State Department Unveils New Online Application
June 29, 2011— Foreign nationals applying for nonimmigrant visas at U.S. consulates will now use a new edition of Form DS-160, the online visa application, which was recently introduced by the State Department. The new form includes some enhanced technical features intended to make the application more secure and easier to fill out, but also contains a strict new rule about who may electronically sign the application.
Among other changes, the new Form DS-160 contains more options to save an incomplete form, which should make it easier for visa applicants to fill out the lengthy application. When using the previous edition of the form, applicants frequently experienced system “time outs” and other technical issues that caused them to lose all of their application data. Applicants were then forced to re-start the form from the beginning. The new version applicants to save their progress on the State Department system for up to 30 days by assigning an application ID number that applicants can use to resume an incomplete form. A foreign national’s application can be downloaded and saved for longer-term storage and to reuse form data in future visa applications.
In new instructions to the form, the State Department now clearly requires applicants to electronically sign and submit the application themselves. Visa applications cannot be signed by an applicant’s attorney or representative, except in special circumstances such as the applicant’s disability. This strict signature policy could cause some delays for those using an attorney or representative to help them complete the form, since each applicant must press the “Sign Application” button on the application website himself or herself. This responsibility cannot be delegated to another.
|
About AIReS
AIReS, which was named to the 2010 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing independently owned businesses in the U.S., is in its 30th year of providing best-in-class relocation management services. With seven ISO registered U.S. offices and other strategically located employees located around the globe, AIReS is a recognized industry leader in delivering high quality relocation and assignment management services to leading corporations. The company boasts some of the industry’s highest annual customer-satisfaction scores and a client-retention rate of over 98%. For more information, please visit the AIReS website at www.aires.com. |
