United States Consulate General, Hyderabad announces new policy
to reduce wait time for visa applicants 

For Immediate Release                                                         June 29, 2009
 
Hyderabad -- The United States Consulate General, Hyderabad, announced today it is implementing a new policy designed to reduce the wait time for visa applicants and the congestion at the front gate of the Consulate General. 

Beginning July 6, visa applicants will be admitted into the Consulate General no more than 30 minutes prior to the time indicated on their appointment letter.  Applicants should not join the queue at the front gate until that time.  Those who arrive earlier will be asked to leave and return at the appropriate time. 

The new policy is designed to decrease the amount of time each applicant spends at the Consulate General waiting for their interview as well as to make sure the waiting room is not over crowded.  

“We will make sure that everyone with an appointment will get their interview,” said U.S. Consul General Cornelis M. Keur.

“We allot appointments throughout the day to maximize efficiency and ensure that officers have enough time to give every applicant a complete and fair interview.  When people arrive at their appointment too early, it throws off the schedule and increases wait times for everyone.  We ask that people to come no more than 30 minutes before their scheduled interview.” 

The Consul General also noted that many people who know they are traveling for months in advance wait until only days before their departure to apply for a visa.  Travelers should apply for their visa as soon as they know they are traveling and at the least two weeks in advance of their departure.
“We recently received scores of applications from people who planned on attending a conference in the U.S.  The conference had been scheduled for a year, yet applicants came only two or three days before their planned departure.  Although we will make every effort to accommodate applicants for emergencies, in the future, attendance at a conference scheduled months in advance will not be considered an emergency.”

As there is no parking near the Consulate General and there are limited facilities for those arriving early to wait for their appointed time, the Consulate General encourages people to plan their trips to the Consulate carefully.  Additionally, as there are no suitable waiting areas outside of the Consulate General, applicants are encouraged to come alone.

Please note that the Consulate General does not permit the following items:  mobile phones, electronic personal digital assistants, cameras, audio or video recording devices, lap top computers, thumb drives, portable music players, remote keys, travel bags, back packs, brief cases, suit cases, cosmetics (including but not limited to spray perfume/cologne and talcum/baby powder), bottles of any kind, food items, liquids, and any sealed envelopes or packages. 

Security staff may prohibit other items you bring with you.  The Consulate General cannot store prohibited items for you. If you bring prohibited items with you, you will have to dispose of them before entry.