Background

Our regular readers and subscribers may be aware of the fact that on July 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) transitioned immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointment scheduling from USTRAVELDOCS to a new portal USVISASCHEDULING. This new system is currently being used at the U.S. Consular Missions in India, Australia, South Korea, and Japan. It is our understanding that more countries will be migrated to the new platform in due course of time. 

It is important to note that only the visa appointment scheduling process has been shifted to the new portal, and all news updates related to both immigrant and non-immigrant visas continue to be posted on USTRAVELDOCS. DOS and the U.S. Consular Mission in India mandated that applicants who have already created a profile and/or scheduled visa interviews through USTRAVELDOCS, and have a pending application pursuant to INA 221(g) must create a profile on the new portal using the same email address that was used earlier.

Profile Transfer Needed for VAC to Accept Passport / Documents

It must be noted that the Visa Application Centers (VAC) for the U.S. Missions in India no longer accept submission of documents or passports for final adjudication unless the applicant has migrated to the new portal as detailed above. We urge all U.S. visa applicants in India who had applied for their visas using the old portal prior to July 29, 2023, and have a pending application pursuant to INA 221(g) to migrate to the new portal to avoid delays in visa adjudications since such applicants will not be able to submit their passport or any other documents at the VAC unless they have created a profile on the new portal. 

New Fee not Required for Pending Cases

The visa application fee for non-immigrant visas once paid is valid for a period of one year. If an INA 221(g) was issued, the applicant should submit all required information / documents within one year of the INA 221(g) request. If the applicant has done this, a new fee is not required for final adjudication. If the applicant pays a new fee when not required, the DOS will not be able to refund this amount or transfer it to any other profile.

Conclusion

It is important for U.S. visa applicants to follow the official platform for latest updates on the procedural requirements and ensure the same is followed. We will continue to bring  updates on this important topicas and when available.