he U.S. Embassy / Consulates in India (Except Kolkata) may provide group visa appointment for U.S. non-immigrant visa applicants, travelling to the United States to participate in a program or event. In this article, we take a look at when one can request for a group appointment and the procedure for the same.

Purpose of Group Appointment

For a small group size of 6 or lesser, one can schedule the visa interview using the regular procedure at www.ustraveldocs.com/in. However, if the group size is larger, then the sponsor of the program (need not be one of the applicants) can create a profile at www.ustraveldocs.com/in and make a request for “group appointment”. Few common examples of when a group appointment can be requested for includes, students planning to visit the U.S. as part of an education program or as part of school tour (B2); Artists traveling to the U.S. to perform as a group (can be ‘B’ or ‘P’ visa based on the nature and purpose of visit); etc.

Procedure to Request and Schedule a Group Appointment

If one believes that their group is eligible for a group appointment, then the group sponsor or the group lead should create a profile at www.ustraveldocs.com and to make a group request. It is important to provide an appropriate name for the group and submit copy of all supporting documents at the time of making initial request. ; Once the request is received, the consulate will review the same, and if the consulate is satisfied that the request will qualify for a “group appointment”, they will advise on the next course of action. The sponsor / coordinator who created the profile at www.ustraveldocs.com will receive instructions (by phone or eMail) to schedule the appointment. At every stage, it is important to provide accurate information to maximize possibility of a successful request and application. If the U.S. embassy or consulate is not convinced that the group will qualify for the “Group Appointment”, then they will deny this request and advise each member of the group to schedule an individual appointment.

Approval of Request for Group Appointment Does not Guarantee a Visa

Approval of a request for group appointment by the consulate does not influence the decision made on the visa application in any way. Each applicant in the group should convince the visa officer that all requirements for a visa approval are met before a visa can be approved. In most cases, consular officers make their visa determinations based on information presented on the visa application Form (DS-160), and on information elicited at the interview. It is important to make a clear, honest, and unambiguous application to maximize the possibility of success.

Conclusion

When organizing an event involving several applicants, the “Group Appointment” will help. Care must be taken to provide accurate information – any wrong or misleading information will not only affect the outcome of the visa for the concerned individual, but will affect the group and the organization as a whole. While requesting / scheduling a group appointment, it is important to have one responsible person as point of contact to communicate with the Embassy / Consulate / staff at www.ustraveldocs.com/in. Attorneys at Murthy Immigration Services are experienced with this process and available for any assistance with “Group Appointments”.

Copyright © 2013, MISPL – All Rights Reserved