US Embassy in Fiji defends non-issuing of visa for Fiji officials

The US Embassy released a statement saying early visa applications need to be made for those individuals identified as key supporters of the December 2006 coup.

The names of key supporters of the coup have been entered on the Department of State US Visa watch list, and as such their applications require Washington clearances prior to visa issuance, which involves a rigorous review and a long processing time.

Fiji’s Chief Justice Anthony Gates, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary of Fisheries and Forestry Commander Viliame Naupoto and Fiji’s Local Government Minister Colonel Samuela Saumatua were recently denied visas to the US.

US Embassy statement said that while the US takes seriously its obligations under the UN Charter to facilitate travel to the UN headquarters in New York for participation in meetings  they are not obliged to facilitate travel to meetings that do not fall under the Charter or transit to UN meetings outside of New York.

The US Embassy encourages those seeking to travel to the US for the purpose of attending the General Assembly or other meetings of the UN to make an early visa application.

---

The American Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with their ESTA applications to the US Embassy.