WASHINGTON AFP (11 th November 2001)- The United States is placing new requirements on visa applications from men from predominantly Muslim nations, including a 20-day waiting period and a detailed questionnaire, a senior State Department official said yesterday.

Starting next week, US consulates and embassies in 26 nations will send names of male visa applicants aged 16 to 45 to be checked against FBI databases in Washington, giving the agency 20 days to respond before processing the application.

All those applicants will also be required to fill out a detailed questionnaire asking about past military service, weapons training, travel, and whether they have ever lost a passport, the official said.

The countries affected are Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The new requirements are part of a tightening of US visa policies after the September 11 terrorist attacks.