Press Releases 2008

Dr. Evan A. Feigenbaum
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs
Remarks at Opening of ACS Section  
U.S. Consulate General, Kolkata, India
Wednesday, April 2, 2008

April 2, 2008

Good Morning.

I am pleased to be here today to officially open the new American Citizens Services facilities at the U.S Consulate General in Kolkata.  This renovation is part of the Consulate’s ongoing efforts to expand and improve consular services here in Eastern India.

Previously, we marked the completion of this gazebo waiting area.  We also constructed the ramp you see behind you which makes the Consulate accessible to everyone.  In our next phase of construction, we will be renovating the visa section to add additional interviewing windows.   These additional windows will double our current visa interviewing capacity.

Today’s opening of the new American Citizens Services facilities reflects the increased demand for these types of services.  Many Indian citizens who had gone to the U.S. to work or study are now returning to take advantage of the growing opportunities here in Eastern India.  In FY 2007, over 55% of the U.S. passports issued in Kolkata were issued to minor children born in the United States to the Indian nationals who were living temporarily in the United States.  The number of U.S. citizens visiting Eastern India has grown an estimated 20% over the last two years.

In addition to renovations of our consular facilities, we are also increasing our consular staff.  In the past year, we have increased by one-third our locally employed staff who help process visa applications.  When an additional American officer arrives later this year, the size of the American officer staff in the Visa section will have doubled in just the past eighteen months.

We have already seen real results from these efforts.  A prospective traveler to the United States from Eastern India can usually obtain a visa interview appointment at the Consulate within forty-eight hours.  Their approved visa is ready for pick-up the next business day.

Last year, the visa section in Kolkata processed close to 28,000 visa applications.

The demand for visa services, however, continues to grow dramatically as tourism, trade, scholarly exchange, and business cooperation expand between the United States and India.

With the renovations to our facilities and increases in staff, however, we are ready to respond.  We are committed to ensuring that qualified Indians receive their visas in a timely fashion while ensuring that U.S. immigration law and regulations are properly enforced.

As Ambassador David Mulford had said, “Nothing is more important for the future of our two countries than the strong and growing bond of business and people-to-people contact. Strengthening these connections is the future of U.S.-Indian relations."

We look forward to strengthening connections with the Indians served by the Consulate, and we feel confident that our efforts to facilitate the visa process will strengthen relations between our two countries.

Thank you again for coming to meet with us.   Before we proceed inside for the official opening of the new American Citizen Services facilities, I would be happy to take your questions on consular services.