US consulate speeds up visa clearances

Chennai, Oct 19 (UNI) Gone are the days one had to wait in the queue for long hours to obtain a visa to the United States.

The US Consulate here has streamlined the visa application process to end the long wait of applicants by bringing in senior officials from New Delhi and other places to help the Consulate.

Mr Peter G Kaestner, Minister, Counsellor for Consular Affairs, told reporters here that 'to reduce the waiting period and backlog for visa appointments, officers from New Delhi and other places around the world are coming to Chennai to help the US Consulate here in this process. The expanded capacity and newly streamlined procedures will allow processing of 1,500 to 1600 cases a day,' he added.

He urged applicants who had booked appointments for dates in 2007 to reschedule their appointments to an earlier date by logging on to the visa appointment website: www.vfs-usa.co.in.

Applicants without internet access could visit the Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) office near their place to reschedule.

He said Chennai issued 1.43 lakh non-immigrant visa applications during the 2006 fiscal year (October one, 2005 to September 30, 2006), a 19 per cent increase over the previous year and processed 73,950 H and L visas (work visas).

During the same period, 12,000 student visas had been issued so that students from southern India could attend American educational institutions, strengthening the academic and personal ties between the two countries India and US, he added.

David Hopper, US Consul General for South India, was also present at the press conference.

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