U.S. embassy adopts online registration for visa
By Francis Obinor
A NEW visa application system, which reduces waiting times and carrying of cash by applicants has been introduced by the United States (U.S.) embassy in Nigeria.
From December 1, visa seekers will no longer make payment through value card because it has been replaced with an Electronic Visa Application Payment System (e-VAPS). The old system will be finally phased-out on January 3, 2005.
The e-VAPS is free, but applicants will pay for the Machine Readable Visa (MRV). The new method avails the applicants the opportunity of not carrying cash and reduces the queuing time before meeting the consular for the screening.
Each scratch card will be encoded with personal information and a hidden, random 16 character Private Identification Code (PIC) to verify that a visa seeker has paid for the application. Another advantage of the new system is that the applicant or their proxy can go to any Fountain Trust Bank branch and request for an e-VAPS card to pay for the visa appointment.
All visa applicants have been advised by the embassy to use the new system to pay their MRV fee using a scratch-card based system.
The Vice Consul, Immigrant Visa at the U.S. Consulate Ms. Nuelle Wright-Young said on Monday, that the new system would eliminate the need for applicants to handle cash and allow for a more secure payment option.
It will also improve efficiency by reducing the time and number of queues needed to process an application and improve the overall application experience for applicants.
She said that the U.S. mission's goal was to complete the visa process for each applicant within 90 minutes, adding the new e-VAPS would help reduce the number of touts who reaped from the Valucard system. "The whole visa application process is now more secure and faster", she said.
Wright-Young however, cautioned that on the purchase of the card, applicants should not scratch it while those who prefer to pay the $100 bill in U.S. currency could still have their visas processed.
"Those with the $100 equivalent of the N14,000 could still have their applications processed. But the aim of the new system is to reduce time and the long queues. It would also make the process smoother.
"As from January 3, Valucards will no longer be accepted at the Consulate-General for visa application fees", she said.
On the Dropbox category, Wright-Young said the e-VAP system also apply to applicants.
According to her, such applicants will be are required to fulfil all requirements under the dropbox system, since they don't require any appointment, they will be given the go ahead to go to the bank for their e-VAPS once they are found to be qualified for the dropbox."
Under the e-VAPS, the applicant or proxy would go to any Fountain Trust Bank and present his/her appointment letter (having completed the applications on line), travelling passport and the MRV fee of N14,000 or its $100 equivalent in order to make a payment and receive their cards.
The teller uses the information to generate a PIN number for the card and provides the applicants with their cards and receipts for the transaction. Applicants are advised not to scratch the card as Consulate General officials will do it to verify the information when such applicants appear for their appointments.
On the day of their screening appointment and after, Ms Wright-Young urged applicants to arrive at the Consulate-General at their appointed time and date with all necessary documents and the scratch card.
Deputy Managing Director of Fountain Trust Bank, Mr. Odunlami Kola Daisi, assured that necessary measures had been put in place to forestall problems and fraudulent practices associated with the Valucard system.
"The cards are only available in the banks and not accessible to touts or any other persons.
If the card is stolen, don't panic, the person will be arrested when he comes to the embassy for visa," he said.
