Great news, travel bugs! The US Embassy just announced some changes to the US visa application process. Starting September 28, applicants hoping to get a US visa will have to do so via "a secure and user-friendly" online appointment system and through a new visa application center in the Metro.
If you've got plans to visit the USA soon or are already in the middle of applying for a visa, you might want to check how these new developments might affect you.
READ: What We Know So Far About the New US Visa Application Center
The new US Visa Application Center (VAC) will be at Parqal Building 8, Level 3, Parqal Mall in Parañaque City. This is according to the US Embassy in the Philippines in a statement posted on their website on September 6.
"Immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants seeking interview appointments starting September 28 will be required to schedule a separate appointment at the VAC for photo capture and fingerprint scanning prior to their interview at the U.S. Embassy on Roxas Boulevard," the statement reads.
However, if you secured your visa interview slot before the VAC's opening, you don't need to go through this new process. "Applicants who have scheduled a visa interview before September 28 will not be affected by this change and should proceed directly to their appointment," the US Embassy clarifies.
The new visa application center will offer appointment slots from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturdays. These slots must be reserved through the new and redesigned online appointment system which will also launch on September 28.
Once it goes live, the process will be similar to how it is now. Applicants can access the new online appointment interface through the US Travel Docs website.
Don't worry about losing your embassy records and previous applications—granted you already have an existing account in the current version of the online visa appointment system. All you need to do now is log into the new system with your already registered email and password to retrieve your existing profile, which should include all your payment receipts and appointment information.
Note that applicants picking up their passports or dropping off required documents and waivers need not apply for an appointment. They can directly proceed to the VAC and transact their business from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Considering there are a lot of new direct flights to the continental US from Manila, like Philippine Airlines' direct flights to Seattle and United Airlines' direct flights to San Francisco, we're really hoping these developments make it more convenient for Filipinos to apply for a US Visa.
For more information, visit the US Embassy in the Philippines' website.
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