U. S. Consulate mum on visa refusal to musicians

The U. S. Consulate in Mumbai has refused to comment on the issue of denial of visas to a group of musicians from Goa.

“We cannot comment on specific visa cases,” the Consulate spokesperson told The Hindu on Tuesday in response to an e-mail query.

A group of artists, including popular names in Konkani music circles Lorna Cordeiro and Sidhanath Buyao, have alleged that the Consulate denied them visas on “flimsy” grounds.

The reason cited was that “the applicants could not satisfy the interviewing officer that they will depart the United States at the end of their temporary stay and they could not demonstrate strong social, economic and /or familial ties outside the United States.