The US Embassy and Consulates in China are to work out a new visa policy to shorten the waiting time for US non-immigrant visa applicants.

Mary Jo Long, vice consul of the US Consulate General in Shanghai said a meeting will be held in Beijing in May on the new policy, including preparations for the ADS (approved destination status) visa.

Long said the new policy would mean shorter waiting times for group visas than individual ones.

An individual visa applicant, either for business or study, has to wait two months or even longer for the interview. But group applicants can make a reservation and have information sent to US Consulates in advance, she said.

The US became an approved destination for Chinese on December 11, 2007, which means Chinese travel agencies will be allowed to organize tour groups to the US from this year. It is expected the first tour to the US will set off in June.

Currently, even with officials interviewing about 200 applicants a day, an applicant can wait at least two months. Once the ADS visa is in practice, officials won't be able to cope with the number of applicants, Long said. The resolution will be worked out at May's meeting.

US Consulates received 146,000 applications from October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007 and issued 117,000 visas.

(Shanghai Daily March 31, 2008)