THE UNITED States Embassy has announced that applicants for non-immigrant US visas will now have to pay for their visas to be delivered by courier.
Starting Monday, May 9, applicants, upon finishing their interview will have pay for a courier to deliver the visa four business days later.
Applicants will be charged $375 to have it delivered to the parish office of the courier company and $450 to their home or place of business, said the embassy. It said emergency cases will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and can still be expedited as before.
The embassy said the new arrangement would reduce waiting time at their Oxford Road premises, St. Andrew and allow more time for consular officers to review cases. This, the embassy said, would provide better service to properly prepare applicants who will now need only one trip to the building.
Recipients can choose to have their passports (with visas attached inside) delivered to their home, place of business or to one of the company's seven public offices islandwide.
An embassy official told The Gleaner that for security reasons, it would not release the name of the courier company. The company's identity will become known to applicants finishing the interview stage of the application process as of Monday, May 9.
