KARACHI, Aug 29: Students intending to acquire an education in the United States have been advised to apply two to three months in advance for the visa.

This was stated by an official of the US government here on Thursday.

He said that the US has been changing the manner in which it processes the visas for many people around the world.

The official said that the US has been know for years as one of the freest country’s in the world, and that it welcomes visitors, students and others from outside the US.

“Unfortunately, some people have abused our welcome and they conducted acts of terrorism against the United States last year. As a result, (the) United States government has been reviewing the visa process and has added some additional steps for certain categories of people before a consular officer can issue a visa,” he added.

He said that prior to Sept 11, consular officers had the right to interview a person and make a decision almost immediately regarding the issuance of visas.

The official said that now, in addition to the responsibility of the consular officer to determine someone’s eligibility for a visa, information about the applicant needs to be sent back to the US for additional checks and processing before a visa can be issued.

He made it clear that this is not a requirement that has been levied against Pakistanis alone. The requirement has been levelled against many people in the world. The official said that this is just one of the costs that is a result of the events of Sept 11.

He maintained that the additional checks are aimed at knowing who is in the US, and for what purpose they are coming.

The official said that though visa functions still stay with the US department of state, the policy in regard to visas and processing is going to be set by the department of homeland security — the new government department that has been created by US President Bush.

Homeland security will set the policy, and the department of state will execute this policy.

The official pointed out that there have been some additional regulations passed by the US immigration service during this period. Now, no one who is in the US on a tourist visa can start studying in an institution unless they go outside the US, obtain a proper student visa and then reenter. They cannot change their status.

Universities in the US and other institutions need to report to the government which students have shown up and which ones have not, so that the government can look for those persons in the US who were issued student visas and have not joined their schools.

The official was of the view that some people thought that it was an easy way to enter the US with student visas, and they were using this method. So the government cannot exempt students from these checks, he added.

He said that citizens of up to 24 countries were included in the list of students that require checks.

The official said that he cannot give a specific time for the processing of visa applications, and that it may take at least 30, 60 or 90 days time before clearance can come. It would be on a case by case basis.

He said that they have been telling people in Islamabad to plan two to three months in advance, as this is the time needed for clearance — whether the application is for a tourist visa or student or exchange visits — it is the same clearance process one has to go through. The US is not isolating students and discriminating against them. This is the procedure for a whole class of people unless they are going on an official government visit. In that situation, they are exempted from security checks, he remarked.—APP