BEIJING, April 28 -- Despite widespread speculation that the United States has tightened visa policies in recent years, the US Consulate General Shanghai announced yesterday that it had issued an all-time high number of visas in the city over the past 12 months.

    Altogether 70,051 locals and people from neighboring Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces have been granted permits to enter the United States since last April, 26 percent higher than the same period last year.

    Most of the newly issued visa holders are business visitors and tourists, whose number jumped 32 percent to reach 52,124.

    Student visas also saw a 16 percent increase to 5,769 this time.

    "People always have this impression that nine out of 10 students will be refused visa, but actually we don't have any targeted refusal rate and are always glad to see qualified students studying in America," said George H Hogeman, consular section chief at the consulate.

    The increase could be attributed to the surging application demand, he added.

    (Source: Shanghai Daily news)