Envoy : US visa services improved

American Ambassador James B. Smith has said US diplomatic missions in the Kingdom have brought about quality changes in its visa issuance system and improved services in its consular sections. He said this includes a substantial reduction in the average waiting time for a visa appointment from 90 days in 2009 to less than two weeks now. "Saudi Arabia has one of the highest approval rates for visas of any country in the world," he added. "The consular sections in the embassy and our consulates in Jeddah and Dammam have improved their levels of service while handling a rapidly growing number of travelers," said Smith, addressing the US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum in Atlanta on Wednesday evening. A copy of Smith's speech was released to Arab News by the US Embassy. The three-day business meeting in Atlanta is being attended by a large number of Saudi businessmen led by Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Zainal Alireza. The envoy said a record number of 121,296 Saudi nationals applied for visas last year. This represented a 32 percent increase compared to a year before and a 128 percent increase compared to 2008. Before last year, the peak was 2001 when the US diplomatic mission in the Kingdom had 75,710 visa appointments, he added. "I have to tell you that the visa problem…at least on our end…is old news now," he said. He called on Saudi businessmen and citizens to plan ahead for the US visa. "If you start the visa process 60 days in advance of travel, you stand a 97 percent probability of having a visa in hand in time for your trip," said Smith, while calling on the Kingdom to ease Saudi visa procedures for American businessmen. "Commerce requires contact that needs to be a two-way street," said the envoy. The total number of Saudi students in the US on scholarships exceeds 47,000 at the moment. According to a statement issued by the Washington-based Saudi cultural attaché’s office, Saudi female students represent about 30 percent of those pursuing studies in the US. The statement said about 6,300 students will shortly join different US colleges and universities within the framework of the seventh stage of the King Abdullah Scholarship Program. These numbers are substantially higher than the 2,500 students pursuing studies back in 2005.