US visa screening gets strict

NEW DELHI: First the good news: there are 22 per cent more Indian students studying in the US this year than last. The bad news: some students have been waiting over seven months for visa clearance, losing out on an entire academic year as a result of the delay.
Ravi Sharma was admitted to Iowa State University to study aerospace engineering in fall 2002.He obtained a teaching assistantship. Happy that everything was in place he applied for a visa on July 26, 2002. In March 2003 he is still waiting.
Sarita Reddy obtained admission in Ohio State University in the department of electrical engineering. Her excellence prompted a waiver of the tuition fees. She applied for a visa in July 2002. Till date she is still waiting.
These are not exceptional cases but examples of a number of cases of students facing delays. Increased scrutiny post 9/11 has resulted not only in more stringent scrutiny procedures but India is one of the five countries whose nationals are subject to greater scrutiny as a result of non-proliferation export control regulations.(The four other countries are China, Israel, Pakistan and Russia.)
Students from these countries may be subject to something called the visas mantis, a pre-check, name-check procedure. While the mantis cable is mandatory for the seven countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism on the State Department''s list, nationals from the other five countries are subject to higher alerts in the visa issuance procedures.
Visas Mantis cables must be submitted for all cases involving fields on the technology alert list. The list covers a wide range of categories, including specific areas of nuclear technology, aircraft and missile propulsion and vehicular systems, chemical and biotechnology engineering, advanced computer/microelectronic technology, materials technology, robotics and advanced ceramics.
The US Embassy in New Delhi refuses to comment on the cases, saying its privacy policy does not allow it to comment on individual cases without the prior consent of the applicants.
For the record, however, the embassy responded to general questions on the issue of visa delays by stating that "all but a relatively few of our successful student visa applicants receive their visas within a few days of their interview."
The embassy says that while there is no standard time for issuing visas, each case is adjudicated individually.
Post September 11, however, the embassy confirms, the US agencies have been issued in an extensive and ongoing review of the visa issuing procedures and all visa applications are now subject to a greater degree of scrutiny.
While the embassy says it does "recognise that these delays are having an impact on visa applicants, it states that the state department is working hard with other government agencies, to rationalise clearance procedures in ways that continue to protect US borders, our first priority while facilitating legitimate travel.
The embassy further states that applicants affected by these procedures are informed of the need for additional screening at the time they submit their applications and "are advised to expect delays adding that it trusts affected applicants will understand that this waiting period is necessary as we strive to make every effort to endure the safety and security of the Unites States for all who are here, including foreign visitors".
For students who have been waiting to resume their higher studies, however, the extended waiting period has been difficult to live with.
(The names of the students have been changed to protect their privacy)