America's doors remain open to visitors

Tomorrow the United States of America will celebrate the 229th anniversary of its independence. Throughout our country's existence, America has welcomed visitors from all over the world. We are a nation of immigrants and a hugely popular destination for visitors, and we are proud of our openness.

We at the American Embassy in Malta are well aware that, in recent months, more Maltese have been refused visas to visit the US than in the past. This is because the number of applicants has steadily risen; in fact, applications have risen by more than 20 per cent in each of the last two years.

The percentage of refusals, however, has not drastically changed. The overwhelming majority of Maltese applicants still receive their visa to visit the US.

In the past six months, the embassy has issued more than 1,800 visas to Maltese. Despite that, there are misconceptions, such as the rumour we have heard that the American Embassy is "not issuing visas". This of course is patently untrue.

We want Maltese to visit the United States, to see its grandeur and majesty, to experience first-hand the friendliness of Americans and the diversity and vibrancy of our culture, and to understand that we share the same values.

At the same time, we must ensure that our visa issuance procedures follow US laws. Our policy is known as "Secure Borders/Open Doors", indicating the balance we strive to achieve. In Malta, as in every country, that means we sometimes refuse visa applications.

So what should a Maltese citizen who seeks a visa to visit the US do?

First, know the eligibility requirements and how to meet them. An applicant must demonstrate sufficient ties to Malta, ties that persuade the consular officer that the applicant will return to Malta following his or her trip to the US. Such ties can be shown in a variety of ways, such as one's employment and income, evidence of a house or other property in Malta, family ties, etc. Each application is judged on its own merits. The more ties to Malta an applicant can demonstrate, the more likely a visa will be issued.

Second, visit the embassy Website at http://usembassy.state. gov/malta. Download the proper visa application forms by clicking on "Consular Section". Submit the forms electronically. The Website also has information about application fees, photographs, and other important details.

Third, come to a visa interview at the embassy in Floriana (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8-11 a.m.) prepared to present the consular officer a strong case for good ties to Malta. Bring documents that verify information about your job, sources of income and property ownership. Explain the purpose of your US trip. Describe other foreign travel you have done.

Related to the question of visa refusals is the US Visa Waiver Programme, or VWP, under which citizens of certain countries are permitted to travel to the US without visas. Malta has not been designated by the US for this programme, and neither have nine other members of the European Union - EU membership is not a criterion for the designation.

Among the criteria are requirements that a country issue tamper-proof, machine-readable passports, report theft of blank passports in a timely manner, have a low incidence of visa refusals and visa overstays, and that participation in VWP not unduly compromise the law enforcement and security interests of the United States.

The Maltese government has expressed strong interest in participating in the programme, and is discussing with the US Embassy how to move forward on this issue. Malta is being treated the same way as other countries interested in VWP. This follows President Bush's February meetings with European leaders, in which he reaffirmed to the new EU members our commitment to working together to develop appropriate steps towards meeting the VWP's criteria.

The criteria for the Visa Waiver Programme reflect the effort to have the same balance between openness and security that we seek in our US visa policy.

We believe that we are succeeding in finding that balance. Last year, the US welcomed 46 million international visitors, an increase of 12 per cent over 2003. We hope that this trend will continue, and that the United States will continue to be a favoured destination for Maltese travellers.

We can assure readers that every visa application received at our embassy is evaluated fairly and thoroughly according to US law. Fairness, openness and the rule of law are among the principles that we Americans will honour as we celebrate our Independence Day tomorrow.