U.S. visa forms now require filling out by computer

For even the most experienced Belizean traveller the process of obtaining a visa to visit the United States can be a stressful experience. Well, in a few weeks time that stress will either grow or shrink–depending on your proximity to a computer. News Five’s Kendra Griffith explains.

Kendra Griffith, Reporting
Starting November first, Belizeans applying for a U.S. visa will need access to a computer and the internet in order for their applications to be processed.

Cindy Gregg, Consul, U.S. Embassy
?After November the first, we cannot accept handwritten applications.?

Applicants will have to go to the web address http://evisaforms.state.gov, which has all the necessary information and instructions for filling out the form.

The process is easy … simply click on the non-immigrant visa application link, which takes you to the actual form. Fill in the requested information and then click continue to print.

Cindy Gregg
?Once you print it off you get a barcode with it and the barcode will?you bring the barcode in, we scan the barcode so that all the information is automatically put in. And this eliminates misspelling of names, misspellings of addresses, everything then is up to the applicant to have the information correct on it. It makes the process easier and much more efficient for us.?

The site also allows you to generate additional copies if more than one person in the family is applying. Consul Cindy Gregg says although it is just being enacted, the change has been in the pipeline for a while.

Cindy Gregg
?It was a policy that was mandated by the Department of State about two years ago. They started requiring forms, applications forms to be completed online and Belize has been a little bit reluctant. I have been reluctant to really mandate it here because I?ve seen that some of the people come from rural communities that don?t have access to internet.?

And for those persons lacking computers skills or access to the web, Gregg is hoping that business-minded persons will capitalise on the new opportunity and fill the demand.

Cindy Gregg
?I think this is a great entrepreneurial opportunity for Belizean people to open up an internet café to have somebody sitting there and help people fill out the applications. We?ve seen this in other countries also. But if somebody doesn?t have the access, then it will be their responsibility to find the access.?

Along with the new forms, comes a new home … The embassy is moving from its Gabourel Lane compound, where it has been located since 1930, and setting up a much bigger shop in the nation?s capital.

Cindy Gregg
?Every hurricane season we sit here just worried, worried. What if Katrina hit Belize City? We are really worried about that, so we?re doing it for protection, but also to respect the capital.?

The relocation is scheduled for mid-November and citizens should note that it will require closing the embassy for almost two weeks.

Cindy Gregg
?We don?t have the definitive dates yet on when the embassy will be closed, but there will be ten days in November when we will not be issuing visas. And I just want people to be prepared for that, especially people who are looking for their Christmas visas who want to travel around Christmas time.?

And if you?re thinking that those changes will mean increased fees, Gregg says that is not necessarily the case.

Cindy Gregg
?Right now Belize is one of the countries that has the lowest cost of visa interviews. A hundred U.S. dollars is the lowest cost throughout the world. Many other embassies charge more money for appointment system, for a call system. We don?t do that, we just don?t want to put that on the Belize citizens. Visa fees are reprocessed, reconfigured about once every two or three years by the Department of State and it depends on the number of visa applications worldwide, so it is time. I think it will be this year or early next year that they?ll do a reprocessing, but we are not raising visa fees, no.?

Except for the new way of dealing with the forms, all other visa requirements remain the same.

Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.

The Embassy has not yet decided what they are going to do with their present premises on Gabourel Lane.