Today.Az » Society » Ask the Consul
13 July 2017 [14:04] - Today.Az
U.S. Embassy Baku Consular Section Chief Kim Morales
responds to questions from our readers
There has been a lot of speculation in
social media recently about nonimmigrant visa operations at the U.S. Embassy in
Baku and
whether outside individuals can influence visa adjudications. As someone who worked in our internal
malfeasance prevention unit in Washington,
D.C., I can attest to the
protections that are in place to ensure transparency and integrity of our
operations. One only has to visit our waiting room to see people from all walks
of life to understand that most people are required to appear in person for
fingerprinting and for an interview with a commissioned Consular Officer. On any given day, government employees,
business owners, law enforcement officers, and a full range of others can be
seen queueing for the visa process. Regardless of their background, all
applicants are subject to the same procedures. Influence and corruption have no
place in our Embassy. Today, I hope to
help you understand better how and why we operate in ways that may be unfamiliar
to you and to provide you with a more specific look at how our processing is
completed. Again, I welcome your suggestions for topics and Consular-related
questions. Please send them to [email protected].
What is the Process to Apply for a Nonimmigrant Visa?
An applicant begins the process by completing the online
application form (DS-160), answering all questions completely and truthfully.
If the application was prepared by someone other than the applicant, this
should be noted. Once the applicant has
the barcode number from the application, they must visit the visa service
center website to pay their fee and schedule the interview, or if eligible,
arrange to courier in the documents. We
strongly recommend booking appointments more than one month in advance. During
busy travel seasons, you should book your appointment at least 45 days before
the proposed date of travel. On the date
of the interview, the applicant must appear in person at the Embassy. The applicant will submit fingerprints and
should be prepared to credibly answer the Consular Officer’s questions and
submit any required documentation. If
the applicant is found eligible and does not require additional processing, the
passport with the visa will be delivered to Aramex Courier’s Office within five
business days. Aramex will notify the
applicant by email that the passport is ready for pick up at their office.
Who doesn’t have to appear for an interview?
The first, and most common category, applies to applicants
who have a valid visa or whose previous visa expired within the last twelve
months. If an applicant is applying for
the same type of visa, he or she may use the interview waiver program and submit
the documents at the Aramex
Courier Service
Center. Children under 14 whose parents have valid
visas are also eligible to use this program.
By providing this service, our office can make available appointments
for other travelers, such as first time applicants, business people, and students. In certain cases, those who use the interview
waiver courier program may be required to attend an interview. This generally applies to those selected for
administrative processing, those who appear to no longer be eligible for a
visa, or to those whose visas expired more than twelve months prior.
The second most common category is comprised of Government
officials and diplomats traveling for official purposes. Their application must
be accompanied by complete documentation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
or the requesting embassy. While their
personal appearance is generally not required, at times, Consular Officers may
require the applicant appear for an in-person interview. This is usually done to clarify the position
and purpose of travel. If the officials
are traveling for personal reasons, such as for tourism or to visit family, the
officials must make an appointment for fingerprints and an interview.
Who does not need an appointment?
All applicants are seen by appointment only. We do not accept walk-in appointments. Applicants planning to travel to the United States
must make an appointment via the online appointment system. There are very few exceptions to using the
online appointment system, but we have specific written policies and procedures
governing those exceptions. For example,
if the applicant is traveling for a U.S. government sponsored program,
upon receipt of the proper documentation, the Consular Section will schedule
the interview. In the cases of large
groups of students, sportsmen, or performers, the Consular Section reserves the
right to schedule these appointments in groups to ensure that other applicants’
appointments are not affected.
Generally, those groups are required to make a request for an expedited
appointment through the visa service center appointment system. In a handful of cases, we expedited
appointments for travelers who were facing a life or death emergency, such as
urgent medical treatment or the death of a loved one in the United States.
We do not accept appointments by telephone or through third
parties, no matter how influential the person is viewed. If a travel agent advises that they have a
contact to influence appointments, I would love to hear from you as there is no
available mechanism to do so.
How do we know you are being truthful?
Consular integrity and accountability are the backbone of
our operations. Consular Staff work hard
to ensure our processes are free from outside influences. In fact, Consular processes are the same
worldwide. Each action is well
documented and completed based on U.S. immigration laws and regulations. Every few months, regional representatives
visit Consular posts to monitor all procedures and to ensure we are operating
effectively and following all relevant policies and laws.
To safeguard our operations, we have a number of protections
in place to identify abnormalities. In
addition to ensuring all management controls are followed, our offices in
Washington, D.C. routinely audit the appointment systems and consular
systems. Any irregularity is reviewed,
and when appropriate, investigated by law enforcement.
Where Can I Get Visa Information?
All callers seeking information about visas are referred to
the call center for visa services (telephone: +994 12 310 3010 or email: [email protected]). In addition, information about visas can be
found at the following websites: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-az/niv,
www.travel.state.gov, or https://azerbaijan.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html.
This is necessary because there are over 9 million Azerbaijanis and the
Consular Section is staffed by four people.
We simply do not have the staffing to provide telephone support and
answer individual emails. If we are
answering the phones for visa-related calls, we are unable to help U.S.
citizens, print visas, complete data entry, or efficiently operate. We
understand this can be frustrating, but the call center staff do speak
Azerbaijani, English, and Russian. The
call center may also pass more complex or urgent inquiries to the Consular
Section. We do monitor the calls for
quality assurance.
Who can call the Consular Section for visa information?
The Consular Section does not accept visa-related phone
calls from applicants or third parties.
Visa information about applicants is protected under U.S. laws. The Consular Section is prohibited from
sharing or discussing information about individual visa cases with third
parties and takes any allegation of impropriety seriously. For example, if your cousin or your travel agent
know someone at the Embassy and try to call on your behalf, our staff are not
permitted to discuss case specifics. The
Consular Section staff take this seriously and report attempts to influence
visa adjudications or obtain information to the appropriate parties. While this can be frustrating to non-Consular
personnel or contacts, it ensures we safeguard all information and eliminate
any appearance of impropriety.
Who decides who gets a visa?
Only commissioned Consular Officers have the legal authority
to make visa adjudications. No outside
influences may play a role in the decision or speed of the process. For example, if your uncle knows someone at
the Embassy and reaches out to that person, the Consular Section will not
discuss the case nor share information. Attempts to influence Consular
Officers’ adjudications may place that person at risk of being found ineligible
for U.S. visas and may be referred to the appropriate investigative
bodies. Each of the Embassy’s Sections
is aware of the regulations and are regularly reminded of the importance of
maintaining the integrity of Consular operations. Even the Ambassador will tell you that he
cannot influence visa adjudications!
What are the most common reasons for delays in visa
processing?
Submitting an invalid photo is the number one cause for
delays. Poor quality or photo shopped pictures, old photos previously used for
passports or another visa application, colored backgrounds, or photos with
glasses are commonly submitted. The
Section must request a new photo which adds time to the processing.
Unrealistic dates of travel.
If you submit your application or have your interview the day before you
intend to travel, it is very unlikely you will make your flight. Apply ahead of time! We strongly discourage
you from purchasing your tickets until you have the visa in hand.
Not disclosing information on your visa application. We expect some applicants to have relatives
in the United States, but if you purposely don’t share that information, we are
concerned about what else you are not sharing.
Also, it is ok to have assistance completing your applications, but if
you do not disclose who prepared the application, it may damage your
credibility.
In certain cases, applications must undergo additional
processing. This process takes time, is
handled in Washington DC not Baku, and can add significant delays. Consular Officers will advise you of the need
for this processing at the time of the interview.
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