The OFC appointment is an important stage in the application process for a US visa as it aids in identity verification.
Are you confused of what is ofc appointed in the US visa? The process of for a visa takes time and can occasionally be difficult, especially if you want to study in the US and need a student visa for the country.
In order to complete the procedure effectively, you must complete a lot of documents.
The US Embassy has established a number of Visa Application Centers (VAC) in different states nationwide where you can upload your digital photo and fingerprints.
We will cover all aspects of the Offsite Facilitation Center (OFC) in this post, including what it is, the paperwork needed, how to make an appointment, and more.
Table of Contents
- What is OFC Appointment in US Visa
- What is OFC Appointment?
- Documents Needed to Schedule an OFC Appointment
- What Takes Place in an OFC Center?
- OFC Appointment Fee
- Photo and Fingerprint Processing
- US Visa OFC Appointment not Available?
- How to Book Your OFC Appointment
- Rescheduling Your OFC Appointment
- What Happens Next Once an OFC Is Appointed?
- What to Keep in Mind for an OFC Appointment
- What Should I Expect From OFC Appointment?
- Things To Consider
- The Online OFC Appointment Pattern
- Visa Photo and OFC Fingerprinting Processes
- What Is The Duration of OFC Appointment?
- Documents for OFC Pointment B2 Visa
- FAQs
- Conclusion
- References
- Editor’s Recommended Posts
What is OFC Appointment in US Visa
The US embassy has established an Offsite Facilitation Center (OFC) in order to process visa applications more quickly. Before their US visa interview, candidates give their biometric (fingerprint) data and visa photos here.
For a visit to the OFC center, you must make an appointment. The DS-160 confirmation paper is stamped after providing biometric information and a photo.
At the time of the visa interview at the consulate, applicants must present their passports as well as the stamped DS-160 form.
What is OFC Appointment?
The US Embassy established an Offsite Facilitation Center to streamline the visa application procedure.
For a visit to the Offsite Facilitation Center (OFC), an appointment must be made. A set of paperwork is also required for visiting the OFC in addition to this. Make sure to plan your OFC appointment before the scheduled date of your visa interview.
Documents Needed to Schedule an OFC Appointment
Passport: Bring your passports along with your current one.
Appointment Confirmation Copy: A printed copy of the appointment confirmation must be carried at all times. To access the OFC center, you must have a copy of the appointment confirmation page.
You must also have a printed copy of the DS-160 confirmation page with you in order to attend the OFC center. You won’t be able to access the center without this.
What Takes Place in an OFC Center?
The idea that a visa interview will take place in the OFC center is untrue. Only the necessary pertinent aforementioned papers (such as a passport and a copy of a confirmation) will be requested from applicants.
After being called, applicants will undergo OFC fingerprinting and have their visa photos taken. Everyone will be subject to a procedure of vetting and scanning. Before the appointment, applicants can ask for assistance from a member of the center who may be fluent in their native tongue.
Since a third-party company is handling the entire procedure, no representatives from the US embassy will be present.
Read Related Article: Best Online Colleges That Pay You to Attend in 2023
OFC Appointment Fee
The OFC biometrics charge is in the visa fee the applicant pays for the US Visa interview. For the OFC appointment, an applicant is not required to provide any additional information individually.
Photo and Fingerprint Processing
Many of the people are unaware of what they must complete at the OFC center. First off, the OFC center does not conduct visa interviews.
You must present your identification, passport, a copy of your OFC appointment, and the DS-160 confirmation at this stage.
You wait for your turn once you get to the center.
Your fingers is scanned when you are called.
You won’t need to bring your visa photographs, because your picture will be taken there.
You must go to the US Consulate on the appointed date for the visa interview after completing this process.
If your visa application is approved, you must return to the OFC center after your visa interview in order to pick up your passport.
If you chose Premium delivery, your passport will be sent to you. Additionally, you need not visit the OFC center if your visa application is denied.
US Visa OFC Appointment not Available?
Please return to the scheduling tool later if there are no open appointments right now. Depending on the demand for appointments, our office often schedules additional appointment times on a rolling basis.
As a result, we advise you to frequently check the appointment system for availability.
How to Book Your OFC Appointment
To easily arrange your OFC appointment, follow this guide.
Visit http://www.ustraveldocs.com in the first step.
Create an account in step two. Next, log in.
From the left, select New Application/Schedule New Appointment.
Decide where and when you want to have your OFC interview.
Submit the form. A page of confirmation ought to appear. Print it out and carry it with you.
Read Also: What is the Advantage of Applying learning Approaches To the Study of Personality
Rescheduling Your OFC Appointment
Life happens, and you might occasionally forget an important appointment like this one. Thankfully, OFC offers rescheduling. Here’s how to go about it.
Visit http://www.ustraveldocs.com in the first step.
Two is to access your account.
To reschedule, select “Change Your Appointment” from the menu.
Pick the venue and time window that work best for you.
Submit the form. A page of confirmation ought to appear. Print and carry it with you.
What Happens Next Once an OFC Is Appointed?
You must go to the US Embassy for your visa interview after your OFC appointment. If the interview goes well, you’ll go back to the OFC office to pick up your passport. When picking up your passports, kindly include a printed copy of the visa application form.
What to Keep in Mind for an OFC Appointment
Always book an OFC appointment before your visa interview. So please make appropriate plans if you are needed to attend an OFC appointment.
Some people do not require an appointment with the OFC.
Such people are eligible for a used Visa waiver. They only need to drop off their documents at the Dropbox location.
Centers run by OFC are heavily guarded. You won’t be permitted to bring anything with you besides your documents. Therefore, keep everything in the locker or leave everything, including your phone, money, and keys, with someone outside the center.
To access the OFC center, you must have all the documents on the checklist. You would be refused access and have to reschedule the appointment, which would cause a delay.
What Should I Expect From OFC Appointment?
An OFC appointment does not include a visa interview; the interview happens after your appointment. Along-side your printed hard copies of your appointment confirmation and visa application, you must bring your passports.
At the center, you’ll also finish the biometrics (fingerprinting) process and get your visa photo taken.
Things To Consider
If you require a meeting, it can be scheduled concurrently with your visa interview.
If a visa interview is scheduled, you won’t be able to show up until you’ve submitted the necessary paperwork, had your biometrics taken, and had your picture taken during an OFC visit.
Your visa interview will not take place at an OFC facility. A consular official will conduct your visa interview.
There is a high level of security at an OFC. Except for the required documents, no other personal items, including a cell phone.
People who speak your language will be present at your nearby OFC center.
While many visa applicants are legally required to attend an OFC appointment, certain people could not be.
The DropBox initiative allows those who do not need to attend an OFC appointment to drop off their visa application materials at a nearby DropBox. Please verify with the US embassy in your area to see if you are qualified.
Bring the necessary documents to the closest Drop Box site if you meet the requirements for the program. You’ll be informed once your application has been received and processed is when your visa will be issued.
In order to be prepared for your OFC appointment, gather all necessary documentation. Your risk being turned from the facility, you will now have to reschedule your OFC appointment, and having your visa application delayed if you don’t have the necessary paperwork.
Also Read: Is Yale a Good School to Study Architecture?
The Online OFC Appointment Pattern
The most practical approach to make an appointment with the OFC is online. Once you are able to access the official US visa appointment website. You must enter your personal data and choose the proper visa category in order to create a profile.
Once your profile is complete, you can schedule your OFC appointment and pay the visa application fee. Because rescheduling could be challenging, select a time and day that work for you.
Visa Photo and OFC Fingerprinting Processes
Given that it includes all ten of your fingers, the fingerprinting procedure is sometimes called as “ten printing.” Once that is complete, the applicant’s picture is taken, and the process is complete.
One may exit the center once the formalities are finished. After this, you must travel to a US embassy for the appointment or visa interview.
You (the applicant) must return to the same OFC where you first went in order to obtain the passport after attending the visa interview at the closest consulate in your area.
You need to bring a copy of the printed DS-160 form with you in order to pick up your passport from the facility. We want to emphasize that there will be two visits to the OFC center, so keep that in mind.
What Is The Duration of OFC Appointment?
Depending on the amount of candidates at the center, the length of the OFC appointment may change. However, the process generally takes 30 minutes to complete.
Documents for OFC Pointment B2 Visa
When coming for their visa interview at the Consulate or Embassy to apply for a B2 visa, applicants must carry the following documents with them:
- Passports that are valid new and old.
- Page for confirming the DS-160 form.
- Receipt for the application fee.
- Photos.
- Letter of appointment copy.
- Evidence of current income, tax payments, business or asset ownership.
- The employer’s letter. This letter needs to include information about your title, pay, length of employment, allotted vacation time (if any), etc.
In the event of a conviction or arrest anywhere, the court or criminal records. Even if you were granted a pardon or finished serving your term, you still need to furnish it.
The following papers need to be submitted depending on the applicant who is visiting the US:
When you attend the Consulate or Embassy for the interview, you should bring your most current school report, diplomas/degrees, and transcripts if you are a student.
Additionally, you should obtain financial documentation such as monthly bank statements, fixed deposit slips, etc.
If you are an adult who works, your employer should send you a letter along with your most recent three pay stubs.
Obtain a copy of your relative’s status proof if your visiting them in the US. A valid visa, Green Card, Naturalization certificate are a few examples.
You must bring any paperwork if you have already visited the US.
FAQs
Center for Offsite Facilitation
The Offsite Facilitation Center (OFC) is what, exactly? The US embassy has established an Offsite Facilitation Center (OFC) in order to process visa applications more quickly. Before their US visa interview, candidates give their biometric (fingerprint) data and visa photos here. For a visit to the OFC center, you must make an appointment.
The applicant must schedule an OFC appointment in order to submit papers and biometric information for the processing of visas. At the visa application centers (VAC), applicants provide their biometrics, such as fingerprints and visa pictures, prior to their visa interviews.
You will need to bring all of your formal documentation to the appointment, where you will also get your fingerprints and have your picture taken. Before you meet with a U.S consulate officer, you must make an OFC appointment at a VAC.
Any applicant who do not have to show up at the Embassy to be fingerprinted and interviewed, will not have Interview Waiver option. They can use TNT Express courier service to send in their fully completed visa applications and any necessary supporting papers.
Conclusion
The OFC appointment is a stage in the application process for a visa as it aids in identity verification and gathers vital biometric information.
You may successfully traverse the OFC appointment procedure and get closer to getting the visa by carefully following the step-by-step instructions offered in this article.
References
Editor’s Recommended Posts
