Current and Previous Issues

Published By U.S.
Embassy Warsaw,
Consular Section

Dear readers of the Consular Chronicles,

Welcome to the winter 2003 edition of our newsletter. It has been a very busy year for consular affairs. We continue to revise the way we do business to enhance the security of U.S. borders. Procedures have become more demanding for applicants because of the tragic actions of a few. Nonetheless, the United States welcomes legitimate visitors and immigrants to our country.

One of the most significant changes in nonimmigrant visa processing practice occurred on August 1, 2003. Now, virtually all applicants for nonimmigrant visas must be interviewed in person by a consular officer. (Click here to see exceptions). Personal interviews have helped consular officers reach a more informed decision about applicants’ situations in Poland, and their eligibility to receive visas. At the same time, this new policy has resulted in a heavier workload for consular officers, and, as a result, somewhat longer waiting times for visa interviews.

The changes keep coming. By October 2004, biometric information will be collected from all visa applicants worldwide. At the start of each interview applicants will place both index fingers on a glass panel at the interview window. Their fingerprints will then be scanned into a central computer database and will be available for use by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service) as well as by law enforcement agencies.

All these changes directly impact U.S.-Polish relations. Citizens of our two countries have had a strong connection for centuries, whether one thinks of General Tadeusz Kosciuszko championing the cause of freedom and democracy in America and Poland, or the millions of Polish-Americans in the U.S. today. Access to the United States, and by extension visas, is a very important subject for Poles. In February 2003 the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, officials of the Polish government, and I met to open discussions on visa matters and to analyze how all parties could coordinate to achieve greater border security.

In September 2003 I had the pleasure of accompanying the Polish Director of the Consular and Polish Communities Abroad Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Janusz Skolimowski, during his visit to New York City and Washington, D.C. We toured the JFK Airport USCIS detention facility, where immigration violators are processed, and if necessary, sent back to their country of origin. We spoke to the JFK port director and witnessed the arrival of a Lot Airlines flight. In Washington we met with Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Maura Harty, Polish Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Przemyslaw Grudzinski, and other officials. Topics of discussion included, among other things, the treatment of Poles upon arrival to the U.S. and visa policies. In addition, there were discussions about the possibility of a U.S.-Polish International Social Security (“Totalization”) Agreement, which would permit workers who have spent long periods of time working abroad to use the time outside the U.S. to qualify for one pension system when they retire. The U.S. currently has such Totalization Agreements with 20 countries, including 14 current members of the European Union.

Most recently, on November 18, a Department of Homeland Security official came to Warsaw to tour Okecie International Airport. This visit will help determine the feasibility of establishing a DHS preclearance facility of passengers on direct flights to the U.S. This would mean that U.S. authorities would process passengers at Okecie instead of waiting for them to land in the United States. Much exploratory work remains to be done to see if such an operation is workable, and no timeline has been established for a decision to be made on this matter. But the United States realizes that this is a very important issue for Poles, several of whom have brought to the attention of the popular press their experiences while being processed in the U.S. for return to Poland.

This summer saw the largest number of “Work and Travel” visa applicants ever. We processed over 18,000 students who applied to work summer jobs in the U.S. We are very proud of this program, as it gives the youth of Poland an opportunity to travel to the U.S. and learn about American culture and values. The money they earn is oftentimes used to help pay the expenses they incur while studying in Poland. It is our hope that this program will help strengthen the ties between our countries, and give the people who will shape the future of Poland a positive outlook toward the United States.

On that optimistic note, I would like to express our best wishes to all of you for a safe and happy holiday season.



Sincerely,

Michael D. Kirby
Consul General