Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said Sunday the Immigration Department would speed up visa and permit applications for priests, musicians and artisans from India.

He said the department's director-general, Datuk Mahmood Adam, has assured him that he would be meeting all the state immigration heads Monday to ensure that the government's decision to allow for new applications was implemented immediately.

In a statement Sunday, he said Mahmood had also given the assurance that all decisions made at a meeting between Dr Subramaniam and Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar would be carried out without any more delays.

One of them was that the visas and permits for priests, musicians and artisans from India for fresh applicants would be valid for a maximum of three years and based on a set of guidelines.