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US concerned over visa fraud

By IE
Tuesday September 11, 02:28 AM

The US consular team in India is concerned over the increasing number of racketeers preparing false documents for visa applicants.

Peter G Kaestner, minister counselor for consular affairs, said the Indian police have arrested 50 people over the past 18 months for providing false government documents to US visa applicants. The US wants such rackets to be curbed so as to work in harmony with the US government's policy of 'secure borders open doors'.

"India is second only to Mexico among all countries for visa demand and in the first eight months of this fiscal, issuances are up 85% over the same period last year," Kaestner said. The US fiscal is from September to May.

In 2006, the US consular operations issued 358,734 temporary visas and over 30,000 immigrant visas.

Kaestner said the refusal rate across India has been dropping significantly over the last five years and only those cases were rejected in which applicants failed to convince that they would return to India and not stay on illegally.

Rejections are also made in cases "by understanding that people not intending to be real student have come to take student's visa," Kaestner said.

"The US consular team is always eager to respond to the great desire of so many Indians willing to travel to the US and for this it is increasing staffing and improving overall facilities," Kaestner said.

The US is establishing a consulate in Hyderabad, constructing a new facility in Mumbai and expanding consular area in Chennai. It will also add officer positions at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad, and appoint an officer to help visa investigations for expeditious solutions of complex cases, Kaestner said.

Henry V Jardine, the consul general here, said the consulate would have ten windows in another year, of which seven would be dealing with visas and three with American citizens. The consulate has three windows at present.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/070910/48/6kkxc.html