Many people want to go overseas for jobs, long-stays
While the country is grappling with an economic crisis of unimaginable proportions, foreign embassies are experiencing a rising number of visa applications in all categories, which most likely means that many people want to leave the country for good.
An unusual number of visa applications are piling up every day such that the visa processing times are taking longer than usual, a top western embassy official told the Business Times.
Some 13,000 people have applied for visas through a particular western mission this month and many were rejected, sources at this mission said.
Sri Lankans are applying for visit, skilled migration and spouse visas to countries such as Australia, Canada, the US, Germany and UK. “We are witnessing a rising number of visa applications unusually in all visa categories. The Sri Lankan economic crisis has compelled the embassy to screen through ‘every minute information’ submitted together with the application which is taking longer time than usual. Earlier a visa that was granted within a month or less from the day of applying is now taking three to six months to process,” the official said. He also stated that the embassy has been significantly getting more applications for national visa, a single entry visa granted to people who are in need of residing in a country for a certain period of time and for a sole purpose after which they shall return to their country. “Those applicants often seek support from visa agents. In most cases the quality of the applications is such the visa cannot be granted,” he noted.
Inbound travelers have dropped significantly over the past weeks due to the uncertain economic climate in the country. “Embassies have issued strict warning against traveling to Sri Lanka while some have advised travelers to reconsider unnecessary trips to Sri Lanka,” he said.
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