According to a US Embassy statement, there were some 84,000 visa applications this year (2009-2010) compared to 72,000 the year before. The statement added that 85 percent of Saudi applicants receive a visa within four weeks of their interview “while only a small minority may require additional administrative processing.”

A source at the embassy said applicants are advised to allow two to three months for the application process, stressing that the US Embassy is delighted at the growing number of visa applications by Saudis.

Priority appointments are given for medical and humanitarian reasons, student travel and urgent business needs. The source also said applicants “have the option of leaving their passports with the embassy or keeping them throughout the process.”

Applicants also have the option to retrieve their passports should they need it for other travel.

The statement also said that the US Embassy has a “strong commitment to encourage Saudis to go to the US for education, business and other purposes,” and that it “will work overtime to accommodate the surge.”