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| NYT Columnist Has Been Asleep Ever Since September 11, 2001 |
| 2004-03-31 |
| By Steven C. Clemons, Executive Vice President of the New America Foundation Even if their applications are rejected, citizens of developing nations must pay $100 for a non-immigrant visa to the United States. Not only is this policy unfair and counterproductive, but it is also unpatriotic. The unfairness is obvious: people should not be charged for something — in this case, a visa to the United States — that they do not receive. And $100 is a huge sum in nations like India, with an annual per capita income estimated at $2,600 in 2002, or even Poland, where it is $9,700. The State Department says these higher fees — increased from $65 in November 2002 — help pay for the cost of running America’s consular service around the world. It’s true that heightened security measures adopted in the wake of 9/11 cost more money. But rejected visa applicants should not have to pay for them. It’s also true that the higher fees have produced more revenue. But they have discouraged visitors. From October 2000 to September 2001, 6.3 million people applied to travel to the United States for business, pleasure or medical treatment from developing nations. (These include any nations that do not have a reciprocal visa waiver agreement with the United States.) That number dropped to 3.7 million for the 2003 fiscal year. Applications for student visas fell by almost 100,000 over the same two years. Despite the decline in applications, visa rejection rates have risen. The rate for "cultural exchange" visas, for example — used by many medical students — was 5.1 percent for the 2001 fiscal year; two years later it was 7.8 percent. blah blah blah |
| Posted by:Mike Sylwester |
| #6 Echo Ptah & .com. This article just makes me want to get hammered. Any body out there got a hammer I can borrow? |
| Posted by: Hyper 2004-03-31 7:43:01 PM |
| #5 Right on, Ptah. I had to pay exhorbitant visa fees all over the ME and Asia. The friggin' Laotians charged $40 USD for a 15-DAY visa. Comparatively speaking, not to mention that Vietienne is a hole (the best hole they have, but a hole nonetheless), the US visa is a mother-lovin DEAL. Same for the lot of them, BTW. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-03-31 11:44:08 AM |
| #4 Coming to the United States is a PRIVILEGE, not a right guaranteed anywhere except in some fevered minds. State has a right to charge whatever fees to process any applications, and if it makes clear up front that the fees are non-refundable, shouldn't be an issue. Admission is at the SOLE DESCRETION of the appointed authorities, so any whining and moaning about it is just that: whining and moaning. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2004-03-31 11:31:30 AM |
| #3 This links, but NYTimes requires registration |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-03-31 10:44:07 AM |
| #2 The $100 is not for the Visa. It is the processing fee. It pays for the background checks (which sometimes can be expensive as the embassy may need to request documents from local government agencies...), interview, application review, etc.... A lot goes on behind the scenes which the applicant doesn't see. Mike, do you have a link for this article? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-03-31 10:11:54 AM |
| #1 $100 is a huge sum in nations like India that expensive for alot people here to. what the hell this article have to do with man sleeping for 2 year. this isa very disappoint. |
| Posted by: muck4doo 2004-03-31 10:02:36 AM |