USTravelDocs has rescheduled its migration to a new service platform to July 29, 2023, with service disruptions between July 25-28.
VFS Global, which handles the USTravelDocs customer service center, and the USTravelDocs appointment system are both migrating to a new platform.
There will be some disruption in services, including:
- Customer calls and appointment booking will be suspended from July 26-28
- Fee payments will be suspended from July 25-28
All services will resume on July 19, 2023.
Previously, this migration was scheduled for July 15, 2023 with a suspension of services from July 12-14.
In addition to a new platform, there will also be an updated customer service email for USTravelDocs India – [email protected].
USTravelDocs India also asks that account holders do the following in order to ensure a smooth transition to the new platform:
- Make sure that all of the data in your profile is correct and filled out completely. Correct any incorrect information as soon as you can.
- Pay your visa application fee before July 24 if necessary, as fee payment services will be unavailable from July 25 to July 28. Fee services will be available again on July 29.
- If your visa fee has been paid but isn’t attached to your profile, log in to your profile and associate your payment with your account by entering your payment receipt number into your profile.
- If you have an account with multiple applicants, make sure that each applicant has a unique email address. This goes for family accounts as well.
This transition to a new platform for customer service and appointment scheduling should help streamline these processes and make the customer experience easier. The US Embassy in India is currently on track to process 1 million visas in 2023 and has already surpassed the 700,000 mark.
Visa appointment wait times have increased over the past couple of months, with the average wait time for visitor visas currently (July 2023) around 500 days. In April of 2023, visitor visa wait times were averaging around 350 days. This is around a 40% increase. Summer typically is a very busy time for US Consulates and Embassies in India, so this could be a reason behind the increase. We will continue to monitor visa appointment wait times over the next few months to see if they continue to rise or if they return back to normal wait times.
For more information regarding the new USTravelDocs system for India, visit their website.
