AMMAN -- US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Maura Harty on Monday urged Jordanian students to study in the US.
"We want you in America, we welcome you in America," Harty told a student gathering at the University of Jordan's (UJ) Language Centre yesterday.
"After Sept. 11, people asking for visas to the United States dropped by 40 per cent, now it's roaring back in some countries, but not here," said Harty, who visited the centre's library after answering students' questions on visa affairs.
"We are fighting older misconceptions that it's hard to get an American visa," she said, adding that since the US embassy in Amman introduced an online visa application system 45 days ago, some 338 students were granted visas.
Harty pointed out that although access to US has been difficult since Sept. 11, the Department of State has spent millions of dollars to make it easier.
"I prefer you to come to an American school, if I can't give you the visa then shame on me," she said, encouraging students to visit the embassy's website to be familiar with the visa procedures and schedule an appointment online.
She warned that if the US "fails to attract many people to America, we are not making our nation safer."
"Sending students to America is a long-term investment," she added.
The US diplomat, who arrived on Sunday for a two-day visit, met with Interior Minister Eid Fayez earlier yesterday. Discussions covered consular affairs.
In his opening remarks, UJ Language Centre Director Ahmad Majdoubdeh said Jordan owes much of its strength to American education.
"Over the last decade students obtained a variety of degrees from a variety of US universities," he said, stressing the importance of access to education in light of security measures adopted after Sept. 11.
The US embassy in Amman announced new visa procedures in mid-March, which will theoretically facilitate and accelerate the process for all applicants, and also include measures to benefit students.
"We want to be as helpful as possible," said US Consul General Dan Goodspeed.
"I anticipate some other steps coming along which will make a positive impact on students," he added.
When asked why the changes in visa procedures occurred, the consul general told reporters: "I wouldn't say that there is any particular reason, this is a worldwide effort that is going on... We see that there was a perception, after 9/11, that getting to the United States was more difficult, and we're trying to combat that."
By Mahmoud Habboush
© Jordan Times 2006
