The State Department has said that as of Saturday it is ending its "Visa Express" program in Saudi Arabia and will require those seeking visas to apply in person and be interviewed.
The program is being terminated in response to criticism from Congress that it has allowed terrorists to enter the United States, a senior State Department official said, according to The Washington Times. "Beginning Saturday, which is the start of [the Saudi Embassy] workweek, all visa applicants will be interviewed except for children under 12 and Saudi diplomats," the official has said.
Officials at the U.S. Embassy and consular offices in Saudi Arabia will no longer accept applications handled by travel agencies, the official added.
Visa Express, which allowed 97 percent of Saudi applicants to obtain visas without interviews before the September 11 attacks, had remained in effect through Friday, albeit with some tightening. (Albawaba.com)
