U.S. visa applications on rise during vacation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The United States Embassy is processing between
\n400 and 600 visa applications daily during the school vacation.<\/p>\n
Counselor for Consular Affairs at the embassy, William
\nBarkell, told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the peak season for
\nvisa applications runs from May through August.<\/p>\n
\"Usually the embassy only serves around 200 to 300 applicants
\non a daily basis,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Judging by the number of visa applicants, the U.S. is a highly
\nfavored destination among holiday-makers.<\/p>\n
According to Barkell, the number of U.S. visa applicants is
\ngradually increasing. In the 1994 fiscal year there were 54,000
\napplicants. In the 1995 fiscal year there were 57,000.<\/p>\n
\"We predict there will be a total of 60,000 by the end of this
\nfiscal year,\" Barkell added.<\/p>\n
Last week an ad of Northwest Airlines, cooperating with
\nseveral local travel agents, offered round trips to the U.S. with
\nprice ranging between US$799 to Honolulu to $999 to the East
\ncoast.<\/p>\n
A source at the company told the Post that flights from
\nJakarta to the U.S. between July 3 and July 18 have been fully
\nbooked since April. Northwest had no direct flights from Jakarta
\nto the U.S. before July 3.<\/p>\n
Flights to the East Coast of the U.S. cost $1,300, and $1,100
\nto the West coast.<\/p>\n
A woman queuing at the embassy said yesterday her children
\nhave been nagging her for a long time, saying their family should
\ngo to the U.S. for a vacation.<\/p>\n
\"They wanted to go to places they have been seeing in movies,\"
\nshe said, citing the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State
\nBuilding in New York and the Mount Rushmore national monument in
\nSouth Dakota.<\/p>\n
Applicants are often seen queuing at the embassy on Jl.
\nMerdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, as early as 5 a.m. even though
\nembassy staff do not start work until 7:30.<\/p>\n
Service hours for visa applicants are from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00.
\nIf visa's are approved, applicants may pick up their passports
\nthe following day at 3 p.m.<\/p>\n
Apparently, many applicants feel more secure if they go to the
\nembassy early. They believe the process will be smoother and
\ntheir turn assured.<\/p>\n
Adi planned to travel around the West Coast with his family
\nfor three weeks beginning the end of June. He said he wanted to
\nsettle his application within a day.<\/p>\n
\"If it's early the officers aren't cranky yet, and we have a
\ngreater chance for passing the interview compared to if we came
\nlater in the day,\" Adi said.<\/p>\n
A brief interview with embassy staff is a standard procedure
\nfor first-time applicants applying for U.S. visas.<\/p>\n
Interviews are conducted to determine applicants' eligibility
\nto enter the U.S., Barkell said.<\/p>\n
\"Questions asked are determined by evidence submitted by
\napplicants, as long as they can prove that they would return to
\nIndonesia after their stated purpose, we would grant them non-
\nimmigrant visas,\" he explained.<\/p>\n
According to Barkell, the embassy does not have a daily quota
\nfor processing visa applications.<\/p>\n
\"As long as they are able to convince us that they have
\nsufficient terms and close family ties to return to Indonesia, we
\nwould grant them the visa,\" he said. (14)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-visa-applications-on-rise-during-vacation-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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