US visa applicants can now book online appointments
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- Travel & leisure
- Wednesday, 05 September 2012 20:03
- Published on Wednesday, 05 September 2012 20:03
- Hits: 1272
Gujarat Global News Network, Ahmedabad
Now visa applicants to US will be able to schedule their appointments online or by phone. They will also be able to pay the application fees via electronic fund transfer or with their mobile phones.
The US Embassy has announced that it was implementing a new visa process in India from September 26 which will standardize visa process.
Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs Julia Stanley said that a new website www.ustraveldocs.com/in has been launched both in English and Hindi. She said that applicants can now pay their visa fees either electronically or in cash at more than 1,800 Axis bank branches. The new system will also allow companies and travel agents to purchase multiple fee receipts for group travel.
Applicants can also schedule their appointment through the new website or by calling the call centre. Call centre agents will answer questions in English, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu. The new system will offer group and expedited appointments, she said.
One important change under the new system is that the applicant will have to make two appointments. Prior to visa interview an applicant will have to visit an Offsite Facilitation Centre to submit fingerprints and photo. Applicants who are renewing their visas might need not give fingerprints again.
In March, the U.S. Mission in India introduced the Interview Waiver Program (IWP) that allows applicants who meet certain criteria to be considered for waivers of personal interviews. Under the IWP and our new processing system, an increasing number of applicants will be able to complete all visa requirements without having to visit a U.S. Embassy or Consulate at all.
The U.S. Department of State continually strives to improve consular services to meet increased visa demand in India. In 2011, consular officers in India processed nearly seven lakh nonimmigrant visa applications, an increase of more than 11 percent over the previous year. Presently, applicants wait fewer than ten days for visa interview appointments and spend less than one hour at U.S. consular facilities in India.
For information about the visa application process, please visit www.ustraveldocs.com. To receive regular updates, follow the U.S. Embassy on Facebook at www.facebook.com/India.usembassy. Call centers will be open 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Friday, and 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on Sunday. The numbers are (91-120) 660-2222 or (91-22) 6720-9400 in India or 1-310-616-5424 in the United States.
For news in Hindi see our Hindi news daily Chaupal Chronicle
