23 July 2008
BEIRUT: The US Embassy held a question-and-answer roundtable with reporters from various Lebanese newspapers on Tuesday to discuss "facts and myths" about the US visa application process. Kirk Smith, the consul, ran the session with public affairs officer Cherie Lenzen.
According to Lenzen, the meeting was designed to ensure that the public obtains "proper information" about the process of obtaining a US visa. In particular, the embassy sought to address the problem of agencies that charge money to process or assist with visas, a "wholly unnecessary" service, according to the consul.
There are many such agencies near the US Embassy in Awkar, in Beirut itself, and even on the Internet. They often promise to assist in the visa application process, often giving the false impression that their assistance somehow gives the application a higher chance of being approved. This couldn't be further from the truth, according to Smith: "They do not represent the embassy," or "have a role in the application process."
He went on to say that people "use these services at their own risk."
He noted that the fact that the application is in English and must be completed online could pose a problem for some, but he suggested that instead of using one of the unsanctioned agencies, they seek out reliable friends or family for help.
But the embassy in Beirut does work with Banque Credit Libanais, which receives applications and schedules interviews. The branches throughout the city serve as stations for the first steps of the process, instead of going through the small staff at the embassy. And for 70 percent of tourist-visa applicants from Lebanon, the request is granted. The average wait time is one week.
Smith discussed some of the common mistakes made by applicants from Lebanon, noting in particular the question about having ever been in an armed conflict. He emphasized that these questions are not "disqualifiers," but rather, questions to determine the history of the applicant.
Smith remembered that during his stationing in Bosnia, many applicants would write that they had never been in an armed conflict, for fear of having their application rejected, only to have to admit in the interview that they, in fact, did not leave the country for the duration of the hostilities. Smith insisted, "there is no make-or-break question."
Another misconception that the embassy sought to dispel is the perception that religion or bribery play a role in obtaining a visa. Religion is not "capture[d] as a data set," in the application or interview process, so that does not play into the process, and a visa cannot be purchased. Visa lottery e-mail scams often ask for money, but they are scams. The visa lottery exists, but notification comes via post, and no money is required until much later in the process.
For a tourist visa, applicants must demonstrate ties to Lebanon, whether they be economic, cultural, or familial, and have a life in Lebanon to return to.
If an applicant was unemployed, with no familial ties, or other similar factors, the visa officer might suspect the intent is to overstay the visa, and not to return back to Lebanon. This might lead to the rejection of the application. For someone who is rejected, the embassy staff suggest reapplying when more meaningful connections to Lebanon can be demonstrated.
Copyright The Daily Star 2008.
