MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

220.000 visas

US consular offices in Argentina are overwhelmed with requests for visas. Last year 20,000 were granted but this year at the current rate of 800/1000 per day, it is estimated that 220,000 visas will be the final number.

According to reports in the Buenos Aires press it's mostly unemployed and young people who are interested in travelling to the United States and the rejection percentage has jumped from an average 10% up to 25/30% some days.

And it's not cheap either. The procedure demands an initial form that costs 45 US dollars, (65 US dollars as of next month), followed by other documental requests, an interview and then waiting for another two weeks.

But even when a visa is granted access to the United States is not guaranteed: the Immigration and Naturalization Service, INS, makes an assessment on arrival at any airport and can reject the person and having him deported.

Argentina just recently were eliminated from the experimental waiver list that allowed Argentine nationals to enter the US without a visa.

"Are you now particularly strict with Argentines?", asks an Argentine reporter to a US Embassy source.

"No, not at all. The law is the same for all countries and we examine every case in the most objective possible way. We understand the frustration of people queuing, particularly since no visa was needed before. But whoever is rejected can come as many times as he wishes and will have somebody else deal with his/her request".

The Argentine Embassy in Washington estimates that anywhere between 200.000 and 400.000 Argentines live in southern Florida, particularly in the Miami metropolitan area.