The United States Ambassador to Liberia has disclosed that many Liberians are denied American visas due to their insincerity. Speaking Monday, October 7, 2024 on ELBC, Ambassador Mark C .Toner said over 50 percent of Liberians who travel to the United States on a visit refuse to return home and the rejection rate is not based on any personal vendetta against Liberia.
He said immediately when an individual enters the U.S., their visa is stamped with the date he or she is expected to leave the United States, and the United States Government refers to the situation as an overstay when an individual refuses to return home at the end of the three-month period, and it is a major problem when people stay beyond the time stamped on their visas.
Toner said the onus is on Liberians who are given an opportunity by the United States Government to apply for a tourist visa to prove their honesty.
“When we realize that the refusal rate is high for young men and women who want to travel to the U.S. on a tour, it becomes tougher because they’re supposed to return home to continue their work in their country,” he said.
When asked why the United States would prefer a blanket transgression instead of dealing with those involved in the acts prohibited by the States, Ambassador Toner said it is not a punishment but the way the U.S. system operates.
Ambassador Toner said it is a reality that the overstay rate is high, which is over 50 percent, and has an influence on how officers at the embassy judge the cases of people who want to travel to the US.
He said Liberian wishing to travel to the United States should return home within the period of their visa in order to change the existing narrative.
“What I would say is that, Liberians, when you travel to the United States, please come back within the period because that’s the only way the calculation can drop,” he said.
Toner said the over 50 percent rate is likely to drop to at least 40 or 30 percent when Liberians demonstrate sincerity, terming the refusal rate of Liberian citizens as a potential factor that leads to the massive denial of American visas to Liberians.
According to him, Liberia can only be developed if Liberians themselves stay home and invest their resources in the growth and development of the country instead of the U.S.
He emphasized that the high visa rejection rate for Liberians is unrelated to the bilateral relationship that exists between the two countries which have agreed on many issues.
“This is a legal process that is different from our bilateral relationship, and it is meant to control legal immigration to the United States,” he said, adding that many countries do not take lightly the control of their borders.
