New Delhi: Getting a visa for the United States is likely to take more time as the US embassy is experiencing technical problems with their visa systems across the world. As a result, all visa interviews between June 22 and 26 at US consulates in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad have been cancelled. The US embassy has said that the interviews will be rescheduled.
In a statement issued by the US Embassy in India, the problem is continuing across the world. "This is a global issue, and we are working around the clock to fix it. More than 100 computer experts from both the private and public sectors across the United States are working on this problem 24/7. That said, we do not expect the system will be online before next week. Unfortunately, this has caused a serious delay in our operations," the US embassy said.
Visa applicants with appointments during June 22 to June 26 are requested to reschedule their appointments for biometric enrollment and visa interview to a date after July 6, 2015. "There is no need to contact the call center or customer support. You can login to your visa appointment system profile and reschedule both of your appointments at www.ustraveldocs.com/in," the statement said.
Here is the full text of the US Embassy Statement
Upon the restoration of visa services, you will be notified via email or SMS when your passport is ready for pick up. You DO NOT need to call us. Once you receive our SMS, you may go to your Visa Application Center any day between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm to collect your passport.
You can track the status online by visiting our website: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-loc-passportcollection.asp.
If you have other urgent upcoming travels requiring you to have your passport back, we will place your case on “Administrative Hold”. You must contact [email protected]/in to request your passport back. Your passport will NOT have a U.S. visa at that time. Your passport can be collected at your local Visa Application Center (VAC). When you return from your travel, please return your passport to the VAC and we will continue the processing of your U.S. visa. Your case will remain open for up to 12 months.
The problems stem from a hardware failure in a State Department facility in the United States on June 9. That failure is preventing the Department from processing and transmitting biometric data checks at visa-issuing embassies and consulates. We cannot bypass the legal requirements to screen visa applicants before we issue visas for travel. Each visa decision is a national security decision, and we take our obligation to protect the United States seriously.
We regret the inconvenience to travelers and recognize that this is causing hardship to those waiting for visas, and in some cases, their family members or employers in the United States. We will continue to post regular updates on our website, travel.state.gov.
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