The United States Information Service has issued a statement saying that the number of Chinese nationals applying for non-immigrant visas to the United States has tripled over the past seven years. The Beijing consulate has processed 119,453 visas, compared with 77,733 in 1994 and 41,639 in 1991. The USIS attributes the rise to the growing Chinese economy.

Not surprisingly, the visa refusal rate for Chinese nationals is increasing. In the early 90s, only a small portion of the visas were refused. This year, 30% of visa applicants will be refused, up from 23% just last year.

Many Chinese are complaining about the increase in the number of refusals, but consular officials point to estimates that 50,000 Chinese overstay their visas each year. Consular officials claim the INS has warned them that they are being too lax in issuing visas.

Many people are also upset that even though the number of visa applications has tripled, there have been no increases in the number of consular officers handling cases. According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal cramped quarters mean scores of applicants line up outside in the rain, snow or severe heat and inside visa officers engage in "bureaucratic triage" neglecting basic tasks like answering mail and faxes.

According to the Wall Street Journal report, the embassy is now restricting student visas to applicants who fall into specific categories such as students on full scholarship to Ivy league schools. These students stand the best chance of landing top jobs back in China. The Chinese media is taking notice and several major Chinese publications have of late been criticizing the new much tougher visa processing standards.