/p>\n
The plan to involve such officials in visa approval, as part
\nof the U.S. efforts to tighten security after Sept. 11, has
\nraised eyebrows in several countries.<\/p>\n
In September, the U.S. Department of State and the Department
\nof Homeland Security (DHS) started a new system to share visa
\noversight.<\/p>\n
The DHS officers "will provide expert advice to consular
\nofficers regarding security threats relating to the adjudication
\nof visa applications or classes of applications, review visa
\napplications and conduct investigations involving visa
\nmatters .." reads a statement by J. Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman
\nof the Department of State, as quoted in the U.S. Embassy
\nwebsite.<\/p>",
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