US to open new Consulate and Visa office in Hyderabad

Kolkata, Mar 28 (UNI) As the Indo-US bilateral relations have touched an all time high, the American government has decided to open the country's fifth Consular and visa office in Hyderabad by this year-end to cater to the increasing demand for visas.

Announcing this, American Consul General in Kolkata Henry Jardine said here this evening that the decision to open the fifth American consular office in Hyderabad was taken during the recent visit of President George Bush to India when he also went to Hyderabad.

Stating that the number of visa applicants to the US in all the four American missions in India had recorded more than 25 per cent jump in recent years, Mr Jardine said last year alone, a little more than 5,00,000 Indians had applied for American visas under different categories which itself was an all time record.

Referring to the situation in Kolkata, he said every year, about 25,000 American visas on an average were being issued here forcing the authorities to appoint two more Visa officers.

''We are expecting that about 50,000 visas would be issued from Kolkata alone by 2011 recording 100 per cent jump from the present figure and for that purpose, we are considering to increase the number of Visa officers here from six to nine to cope with the expected rush,'' the US Consul General informed.

To a query, he said among the 25,000 odd visa applicants from the city last year, businessmen comprised the largest section(49 per cent), followed by the technicians(20 per cent), students(18 per cent, tourists(11 per cent) and those related to entertainment world.

Among the four missions in India, Chennai issued maximum number of visas every year, followed by Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi offices in that order, Mr Jardine said and claimed that improved business activities throughout the country was the prime reason for such stupendous growth in visa applicants.

In terms of sheer number of visas being issued, India stood third after Mexico and China, the American Consul General said and hoped that with the opening of the Hyderabad office, more visas could be issued for the US bound Indians.

UNI