Press Releases 2008

Embassy of the United States, Kingston, Jamaica; Visa Processing Improvements

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The New Procedures

Q.  Walk us through the process.  When do you fill out your application form?  When do you pay NCB?  When and where do you buy the Personal Identification Number (PIN) to call CSC?

A.  Following are three different examples:  Anthony, Barbara, and Christopher.

     Anthony has a credit card (Mastercard or Visa) and has access to a computer.  On Wednesday, November 19, he gets the appointment scheduling address from the U.S. Embassy's website (http://kingston.usembassy.gov/ ).  He visits the CSC appointment scheduling website ( www.usvisa-jamaica.com ), pays the
US$10.00 fee directly to the website using his credit card, reads and absorbs the pertinent information on the site, and then schedules his appointment date.   From the same CSC website, there is a link to the Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF).  Anthony fills it out online and prints out a hard copy to take to the interview.  He then goes to the nearest NCB branch, takes advantage of the Express Service line, and pays his US$131.00 Visa Application Fee and obtains a receipt.  Then he goes to the embassy at the right time on the day of his scheduled appointment, is met by the uniformed greeters, and has his interview.

     Barbara has a credit card (Visa or MasterCard).   She wants to be able to ask questions and talk with a person instead of using a website.  She goes to her nearest NCB branch, uses the Express Service line, pays her US$131.00 Visa Application Fee and gets her receipt.  She stops at an internet cafe on the way home, completes her Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF), prints it out, and takes it with her.  From her home, she calls the CSC Call Center at 1-800-572-7780.  Following to the initial voice prompts, she pays her US$13.00 Appointment Scheduling Fee by putting in the numbers of her credit card using the touch-tone keypad on her telephone.  During her allotted eight minutes, she asks the agent all of her questions and gets her appointment date.  On the day of her appointment, she goes to the embassy at the appointed time, is met by the uniformed greeters outside, and has her interview.

     Christopher doesn't have a credit card.  He goes to NCB, takes advantage of the Express Service line, pays the Visa Application Fee (US$131.00) in Jamaican dollars cash, and gets his receipt.  He also pays the Appointment Scheduling Fee (US$13.00) in Jamaican dollars cash, and gets a unique Personal Identification Number (PIN).  Twelve hours later, when his PIN has been activated, Christopher calls the Call Center's at 1-800-572-7780, provides his PIN, asks the agent any questions he may have, and schedules his appointment.  Then he goes to a local bookstore that offers computer services and fills out his Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF).  He goes to the embassy on the day of his appointment, and because he is not completely sure he has all required documents, he asks one of the uniformed greeters to help him put his documents in order.  Then he has his interview.


Q.  What is the telephone number for the Call Center?

A.  Effective the morning of Wednesday, November 19, 2008, the number is 1-800-572-7780.


Q.  What is the web-site address to schedule appointments?

A.  Effective the morning of Wednesday, November 19, 2008, the address is www.usvisa-jamaica.com (formatted so the entire address appears on one line).




Q.  Is this new process being implemented only in Jamaica?

A.  No.  The same process has been put into service at many other U.S. embassies and consular posts.  For example, the same process has been used successfully in Mexico for many years.


Q.  What problems do you anticipate with the new system?

A.  Since this system has proven successful in many other countries, problems are not anticipated.  It is a well-developed product that works well for those who use it as instructed.  Jamaicans will benefit because many potential problems have been worked out earlier in other countries.

 

Appointments for Interviews

Q.  Do you guarantee that there will be an appointment available for everyone who calls or uses the appointment website?

A.  Yes, but not necessarily on the date or at the time the applicant would most prefer.


Q.  Will CSC's website or Call Center be the only way to book an interview appointment?

A.  Yes.  CSC's website or Call Center will be the exclusive agents for booking interview appointments. Aside from a very small number of special cases involving diplomats, international organization employees, and other exceptional instances, there will be no other way to book an appointment.  Anyone who claims that they can give or sell an appointment outside of the CSC process is making a bogus claim.


Q.  What information will I need to book an interview appointment?

A.  First and last names, date and place of birth, and passport number.


Q.  Which credit cards may I use to pay CSC?

A.  Mastercard or Visa.  No other cards are accepted.


Q.  Do I need a visa application fee receipt number to schedule an appointment?

A.  No.





Q.  Will there be a complaint line?

A.  Yes.  The CSC Call Center 800 number offers an option for customers to raise issues or complaints about the center’s operations.  However, it is believed that the public will be pleasantly surprised by how well the improvements will work.


Q.  What about appointments already scheduled through your old system?  Will applicants lose these appointments and have to start over?

A.  No.  The interview appointments scheduled through the old system remain valid.  Persons holding those appointments should come as scheduled.  No existing appointments will be cancelled due to the change to the CSC appointment systems.

 


Visa Interviews

Q.  Will people still be going to the embassy to have visa interviews?

A.  Yes, they will.  The laws and regulations governing who must appear for a visa interview have not changed.


Q.  How many people do you interview per day?

A.  The number of applicants seen on any given day is determined by the number of interviewers present.  Currently, the Consular Section routinely interviews more than six hundred applicants per day.  As soon as the new procedures are working smoothly, the number of applicants interviewed daily is expected to increase significantly.

Q.  Is there a quota?

A.  No.  There is no maximum or minimum number of nonimmigrant visas that can be issued to Jamaicans.  The embassy is free to issue visas to all qualified nonimmigrant visa applicants.  (However, world-wide numerical restrictions do exist on some categories of immigrant visas which are intended to lead to permanent residence ["green card"] status.)


Q.   How long do you expect the backlog to be, and how many people are waiting for appointments?

A.   It’s not possible to predict future backlogs since so many factors are involved.  However, it is believed that the new improvements will make it possible to reduce the waiting time for appointments.


 

Fees and Payments

Q.  Will National Commercial Bank (NCB) be the only place to pay the Visa Application fee?

A.  Yes.  Beginning Monday, November 17, 2008, NCB will be the exclusive fee collection agent.  There will be no other place to pay the visa application fee.


Q.   With the implementation of the CSC visa appointment Call Center and website, there was a change in service providers from Paymaster and Airpak to NCB and DHL.  Why did this happen, and does it suggest problems with Paymaster and/or Airpak?

A.  No, the selection of different service providers implies no disapproval or dissatisfaction with Paymaster or Airpak.  Both firms provided years of reliable, successful service to the embassy.    The identification of other service providers stemmed from the expiration of existing agreements and the standard business practice of periodically reconsidering and selecting service providers based on evolving criteria.   

Q.  Is the Visa Application Fee refundable?

A.  No, the US$131.00 Visa Application Fee cannot be refunded, whether a visa is issued or not.


Q.  How long is the fee payment good for?

A.  The US$131.00 Visa Application Fee is valid for one year from the date of payment as marked on the fee receipt.   An applicant who has paid the fee has one year from the date of payment to submit a visa application.


Q.  Is the Visa Application Fee going to go up soon?

A.  The Visa Application Fee is a world-wide fee set by the Department of State in Washington.   It will not change in Jamaica until the State Department changes the fee for everywhere else in the world at the same time.

 
Q.  What about fees already collected by Paymaster?  Will those fees still be valid?

A.  Yes.  All Visa Application Fees paid to Paymaster remain valid.  If someone paid their US$131.00 fee to Paymaster, they do not have to pay again.  The fee is valid for one year from the date of payment.  People who have already paid their fees are encouraged to schedule their interview appointments through CSC beginning on Wednesday, November 19.


Q.  What about fees paid to Airpak?

A.  All fees paid to Airpak remain valid.  If someone paid their delivery charge to Airpak, then Airpak will deliver the passport as previously arranged.


Q.  What forms of payment do you accept for the eight-minute appointment call?

A. Credit card (Mastercard or Visa) or cash paid through NCB.  CSC Corporation accepts the payment, not the U.S. Embassy in Kingston or the United States government.


Q.  Why two different amounts of money, US$131.00 and US$13.00?

A.  These are two different fees.  The Visa Application fee of US$131.00 is paid to the United States government by all visa applicants around the world.  The Appointment Scheduling Fee of US$13.00 via the Call Center is a service charge paid to CSC Corporation to schedule the appointment.  CSC is a U.S. company that has a contract with the Department of State to provide information and appointment scheduling services at many U.S. consular posts around the world.


Q.  Are there any special concessions for families?

Yes.  Families of up to five persons living at the same address receive a discount because they pay only the fee that one person pays.  A family of up to five persons can make their appointments together using CSC's website for the same fee of US$10.00 that one person pays.  A family of up to five persons can make their appointments using CSC's Call Center for the same fee of US$13.00 that one person pays.  A family of up to five people at the same address can send all their passports back through DHL for the same fee of US$8.50 that one person pays.


Q.  What do people do if they don't have a credit card?

A.  They can pay both fees (Visa Application Fee of US$131.00 and CSC's Appointment Scheduling Fee of US$13.00) in cash at any NCB branch.  


Q.   Does the US$13.00 appointment scheduling fee paid to CSC cover only one family member, or can more than one person from a family book an appointment for one US$13.00 fee?

A.  The US$13.00 appointment scheduling fee covers up to five members of the same household.  This means that one family of up to five people can schedule their appointments for one US$13.00 Appointment Scheduling Fee.


Q.  Is the new fee to schedule an appointment refundable?

A.  No, the Appointment Scheduling Fee paid to CSC cannot be refunded.  


Q.  Does a person have to pay the US$13.00 fee each time they need to call the Call Center?

A.  No.  The US$13.00 Appointment Scheduling Fee pays for eight minutes of conversation with a live operator.  If the applicants use only part of the time, they can still use the remaining time on another occasion.  They can use this to reschedule the appointment if necessary.  Only if applicants have  used up the eight minutes allotted would they need to purchase a new PIN for another US$13.00 payment.


Q.  If I do not get an appointment date within the eight minutes that I have paid for, do I have to pay each time I attempt to make an appointment?

A.  No.  Nearly everyone is able to schedule an appointment in less than eight minutes because CSC's telephone agents are well-trained to assist them.  If that is not possible, the applicant would need to buy another Personal Identification Number (PIN).  Each PIN allows the applicant eight minutes to talk with a CSC telephone agent.   Each PIN costs US$13.00.  It is extraordinarily unlikely that it would become necessary for an applicant to have to pay for several PINs.
 

Receiving your Passport and Visa after Issuance


Q.  Will DHL be the only way to get my passport back?

A.  Yes.  Beginning Wednesday, November 19, DHL will be the exclusive courier passback provider.  There will be no other provider.


Q.  What about fees paid to Airpak?

A.  All fees paid to Airpak remain valid.  If someone paid their delivery charge to Airpak, then Airpak will deliver the passport as previously arranged.


Q.  How much will it cost to send my passport back using DHL ?

A.  The fee is US$8.50.  DHL will collect the fee in Jamaican dollars.


Q.  I didn't bring enough money with me to pay DHL.  What do I do?

A.  One can go to DHL's new service center located at 19 Haining Road, Kingston 5 (in New Kingston), and pay the fee there.  One does NOT have to come back to the embassy, and should not plan to do so.


Q.  Is the fee paid to DHL refundable ?

A.  No.  The delivery charge of US$8.50 paid to DHL to return as many as five passports for the same family cannot be refunded.


Q.  I work in the Cayman Islands and I'm just here in Jamaica for a visit.   How can I get my passport and visa back without coming back to the embassy?

A.  Jamaicans and others who live in the Cayman Islands will pay DHL  US$60.00 to purchase two envelopes, one to send their passport back to the embassy when they have returned to the Cayman Islands, and the other for the embassy to send their passport with the new visa back to them in the Cayman Islands.

 


Renewing an Expiring Visa

Q.  Do these new procedures affect persons renewing nonimmigrant visas?

A.  Yes.


Q. Will persons renewing expiring visas still have to visit the embassy?

A.  Yes, they will.  The laws and regulations governing who must appear for a visa interview have not changed.


Q.  Will applicants seeking renewals of visas be able to get expedited appointments or special consideration for their appointments?

A.  No.  However, the new appointment system will be much more efficient and all applicants will see improvements in the way visas are processed.


Q.  Will the embassy be restarting interviews without appointments for people to renew expiring visas as was done last spring?

A.  No.  That experiment was suspended due to concerns about the safety of people lined up outside the embassy.  The new system will be a vast improvement.
 


Security at the Embassy

Q.  Why does it always take so long to get into the embassy?

A.  All visitors to the embassy must go through essentially the same security screening process that is used for international airline travel.  The need to protect the embassy, its personnel, and its visitors from terrorist attack is obvious.  Terrorist attacks have occurred all over the world, and no place is immune.  Applicants who bring prohibited items into the security screening area delay the line for all others who are waiting.  Leaving all prohibited items at home, or with someone outside the embassy, and prompt compliance with all security procedures would greatly improve the speed with which applicants are allowed into the Consular Section.


Q.  What items are prohibited?

A.  Cellular telephones, calculators, cameras, umbrellas, and any type of weapon or firearm.  PLEASE NOTE:  Large amounts of metal in one’s possessions or on one’s person, including jewelry and belts, can cause security equipment to react.  Leaving these items behind will prevent delays in entering the embassy.