Maura Harty, US Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs on Friday said that US Embassy's target this year was to issue more visas to Pakistanis as compared to last year.
Ambassador Harty is on a brief visit to Pakistan to discuss how to expedite visa process.
"This year our target is to issue more visas to Pakistanis than we issued last year. I hope that continues and far exceed last year's number," she said while talking to journalists.
Harty said that US enroll people so that they can identify the problems, particularly in getting the second visa. "But it is new system, it is growing and getting pace."
She said after 9/11 we saw number of changes with respect to enhancing the US security. "Most important thing to us is to strike a balance between secure borders and open doors."
"It is extremely important for us to provide security not only to Americans but all other nations living there in the United States."
Harty said the security will be always "job one" for us but the other "job one" is striking the balance - being true to our heritage.
She said, US is a country that has grown in so many ways because of immigration to our country because of the richness, diversity and the ruckus exchange of ideas that represent democracy and the best from so many other countries.
"My job is to strike balance between need for security and to facilitate the people travel to our country," the Assistant Secretary said.
She said, US has put in place new procedure and trying to make more easy. "We want students, business people and tourist to come to United States," she added.
The Assistant Secretary said we want people to learn about United States through their own experience being there and not through the editorials or the TV shows. "I want Pakistani students to come to America. It is the best way they learn about my country."
Talking about delay in issuance of visa, she said that during last year 7.1 million visa applications were filed. Out of these only 2.2 percent sent back to Washington for a special name check done by inter agency community.
Thanks to inter agency community, she said, 80 percent of those kind of cases are turned around in three-week time or less and it is much less in case of Pakistan.
"I have not done yet. I want to be 100 percent less and less and less in time," she emphasised.
Replying to a question about deportation of Pakistanis and people from other Muslim countries from USA, Harty said, we do not ever decide to take law enforcement action or visa adjudication based on ethnicity, religion or gender. "We decide the cases on the basis of merit and facts," she said.
When asked about US Embassy in Pakistan sending interview calls to the members of the Upper House of the Parliament for issuance of visas, she said, by this we mean no disrespect to the parliamentarians. "We know the law and law does not give us discretion," she said.
Harty said, we try to make it safest experience for every one who is coming to United States.
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