U.S. embassy reopens visa service

U.S. embassy reopens visa service

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of visa applicants turned out at the United States Embassy yesterday when it reopened after being closed for three weeks.

"We did not issue any previous formal statement," Craig J. Stromme of the United States Information Service told The Jakarta Post yesterday. "People just sort of know."

Applicants formed such a long queue that it reached the nearby Gambir railway track prior to the opening of the embassy gate at 9 a.m.

President Bill Clinton signed a bill to reopen all the operations of the federal government in Washington Saturday. The action ended a record 21-day government partial shutdown up to Jan. 26 when the temporary spending legislation expires.

The dispute between the White House and the Republican-led Congress over the federal budget forced U.S. embassies and consulates all over the Asia-Pacific region to issue statements regretting the suspension of services.

"We're busier than normal," said Stromme when asked about the number of applicants. He said he was not sure whether visa applicants would swell in number in anticipation of another possible shutdown by Jan. 26.

The number of applicants declined to about fifty by 1 p.m., according to Antara. (14/hbk)