Kanchipuram: There has been a 20 percent increase in issuance of visas to the US in the past few months following easing of norms, and nearly 1,000 visas had been issued daily during this period, according to a top U.S. consulate official.
"Visas are issued within 15 minutes of interviews and the entire procedure has been simplified with aid of technology. Consulate officials undergo constant training, both prior to arrival in India in human relationships to make applicants feel at ease," Bryan Dalton, Chief Of Consular Services, US Consulate, Chennai told PTI during a visit to the temple town.
Asked about the reported comment of a staff member that Chennai sees the maximum number of bogus documents among all visa issuing centers in India, he said he was not aware of any such thing. However bogus documents seemed to be prevalent in regions like Andhra Pradesh and Chennai like most other places
"When people are progressively educated on procedures of visa issue, such practices will ease," he said.
Dalton visited a few temples in the town and also had an audience with Kancheepuram Mutt Seer Jayendra Saraswathi. Later he visited Sakunthala Jagannathan Museum, maintained by the Centre for Indology Studies, Chennai.
PTI
