September 7, 2007
Subjectivity in Granting Visas Unavoidable: US official
Lucknow
Admitting that there was "unavoidable subjectivity" in granting
visas, a US diplomat said that visa applications were rejected only
when applicants failed to convince officials that they would return
to India.
Claiming that 80 percent applicants were granted visas, Peter
Kaestner, minister for consular affairs in the US embassy, said at a
press conference here Thursday: "There is no denying that the
interview for grant of visa is very subjective and anything that is
subjective cannot be perfect; it is really unfortunate but that is
how it is.
"But let me tell you that rejections are made only where applicants
fail to convince visa officials that they would return to India and
not stick on in US."
Admitting that shortage of time and lack of communication skills
could also end up in visas being denied, the diplomat maintained:
"But let me tell you, applications get rejected largely because they
start giving tutored replies to routine queries."
He advised applicants "to remain honest in their replies and not get
guided by agents and touts".
Kaestner rejected suggestions that religion was any criterion and
said: "We don't consider race or religion while issuing visas to
Indians nor do we ask the applicant about these things.
"As far as we are concerned, we do not even have any column for
declaring the religion of any applicant," he added, stressing that
there was no change in the in the visa policy after 9/11 vis-à-vis
Muslims.
Disclosing the embassy's plans for expanding visa services in Delhi,
Mumbai and Chennai and establishing a new consulate in Hyderabad,
Kaestner said there were also plans to set up an 'American Presence
Post' in Lucknow for direct communication between the US and people
in the state.
"Though the proposed post would not be equipped to deal with visa
issues, it would serve as a forum for building commercial, cultural
relations and for apprising people about America's literary
achievements," he clarified.
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