The US Consulate General at Hyderabad will not allow visa applicants to join the queue at the front gate of its premises prior to 30 minutes to the time indicated on their appointment letter.
Those who arrive earlier will be asked to leave and return at the appropriate time.
The new policy, beginning July 6, is designed to decrease the amount of time each applicant spends at the consulate general waiting for their interview, as well as to make sure the waiting room is not over crowded.
'We allot appointments throughout the day to maximise efficiency and ensure that officers have enough time to give every applicant a complete and fair interview. When people arrive at their appointment too early, it throws off the schedule and increases wait times for everyone. We ask that people to come no more than 30 minutes before their scheduled interview,' Consul General Cornelis M Keur stated in a release.
Keur wanted travellers to apply for their visa as soon as they know they were travelling and at the least two weeks in advance of their departure, the release added.
