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Visa Appointment System
Warns of
20-Day Wait for Certain Applicants
While the State Department continues
to refuse to confirm press reports that young males from Middle
Eastern countries will face 20-day waits for security checks
before receiving a nonimmigrant visa, the following message
appears when individuals born in certain countries attempt
to make a visa appointment through the on-line Visa Appointment
Reservation System:
"Effective immediately,
the State Department has introduced a 20-day waiting period
for men from certain countries, ages 16-45, applying for visas
into the United States." The following countries of birth
are among those for whom this message appears: Afghanistan,
Algeria, Bahrain, Dijbouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran,
Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman,
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia,
United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
Update from the Revalidation
Unit at the Visa Office, 3/28/02
The Revalidation Unit contacted
AILA’s DOS/VO Liaison Committee to say that it appears
the Unit "has turned the corner.” The Revalidation
Unit has processed all of January's cases (except for a few
221(g) comebacks and some that were subject to the 20-day
hold.) Processing time is now approximately 6-8 weeks and
improving.
One piece of bad news: the Unit’s
refusal rate has increased significantly. This increase is
due to new requirements such as the DS-157, new DS-156, and
higher standards on photos.
The Revalidation Unit requests
that attorneys send the proper photos. The photos must be
passport-type photos, full-frontal view (in other words, not
the type submitted for green cards.) The background must be
light. The picture must also be recent (taken within the last
6 months). Some applicants are submitting pictures that are
years old.
In addition, attorneys are advised
that any USPS mail coming to a Washington address is going
through irradiation. This process can add weeks or months
to the delivery time. Therefore, it is highly recommended
that applications be sent via a courier service such as FEDEX,
DHL, UPS or Airborne.
Posted on AILA InfoNet,
March 28, 2002
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
SUSPENDS VISA SERVICES
IN PESHAWAR, LAHORE, AND KARACHI
The Department of State has suspended
visa services at the Consulates in Peshawar, Lahore and
Karachi. American citizen services will continue to operate
at these Consulates.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad is open
for all services, including visa services. However, from
time to time, the missions in Pakistan may temporarily close
or suspend public services as necessary to review their
security posture. The suspension of visa services at these
Consulates appears open-ended. AILA is closely tracking
this situation and will provide regular updates, when available,
via the InfoNet.
The Department’s notice was given
in the scope of a travel warning issued to urge American
citizens to defer travel to Pakistan. According to the Department,
the March 17 attack on worshippers at the Protestant International
Church in Islamabad and the kidnapping and brutal murder
of journalist Daniel Pearl in Karachi earlier this year
underscore the possibility that terrorists may seek civilian
targets. As a result of these concerns, the Department has
approved the authorized (voluntary) departure of eligible
family members of Embassy
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