Complicated Process Causes Long Lines, Greater Costs


Applicants for U.S. visas wait their turn for an interview outside the U.S. Embassy in central Seoul in a recent file photo. Korea Times

By Moon Gwang-lip
Staff Reporter

A long queue of people wait impatiently outside the U.S. Embassy in Chongno, central Seoul. Since the introduction of a new U.S. visa application system on Aug. 2, over 95 percent of applicants have been required to appear for a non-immigrant visa interview. And this complicated new process is leaving applicants bewildered and upset.

Previously, the American Embassy exempted those between the ages of 55 and 80 from visa interviews, resulting in only about 65 percent of applicants needing to go through the interview process.

Currently, less than 5 percent of Koreans are exempt from visa interviews. They include diplomatic or official passport holders and their dependents, children younger than 14 and adults aged 80 or older.

The embassy admitted it now takes longer for applicants to get visas.

``Because almost all visa applicants must come to the embassy for an interview now, we are unable to schedule as many people each day as we would like. As a result, there is a delay of at least one month for an appointment,’’ Michael D. Kirby, U.S. Embassy consul general, said.

But the delay is much longer according to many applicants. Some people complained that it took up to three months to just confirm the interview date. Kim Joo-woog, a general manager of KBC travel service, a visa service agency, said, ``In previous years, it took just a week to make an appointment for the interview, but now it takes up to two or three months.’’

Lee Sun, associate designer of a U.S. clothes company, said she had to wait four hours to get interviewed. ``I waited for about one hour outside the embassy and another three hours inside,’’ she said.

``Even though the number of interviewees for visas has increased, there are only a few officers in charge of them,’’ she added.

Since Oct. 23, the U.S. Embassy also began finger scanning all immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants.

It’s part of efforts by the U.S. government to secure the nation’s borders against terrorists since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the embassy said.

But many applicants said they were humiliated by the fingerprinting process.

``I felt as if I were being treated like a criminal,’’ said Lee, a designer applying for a temporary work visa.

Civil rights activists said they are against the fingerprint scanning, claiming that it could infringe on a person’s rights.

``The U.S. government will permanently keep the fingerprint records in its database, which indicate it regards every Korean as a potential criminal,’’ a member of the Citizen’s Action Network claimed.

Another change is a Web-based appointment system, which replaced the user-pays automated telephone system on July 30. Appointments can be scheduled online at www.us-visaservices.com, where detailed information on visa requirements, application procedures and downloadable forms are available.

The new system designed by the U.S. Embassy to make the interview process more efficient and transparent, is fast becoming inefficient due to the complicated process over the Internet, according to the applicants.

``It was more complicated than the automated telephone system. It was harder to make an interview appointment,’’ a 26-year-old woman said.

Many applicants also feel the Web-based appointment system is too expensive. In order to use the Web services, applicants must pay 12,000 won. Only after purchasing a PIN (personal identification number), can applicants access additional information and schedules.

``I cannot understand why they require 12,000 won for just registration over the Internet,’’ said Kim Joo-woog of the travel agency. ``There are currently many free Web sites that provide the same services. Many clients say it’s too expensive.’’

People aged between 55 and 80 are the hardest-hit age group as they find it difficult to adjust the new system. They say they cannot even visit their families in America due to the time-consuming visa application procedure and Web-based appointment system.

``I just want to go to the U.S. to visit my sons living there,’’ a 66-year-old man, identified by his surname Kim, said. ``But I dare not apply for a visa because I am not good at using the Internet and it takes too long,’’ he added.

The U.S. Embassy said it will work out measures to expedite visa processing for them.

``We are in the process of establishing a separate appointment schedule for people who are 55-80 years old,’’ Kirby said. ``That schedule should be in place before the Christmas holiday in order to make it easier for older Koreans to visit family members in the United States.’’

The embassy also said it will increase its staff size. ``We are increasing the number of officials in order to reach our goal of being able to interview over 9,000 people each week by early next year,’’ the consul general said.

As for the inconvenience of the Web-based appointment schedule, he said the embassy will provide both Internet and telephone services next year.

``We expect that by next spring, we will be able to add a telephone service for those who prefer to speak to an operator rather than to process their appointments on the Internet,’’ Kirby said.

However, he said the embassy has no immediate plan to cut the costs for visa applicants.

``Even though we understand there are concerns about the cost of scheduling an appointment, we are be unable to reduce the fee.’’

People say the best way to reduce these inconveniences for South Korea, which tops the spot in terms of the number of U.S. visa applicants among the non visa-waiver countries, is to introduce the Visa Waiver Program.

The program enables citizens of certain countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business purpose for 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. As of Oct. 7, 27 countries, including Japan, Singapore and New Zealand, are the beneficiaries of the program.

The embassy, however, said South Korea is not likely to become a country benefiting from the visa-waiver program in the near future.

``Over 5 percent of South Koreans have been denied U.S. visas over the past two years, higher than the 3 percent average for countries enjoying the visa waiver program,’’ Kirby said.

``Many applicants say it is unfair that the U.S. government does not provide such an opportunity to Korea, a strong U.S. ally that sent its soldiers to Iraq while other allies withdrew their troops from the war-torn county,’’ a travel agent said.

joseph@koreatimes.co.kr