US government to revisit visa policy

THE American government is to revisit its visa policy in order to make it more humane and faster so that people can travel in and out of America without restrictions, reports Stephen Ilungole. The US ambassador to Uganda, Mr. Martin Brennan, said, "Our visa regulations are self-defeating and need revisiting. Our interest is to have people travel in and out of America at any time without restrictions." Brennan said their interest was also to have Ugandans get education and capital from America. However, he said, some people who go to America never come back. He said the US law restricts the issuing of visas to people without proper reasons for travelling to the US. Brennan was on Friday responding to queries by members of the Uganda North American Association during a business forum organised by the Uganda Investment Authority at Hotel Africana in Kampala. Patrick Ayota, a Chartered Public Accountant based in Atlanta, Georgia, sought to know whether the American government had any plans to ease its visa restrictions. "Your Excellency, despite the bilateral relations that Uganda and America enjoy, there appear to be hurdles especially for Ugandans who would benefit immensely from immigrating to America," Ayota said. Ends