US visa new update for Indians: Applicants now need to collect their passport, docs in person

US visa applicants will now have to go and collect their passports themselves from the embassy. According to a fresh announcement by the US Embassy in New Delhi, starting from 1 August, no third-party representative, or a kin of the applicant, will be allowed to collect the passport. The fresh guidelines seek to maintain the security and safety of the visa applicant, their passport and confidential documents.

Now, the US visa applicants will have to be present in person to collect their documents. In case of applicants who are below 18 years old, their parents or legal guardians will have to be present during collection. The minor should also carry a letter of consent, with signatures of both parents on it. In an added guideline to the consent letter, the embassy has also said that no soft copies of the letter, i.e. scanned or emailed, will be accepted. 

However, for applicants who can not come and collect their passport in person, the US embassy is also offering a home or office delivery service. The applicants will be charged a fee of Rs 1200 for this. They can opt for this home delivery service by mentioning their document delivery address and preferences online.

This is how you can choose the delivery option:

• Log in to the applicant's profile at https://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/en/.
• Click on “Document Delivery Information” on the Visa Application Home page.
• Select the applicant's name from the list.
• Choose the preferred delivery method.
• Submit the changes.
• Log out of the profile

If you encounter any technical issues while updating the delivery options, please use the "Feedback/Requests" feature within the profile. Attach a screenshot of the error along with your preferred delivery location.

The embassy requests that applicants do not contact the call center for these updates. Instead, they should refer to the official website or check the “Messages” section on their Visa Application Home page for further information.