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U.S. Government Rolls Out New DS-160 Visa Application Form in India

January 06, 2010

Hyderabad - Consular posts in India will soon require the use of the newly-developed DS-160 web-based Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) application for all visitors to the United States. This new form will incorporate all existing NIV applications into one interactive, online form.

For all NIV visa appointments beginning February 1, 2010, applicants will be required to fill out the DS-160 form, which will be available online January 19, 2010.

With demand for U.S. visas continuing to increase worldwide, the State Department is committed to using new technologies to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the visa application process. The DS-160 NIV application takes advantage of new technologies to serve visa applicants better. Applicants will continue to complete visa application forms online, as they did previously with the Electronic Visa Application Form.

With the new form, the applicant will be required to upload a visa photograph, and submit the form via the Internet. The applicant will print just one confirmation page upon completion of the DS-160.

The new DS-160 form assists the U.S. in collecting required information accurately the first time. Customer service surveys at posts that have piloted the use of the DS-160 indicate greater applicant satisfaction with the DS-160 than with the form it replaced.

Because the form is web-based, it can be revised and improved as necessary. In addition, in the future applications could be pre-processed and pre-screened before an applicant's interview, reducing processing delays.

Visa applicants completing their applications as of January 19 will need to use the new form. The payment and scheduling process for applicants will not change. Additional information regarding the new form will be available on all Consular post websites in early January.

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