US Embassy New Delhi: What’s Human Services Gotta Do with Visas?

February 13, 2012 By in Consular Work, Digital Diplomacy, India, U.S. Missions, Visas Tags: 3 Comments

Below is excerpted from an Ask the Consul chat transcript posted online by the US Embassy in New Delhi:

Moderator: Hi This is ”Ask the Consul” chat about Visa Issues. Are you planning a trip to the U.S.? Have lots of queries about visa procedures? Our consular officer will make it all easy for you. Chat live about visa issues with a New Delhi Consular Officer.

Moderator: The consular officer will provide guidance on general queries. Personal visa issues will not be discussed.

sivasubramanian: my Q-any limits on the peroid of stay within the 10 yr. visa perod?

Consular Officer: Depending on the visa, documents may not be required for the officer to make a decision. Please read the booklet they gave you, and re-apply if you wish. Please note that we process 600,000 non immigrant visas per year

swami: I want to know one major thing that people have a fear to deny of visa from Embassy always ; thats why the agents take a advantage,please explain some reason of deny visa ?

Consular Officer: Your visa is permission to travel to the United States. The amount of time you can actually stay in the United States per visit is up to the Department of Human Serivces upon arrival.

No! No! Nooooo!

We don’t even have a Department of Human Serivces. We have the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the federal government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

I’m sure the Consular Section in New Delhi did not really mean that, but it never appended a note with the correct information either. So officially according to the US Embassy in New Delhi, the amount of time you can stay in the U.S. per visit is up to a non-existing Department of Human Serivces.

Will they meet you at the airport upon arrival, too?

Domani Spero

3 responses

    • Paul – You may be right. But I don’t know which is worse, a ConOff who did not know what DHS stands for, or one who thought Human Services has anything to do with visas. My real beef is that it remains uncorrected to this date.