August 20, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Saani 10, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 19: The American Embassy has advised all non-immigrant visa applicants to apply for a visa in advance of travel as early as possible.

In a press release issued here on Monday, the US Embassy advised the potential travellers that they should not make definite travel arrangements until they are assured they will be issued the appropriate visa.

It said, in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against New York, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania, non-immigrant visa applications for travel to the United States are subject to greater scrutiny.

This may lead to significant delays in visa issuance. All visa applicants should understand that every effort is being made to process all visa applications as expeditiously as possible, consistent with all relevant security concerns. The required processing period will vary from person to person and cannot be predicted in advance, the US Embassy said.

It strongly urged the students, exchange visitors, individuals planning to attend a specific conference, or other persons with time-sensitive travel are strongly to apply for a visa as early as possible. Potential travellers should not make final travel arrangements that cannot be refunded until they are certain when they will be issued a visa.

It cautioned that there is no guarantee as to precisely when any visa will be available. Potential travellers should still submit documents and applications through the established application submission process, i.e., applicants should continue to apply through the participating service providers: Citibank, American Express, and Gerry’s Federal Express. —APP