WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) -- Congressional investigators will probe the lengthy delays faced by those trying to get visas to the United States, especially from India.
In a letter Thursday to the Government Accountability Office -- the investigative branch of congress -- the chairman and ranking member of the House Committee on Government Reform called for an investigation into "skyrocketing demand for visas and (the) extremely long wait times" faced by applicants, particularly in India.
According to the State Department's web site, the letter says, the average time that visa applicants have to wait for an interview at one of the four U.S. consulates there ranges from 98 to 163 days.
"This is unacceptably long in the modern business environment," wrote Reps. Tom Davis, R-Va., and Henry Waxman, D-Calif., saying the lengthening delays were a by-product of increased security concerns in the visa-issuance process.
"We need to find ways to maximize security while simultaneously preserving the vibrant and open character of American society," the letter concludes.
