ISSUE OF U.S. VISAS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28529, 7 March 1958, Page 6

ISSUE OF U.S. VISAS

Service In City Sought

There appeared to be justifies tion for the -chamber’s request that there should be a permanent service in Christchurch to grant visas for visits to the United States, said Mr J. J. B. Connor, the president, in a report to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce last evening. Mr Connor said that in response to the chamber’s request, the United States Embassy had sent Mrs E. Sterisby to Christchurclj last week to investigate the fea& ibility and necessity of an officer of the embassy visiting Christs church to grant visas. During Mrs Stensby’s visij, several local persons applied for visas, Mr Connor said.

The chamber adopted Mr Coni nor’s recommendation that it write to the United States Erm bassy expressing a hope that there would be a regular service, and asking that to make any ternporary arrangement reasonably effective, visits should be monthly during the peak of the tourist season—February to May—while for the rest of the year visits at longer intervals would be sufflcient.

Mr J. Boyd Clark said that wifli the Viscount service operating, many travellers could go from Christchurch to Auckland on their way overseas, instead of having to make a special trip to Welling* ton for a visa. , Mr R. C. Neville said that; it had cost about £2O for himself and his wife to go to Wellington simply to get an American visa. He considered travellers would not object to an increase in the cost of visas if they could be issued locally. -