8,000 Applications for Visas Await Clearance in Washington

Special boards to hear appeals on cases where the State Department has refused immigration visas will soon be set up in accordance with President Roosevelt’s order last month establishing rules, regulations and machinery to control the movements of people to and from the United States, it was announced here today by the National Refugee Service.

Since the introduction of new visa regulations by the State Department on July 1, 5,000 cases have been cleared and quota numbers allocated and 3,200 visas have been issued, the National Refugee Service learned from Washington. It was further learned that more applications are being cleared each week than are being received; 1,400 being cleared as against 1,000 being received. However, there is still a backlog of 8,000 cases awaiting clearance.

The Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service information the National Refugee Service that certain passport requirements will be waived in the future for Jewish refugees of German or Italian nationality, in addition to the recent regulation which makes it unnecessary for refugees of the above category to renew their passports here every six months with their respective embassies.

With the closing of American consulates in Nazi-occupied territory Cuba is assuming new importance as a way of escape for many Jewish emigrants in Germany, the N.R.S. stated, The reason for this is that the Cuban consulate in Berlin remains open. According to one report received by the National Refugee Service, 10,000 applications have been filed for Cuban visas, many of them sponsored by refugees in the United States. There are now several thousand emigres in Cuba and it is expected that by mid-December the emigre colony in Cuba will be increased. Most of this group hope eventually to enter the United States.