The United States embassy said today it had received approval to issue several hundred visas due to Malaysian citizens over the next few days.

US embassy press officer Frank Whitaker said in a telephone interview that the visas to be issued include not only student visas but also those in other categories.

He said the non-immigrant visa section will not entertain cases requiring interviews as it will be closed over the next two days to expedite the issuance of the outstanding visas.

In a press statement issued earlier, the embassy said emergency applications will still be accepted on a case-by-case basis this Thursday and Friday and that visa applicants who have not been told to appear for an interview may continue to submit their passports and supporting documents this week for normal processing.

The embassy also urged the public to refrain from calling the visa section so as not to slow down the work of consular officials.