'Presenting false documents will deprive chance of US visit'

Chennai, May 15 (UNI) Asserting that there are no shortcuts to obtain visas, American Charge d'Affaires Geoff Pyatt today warned that those presenting false documents would permanently become ineligible to enter the US.

Inaugurating new facilities at the US Consulate General here and launching six additional windows to make visa processing more efficient following the burgeoning demand for US visas, he said the US welcomed more Indian tourists, students and business people.

Noting that the demand for US visas in India had increased by 30 per cent in the last year, Mr Pyatt said the US Embassy and Consulates processed about 600,000 visas a year.

''We are happy that so many want to visit the US and we encourage all legitimate travel,'' he said.

Mr Pyatt said that while visa interview appointments were more readily available and processing more efficient, the US immigration laws, however, have not changed.

He cautioned against applicants approaching unscrupulous agents or brokers who create a false impression that they could help in getting a visa.

''They are committing consumer fraud. Those who pay them and submit false papers do so at a great risk,'' he added.

US Consul General in Chennai David T Hopper, who was also present, said the Consulate General processed about 1,200 visas a day, compared to 700 to 800 a day last year.

''We have done away with the backlog. Eight months back one had to wait five to six months to get a visa appointment. Now one can get an appointment in less than two weeks. We are serving the public better,'' he added.

He advised visa applicants to obtain accurate, reliable and free information directly from the US Consulate General, its website and its visa appointment contractor, Visa Facilitation Services (VFS).

UNI