U.S. Government Apologizes for Visa Delays

February 27, 2006

The US issued a visa on Friday, February 24 following an apology from Ambassador Mulford to Professor Goverdhan Mehta for the prolonged visa delays he experienced. While prolonged visa delays are not unusual, the news is notable because it is one of the few times that the US has publicly apologized concerning a visa matter. The trick in visa issuance post 9/11 is to balance legitimate national security concerns with speedy and fair adjudications. We believe that visa issuance cannot primarily be about security. Preserving our national security is what our armed forces are for (as is our country’s foreign policy), and we wish them well in their difficult endeavor.