[February 07, 2011] U.S. Visa Application Process to Change Soon Tweet Feb 07, 2011 (The Daily Observer/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- The consular at the United States Embassy in Banjul has announced that effective March 1st, 2011, there will be some changes in the application process for US visa. The changes, according to him will involve how an applicant makes his or her appointment date for interview as well as how applicants will pay for their visa fees and where. Michael K Fitzpatrick made this revelation to the Daily Observer last Thursday during an exclusive interview in his office at the US Embassy along Kairaba Avenue. According to him, currently, applicants go to three different branches of Standard Chartered Bank to pay for visa interview appointment date and are given appointment date at the bank but starting March 1st 2011, applicants will be using EcoBank and Reliance Banks to pay their fees only instead of Standard Chartered Bank. "There will be seven EcoBank branches and twenty-one Reliance Banks where applicants will make their payments. Again, there will also be a change in the cost, as right now applicants pay US$2 at Standard Chartered Bank plus the application fee. But by March 1st, 2011, that US$2 charge will be gone. So it will be a little bit cheaper and applicants will not begin their appointment date at the bank but will only pay application fee. New call centre/website According to the US consular, after an applicant pays his or her visa fee at the said banks, there will be a call centre that one can call and get his or her appointment date. "There will also be a website that one can go to and get his or her appointment date online. So both options will be available," he said. He made it clear that before an applicant is allowed to make an appointment date, he or she has to give them a confirmation number from the bank that will demonstrate that he or she has paid the visa fee at the bank and that he or she has filled the electronic D160 visa application form. "This call centre will also make it easier for you to change you appointment date and all that will be done electronically. Right now, applicants call the consular section when they miss their appointment dates and we give them new dates, but by March 1st 2011, all this will be done either through the website or the call center. So this is a big change and will save every applicant US$2," he confirmed. Online application difficulties Regarding the difficulties faced in the electronic visa application process, Fitzpatrick said this only happens with the photos applicants upload in their forms but assured that it will soon be a thing of the past. "On the side of the applicants, we know it is sometimes difficult to fill the application form if one has no internet connection. But in The Gambia as every year the Internet gets faster and faster, we hope that the problem will decrease or disappear completely," he noted. He added: "The online application form is usually filled in by using the visa services; that is, businesses that will help you fill the form. They are important but one problem we have seen is that sometimes the people filling the form for applicants and typing the answers suggest answers for the applicants or are not typing exactly what the applicant is telling them. Now, when you fill that application form and send it, is like signing a document, stating that everything on that application form is true. At the end, you will be solely responsible for what is in that application form and not the people at the visa service that filled it for you," he warned. No. of visas issued/rejected in 2010 Asked to reveal the number of US visas issued and rejected in 2010, Fitzpatrick said in 2010, there was really an increase in the number of visa applicants, with a 20-per cent increase over 2009, a large number of which was for student visa. He then confirmed that in 2010 alone they had approximately 6200 (six thousand two hundred) applicants of which 2600 have there visas been approved and the rest rejected. Frequent denial Quizzed why the number of people rejected US visa far exceeds than those issued, he said for one to be able to successfully get a visa, he or she has to demonstrate that he or she is on a strong social and economic footing here in The Gambia that will compel the person to return to the Gambia after the visit. "Unfortunately, that is difficult for people to prove," he said. When asked why certain applicants are refused visa, or if there are certain things he looks into before refusing certain applicants to get the visa, Fitzpatrick said there is nothing in particular. According to him, every interview is with a different story and the issue of issuing or not issuing visa to applicants is always different in every case. "If you bring a fake document, you are not going to get a visa and may be ineligible to get a visa for the rest of your life. Again, simply having genuine documents by itself does not mean that you will automatically get a visa. The documents have to show that you have strong ties in The Gambia. Is not the way one appears or who you are that determines your eligibility, but it is the questions asked; the answers I get and looking at all the documents. That is the overall picture that determines whether someone is qualified for a visa or not," he clarified. He then advised applicants to be honest, to bring genuine documents, saying, "we always see a lot of that but let them note that we are good in noticing such fake documents". [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]