AMMAN, 11 April 2008 — The Jordanian government yesterday signed an agreement with the international courier TNT Post that established a new system for regulating the entry visa process for Iraqis wishing to visit the country, Interior Minister Eid Al-Fayez said.
Under the agreement, the firm will receive and subsequently submit visa applications to the Jordanian authorities.
The system, put in place in response to a request by the Iraqi government, seeks to regulate the entry of Iraqi citizens into Jordan, Al-Fayez said.
Under the agreement, TNT will receive visa applications from Iraqi citizens through its 13 offices available in all of Iraq’s governorates, process them and forward them to the Jordanian Interior Ministry, he added.
According to the new system, applicants will be informed whether they are approved or denied entry between 12 and 14 working days.
The agreement, which will become effective on April 15, includes special directives on dealing with humanitarian cases and expediting application processing.
According to the Norwegian establishment, Fafo, about 500,000 Iraqi refugees had fled to Jordan since the US-led invasion of the neighboring country in 2003.
