The new system will simplify interview appointment schedule, fee collection, and visa pickup
The United States embassy in Dhaka is going to introduce a new system for applying for visas effective from September 14 this year.
The authorities made the disclosure in a press release on Monday.
The new website, supported by a new call center, will make applying for visas easier by providing information in both Bangla and English in a single location, the release said.
The process “will improve the way applicants apply for visas,” it said.
The press release posted on the official website of the embassy also suggested through the new, customer friendly website, www.USTravelDocs.com/bd, the applicants will be able to apply for their visas under the system.
According to the US embassy, the new system will simplify interview appointment schedule, fee collection, and visa pickup.
It was said in the press release previously that applicants would apply online but schedule appointments in person at Saimon Overseas.
While Saimon will still be our partner in document collection and passport return, applicants will now book interview appointments through our new website.
It also said: “They will be able to arrange both individual and group appointment bookings as well as obtain application instructions, important US embassy information, and answers to frequently-asked questions.”
It added the call center will enhance accessibility to information, enabling applicants to speak to a customer service representative in English or Bangla. It will also be more convenient for applicants to pay their visa fees.
Once they have filled out their visa applications and scheduled their interviews, they can then pay their application fees at selected HSBC locations in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Sylhet, Mymensingh, and Chittagong.
They can pay in cash (in dollars or taka), and will receive a fee receipt valid for one year, the release said.
It announced that as of August 31, Standard Chartered is no longer providing fee receipts.
However, applicants who purchased a Standard Chartered fee receipt less than one year ago may still use that fee receipt to apply for a visa.
All fee receipts, whether from HSBC or Standard Chartered, are valid for one year.
For the convenience of applicants located outside of Dhaka, Saimon has also expanded document collection and visa pickup services.
Applicants can now retrieve their visas from Saimon offices in Chittagong and Sylhet in addition to the existing retrieval option in Dhaka, it added.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
