The United States Embassy in Baghdad has begun accepting visa applications from students, in a shift in policy that should greatly facilitate the application process for Iraqis planning on studying at American universities. The new application procedure was announced last week.

Student applicants must show that they have been accepted at an American institution and are reminded that their visa will not be issued until their name has been entered by that institution into the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System database. American government officials announced an coming overhaul of that surveillance system, known as Sevis, in May at the annual meeting of Nafsa: Association of International Educators.

Until now, student-visa applicants in Iraq have had to travel to an American embassy or consulate in a neighboring country such as Jordan.

The process involved so many hurdles that, despite hundreds of full scholarships financed by the Iraqi government for study in the United States, only a few dozen students have been able to take advantage of the grants. —Aisha Labi