False reports on US visas The American embassy in Namibia has warned Namibians not to fall for false reports announcing that no visa is required when travelling to the United States. The warning follows after an old article from a spoof website that was originally written in January this year, somehow surfaced again and began circulating on social media and chat cites.
The embassy tweeted ratifications and placed warnings on their Facebook page urging Namibians not to fall for these false reports.
According to the article, the United States ''No Visa Policy'' for Namibia applies to persons visiting the States for tourism or business for a stay of up to six months.
It said that the US Department of State updated the number of qualified visa waiver programme-designated countries from 38 to 39 and that Namibia is the 39th country.
The story went as far as to carry a false quote from US Secretary of State John Kerry saying the State Department arrived at the decision in an attempt to facilitate business and strengthen ties between the countries.
The embassy however refuted the reports as being false and said Namibians should visit their website for the proper information regarding visa requirements to the Unites States. According to the website, the purpose of intended travel and other facts will determine what type of visa is required under American immigration law. The embassy will need to establish what the visa applicant will need to meet all requirements to receive the category of visa applied for.
About a month ago, the US also had to tweet a clarification after an old story from a satirical website resurfaced and went viral claiming that Pakistan had been granted a visa waiver for entry into the United States. The story, which was picked up by online news agencies and numerous other Pakistani newspapers, falsely claimed the US Department of State last week Sunday updated the number of qualified Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) designated countries from 38 to 39 with Pakistan as the newly listed country. This is the same information that was used in the article regarding Namibia.
ELLANIE SMIT