The visa was handed over by Consul General Michele J Sison to city-based engineer Somasundaram and family.

Somasundaram is leaving on a business trip to Canada and has been invited by an American company to bring along his family. He applied for visas on Thursday and was invited the next day to receive them.

Later, referring to the report in The Indian Express (US denies visa to young cancer patient) Sison said that the authorities had asked for more details and were hoping that the patient would furnish them today.

The Chennai division was close to Mumbai in clearing visa applications and was ahead of Delhi and Calcutta. It was sure to figure among the top three centres in the world, she added.

Consul Clyde L Jones said 60 per cent of Chennai visa applicants were on business trips.A substantial portion of the visa applications (30 per cent) was for H-1B speciality workers, mostly computer professionals and their families. The remaining 10 per cent of applications were for students and other visas. ``We have been able to issue US visas for 80 per cent of all the applications we received this year,'' he said.

There was no new policy on granting of visas to scientists and technical personnel. There was a long-standing policy that was applied to people -- keen on research -- from countries to which transfer of technology was prohibited. In such cases the consulate sought advisory from the State Department. This policy was, however, highlighted after May in India, he added.