State launches visa information site

The State Department today unveiled a Web site to provide details for people seeking visas for travel to the United States.The Secure Borders, Open Doors campaign relies in part on the site, at , to publicize visa application procedures.The site includes step-by-step instructions for applying for business, education, tourism and immigration visas. So far available only in English, the site eventually will present information in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.“We want to ensure that the visa application process is straightforward for people who want to come to the U.S. to study, visit and conduct business,” according to a statement from assistant secretary of state for consular affairs Maura Harty.Several commercial sites represent themselves as federal portals for visa and immigration information, frequently charging applicants for services available for free from the government.