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November 10, 2001 -The U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that a policy would be implemented requiring extensive security checks for the processing of nonimmigrant visa applications for applicants from certain countries. In a press briefing, DOS stated that the checks will add approximately 20 days to the visa issuance process and are necessary to perform full FBI background checks. Neither the implementation date of the new policy, nor the list of countries has been officially announced. According to an unconfirmed report in the New York Times, affected individuals will be men between the ages of 16 and 45 who are from the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Visa applicants may be asked to complete a detailed questionnaire on past military service, weapons training, travel history, and previous passports. Although we have yet to receive an official report from DOS regarding these matters, we wanted to inform our clients as the potential delays in visa processing may affect travel plans.
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