The Hindu Business Line : US visa drop box facility removed

This change in the visa application process will affect only the limited number of persons currently not required to appear in person for a visa appointment.

According to a release issued by the US Consulate available on the Net, the reason for ending the drop box facility is that beginning in July 2004, US consular sections in India will start collecting fingerprint impressions from all visa applicants, except those travelling on official Government business or who are under 14 or over 79.

At the time of the visa interview applicants will be asked to electronically scan the index finger of each hand. The scanned fingerprint data collected at the time of visa application will be compared with fingerprint scans at the US port of entry to prevent the misuse of visas by impostors and those wanted for more serious offences.

All US visa issuing posts will be collecting fingerprint data by October 26, 2004 complementing the US-VISIT programme in which nearly all visitors to the US, including those from countries eligible for the visa waiver program, have their fingerprints and photograph taken at the airport on arrival in the US.

The last day to submit applications via drop box in Chennai and New Delhi will be June 30, July 16 in Kolkata and July 20 in Mumbai. Visa applicants must make an appointment for a visa interview and fingerprint collection.

In New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, applicants should get appointments online at www.ttsvisas.com, or by visiting the offices of TT Services in Chennai, Bangalore or Hyderabad if applying from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka or Tamil Nadu.

Applicants from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh may get appointments online at www.visa-services.com or by visiting the office of the Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) in Mumbai, Ahmedabad or Pune.

Contact information and locations for TT Services and VFS offices can be found on the US Embassy Web site.

The release also said that applicants in India will experience delays in the availability of appointments during the spring and summer months, and this year is no exception.

The longest delays are in Chennai, due to the higher volume of applications, but delays at all posts are at least several weeks long.

Applicants from Chennai and Mumbai with urgent travel needs, who have good English skills and have not previously been refused a visa, may make appointments for visa interviews in New Delhi or Kolkata by going online at the Internet address for TT Services given above. Should a sufficiently quick appointment not be available online, each post has procedures in place to handle genuine requests for unanticipated urgent travel.

The release said that interest in travel to the US from India remains strong and growing.Indians are now the largest group of foreigners studying in the US, at nearly 75,000 students; while the overall foreign student population barely grew, the number of Indians admitted into US schools grew by almost 12 per cent in 2002-03.

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US visa drop box facility removed