US Consulate General to upgrade facilities

Hyderabad, Apr 2 : US Consul General Cornelis Keur today said the US Consulate General in Hyderabad will upgrade its existing facility to accommodate the increasing demand for consular services from the first week of May 2010.During this period, expected to last six weeks, the Consular Section will temporarily reduce the number of appointments available to both American citizens and visa applicants. In a statement, the Consul General said, ''This period of refurbishment is unavoidable as the existing configuration is inadequate to meet the growing demand for services from both American citizens and visa applicants in Andhra Pradesh.'' ''To avoid inconvenience to our applicants, the Consulate General will increase the number of visa and American Citizen Services (ACS) appointments available during the four weeks prior to the expected facility upgrade. Interview appointments can now be scheduled on Saturdays beginning April 10, 2010,'' he said. The US Consul General urged the applicants to plan ahead and apply far in advance of expected travel dates for visas or American citizen services such as passports, notarials, or Consular Reports of Birth Abroad. Applicants with urgent travel needs during this period of limited consular services can apply for visas at the US Consulate General in Chennai or other US consular sections throughout India,he said.                                   (photo by RSJ Thomas) ==========================================================