Due to the heavy load of student visas that need to be processed, US Embassy officials have stated that they will not accommodate any tourist visas at this time, much to the dismay of many Bahamians.
The embassy is giving college students first priority despite an outpouring of complaints from Bahamians who proceeded with scheduling trips before getting their visas in order… trips that will now likely be delayed.
While embassy spokespersons have been sympathetic to the plight of such Bahamians, they say that travel visas are not a priority right now and that it is the responsibility of the traveler to ensure their visa appointments are well in advance of trips.
Some Bahamians who will now have to delay scheduled trips have even foolishly questioned the US embassy’s right to delay the visa appointments but the embassy said travelers are encouraged to have their visas in order before scheduling trips.
While Bahamians can still apply for visas, they won’t get a date until the end of September or possibly even October as there are at least 1,500 student visas that need to be processed.
