U.S. suspends visa processing

U.S. suspends visa processing

JAKARTA (JP): Two hundred people applying for visas at the
United States embassy in Jakarta complained yesterday that
embassy was refusing to process their applications.

Craig J. Stromme, the United States Information Service (USIS)
attache confirmed that the embassy has suspended visa processing
due to a lack of U.S. government funding authority and the
consequent furloughing of personnel.

He told The Jakarta Post yesterday that no visa applications
will be accepted until the funding authority is restored.

Applications for visas before and on Dec. 15 had been
processed normally, he said.

This is the second suspension of visa processing by the U.S.
embassy in Jakarta since the White House and the Republican-led
congress failed to resolve differences over the federal budget in
the middle of last month. The circumstances forced U.S. embassies
and consulates all over the Asia-Pacific region to issue
statements regretting the suspension of services.

Sources at the U.S. embassy in Jakarta said yesterday that
after last month's suspension almost 600 people applied for U.S.
visas every day.

In related development the United States Commercial and
Information Center said in a release yesterday that USIS Jakarta
has decided to relocate its information Center/Zorinsky Library
from Wisma Metropolitan II to the USIS office at Medan Merdeka
Selatan No. 4 after a close examination of its budget.

The release signed by Kathleen J. Brahney, Information Center
Director, said the new facility will be called the Zorinsky
Research and Information Service (ZoRIS).

"In order to facilitate the relocation of our services, the
Zorinsky Library at Wisma Metropolitan II will close as of Dec.
19, 1995. We expect our new facility to be operational in mid to
late January, 1996," the release said. (bsr/03/sur)