Saturday, July 24, 2010

Interesting Fact of the Day

A whopping 98 percent of Pakistani college student visa-seekers submit at least one fake document in their misguided attempts to scam U.S. consuls.

This interesting fact of the day is actually from last week (since I am still catching up on my reading after spending most of last week trying keep my head above water during a workshop about embassy architecture and space planning), and it comes to us from U.S. Consul General Carmella Conroy in Lahore, Pakistan.

Ms. Conroy offered Pakistani students at Government College University some good advice - cut out the fraudulent documents. They aren't helping you.

She went on to note the steps the U.S. has taken to promote education in Pakistan, and the assistance it is offering to exchange students and others, which includes inviting hundreds of Pakistani students to attend U.S. colleges and universities under the Near East and South Asia Undergraduate Program (here).

The lesson for Pakistani student visa applicants is clear: we are trying to work with you, so cooperate and stop fighting us.

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