The US government, which is hoping to start interviewing visa applicants at its Consulate in Karachi soon, has decreased the number of business visas for Pakistan from 100 to 90 per week, a spokesperson of the US Embassy told Business Recorder from Islamabad Thursday. Washington would start offering "full visa services" in Pakistan, its non-Nato strategic ally in the war against terrorism, in the fall of 2010.
"We would be interviewing applicants for a limited number of visas...90 visas per week," Richard Snelsire, Information Officer/Spokesperson, Public Affairs Section, told Business Recorder during a telephonic conversation from the US Embassy in Islamabad.
It may be recalled that Richard Holbrook, US President''s Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, during his maiden visit to Karachi on August 19, had announced that his government would "begin giving 100 business visas a week from Karachi," that he described as economic and commercial hub of Pakistan. About the reduction in the number of business visas, the US Embassy spokesman said in his opinion it was not a "huge difference."
While the local businessmen may aptly be restless to explore one of the world''s biggest and most lucrative markets in the US, Washington would take another couple of months in starting the "technically complex process" of visa issuance. Unable to be precise on date, Richard Snelsire expressed the hope that the US Consulate in Karachi would soon start the interviews.
"We do not know exactly... it would take the next couple of months, but no precise date," he said adding that his government "is hoping to soon start interviewing 90 business visa applicants a week at the US Consulate in Karachi."
According to the information officer the visa issuing process was technically complex. "You have to install some hardware, like a computer...take the finger prints, it''s a technically complex process and not just stamping the passports," he explained. Richard Snelsire was negative when asked if Washington was planning to expand the visa issuing category to that of the students or general visitors.
"We can''t really do that right now because of certain capacity issues, however, once the new Consulate is completed in the fall of 2010 we hope to offer full visa services," he said clarifying that "the 90 visa interviews for now would be only for business travellers."
Asked if certain fresh conditions were set by his government for the applicants, the spokesman said there would be no condition other than described by the US website that, he said, required an applicant to explain the "purpose of business" besides tabling the necessary documents. He also clarified that the US had guaranteed the number of interviews and not issuance of the visas. "We are guaranteeing the number of interviews not visa issuance."