On September 1, 2010 the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Delhi had organized an interactive session with Mr. James Herman, Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs in New Delhi. Here are some excerpts from the meeting:

Drop-Box System May Be Re-Introduced by end of Next Year:

Mr. Herman indicated that there is a high probability that the popular drop-box system may be re-introduced by end of next year. It may be recalled that in early 2000, applicants renewing their visa and applicants who met certain criteria could use the drop-box system to apply for a visa and a person appearance was not required.

The introduction of the biometrics necessitated applicants to visit the consulate for the finger printing. When the new system is introduced, Mr. Herman also pointed out that there could be an off-site collection center for applicants to visit and provide the required biometrics.

Unified Support Services May be Introduced:

As of now, there is a visa application fee and a separate service fee for the VFS services. Mr. Herman mentioned that by 2012 we could expect a new system wherein there will be one fee which will include the visa application and service fee.

Calls for Reciprocal Immigration Policies:

During the meeting, Mr. Herman pointed out the clarity of the U.S. visa application process and called for a reciprocal approach by the Indian Embassy. He pointed out that US Citizens had difficult time trying to identify the category of visa applicable for their visit and the whole process was not very clear.

Efforts on the minimize processing time for cases involving Administrative Process:

Mr. Herman clarified that about 97% of the approved visas were processed on the same day and more than 99% of the approved visas are processed within a month. It was indicated that efforts are on to minimize processing times for the remaining applications as well.

Conclusion:

We thank Mr. James Herman for sharing the above information and thank the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce for arranging the interactive session which would benefit U.S. visa applicants.