Jeddah, KSA - US Consulate Re-Opens

Resumption of Limited Non-Immigrant Visa Services at Jeddah US Consulate General (Heading 2)

On January 31, 2009, the U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah resumed partial non-immigrant visa services. While the initial resumption of visa services is limited in scope, we are pleased that this announcement represents a step in the direction of the return of full visa services in 2010.

The U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah closed its non-immigrant visa unit in late 2005 due to security concerns in the aftermath of the December 2004 terrorist attack on the Consulate in which five employees were killed and others wounded.

The Consulate General will be able to process a maximum of 300 applications per month, which represents about 10 percent of the traditional caseload in Jeddah. The Consular Section will conduct interviews four days per month for the following categories of applicants from the Western Region:

• King Abdullah Scholarship Program students and exchange visitors on government-sponsored international programs;
• Diplomats and government officials traveling on official business for the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;
• Employees of and representatives to international organizations.

The Consulate General is especially pleased to offer assistance to Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Scholarship Program applicants. In the current phase of the King Abdullah Scholarship program, 1,400 new scholarships were granted for study in the United States, approximately 800 of whom are from the Western Region. During 2008, over 8,100 Saudi students were issued visas to study in the U.S., representing a 28% increase over 2007 levels, bringing the total number of Saudi citizens studying in the United States to approximately 18,000. Saudi Arabia is now the ninth-leading place of origin for students coming to the United States.

Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ford Fraker, along with the entire U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia look forward to the full resumption of non-immigrant visa services upon the opening of the new U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah, slated for 2010.