US visa denial

Evelyn Felice (May 20) expressed concern about the American Embassy's denial of a relative's application for a visitor visa to the United States. I would like briefly to explain our visa application process and the reasons why we occasionally deny such applications.

The US remains an open society that welcomes visitors. The American Embassy issued visas to 3,589 Maltese citizens in 2004, the overwhelming majority of those who applied. We do not impose internal controls on most visitors but, like every country in the world, we have procedures for lawful entry.

Under US law, American consular officers at embassies and consulates are required to view every applicant as someone who intends to stay in the US - even if the applicant says he intends to visit the US for only a short time. The consular officer is required to deny the visa unless the applicant is able to demonstrate that he has good reason to leave the US at the end of a short stay. US law places this burden of proof upon the visa applicant.

The most frequent reason for visa refusal is that the applicant has not successfully demonstrated strong ties abroad that would compel him to leave the United States at the end of a temporary stay.

With each applicant, the American consular officer thinks: does this person have strong ties to his home country that he does not intend to abandon? It is likely that the answer would be "yes" if the person has a job, has a family, if he owns or rents a house or apartment, or if he has other commitments that would require him to return to his country at the conclusion of a visit abroad. Each person's situation is different and each application is judged based on its own unique facts.

When we deny an application from a Maltese citizen, it is based on a fair and thorough application of American law and evaluation of the applicant's circumstances. Information about visa and requirements for travel to the US is easily available. I invite those interested to consult www.travel.state.gov, or the US Embassy website http://usem bassy.state.gov/malta.