“At the United States embassy we want to promote the travel of Argentines and that is why we do everything possible to make the visa process as easy as possible.” simplest possible“says Consul General Aaron M. Hellman, at the official opening of the new Applicant Service Center (CAS).
The CAS is the place where, with appointmentall applicants must apply to request and/or renew their visa.
Until a few months ago it operated at Av. Santa Fe 4569 and since December 11 it moved to Córdoba 5160 between Thames and Uriarte. The works were recently completed and now they will be able to operate at 100% of its capacity.
What is the new CAS like?
The center has twice as many windows as the previous one: 24. In addition, they are divided into two sectors of 12, so that, in case large groups such as fifteen-year-olds arrive, they can be served in a separate environment.
Currently, the center can receive up to 4,000 people per day50% more than in the previous headquarters.
“The majority of tourists who want to renew their visa They don’t have to go to the embassy to meet with a consular officer. They simply leave the form and passport at the CAS and in a few days it is returned to them with the visa. Children under 14 years of age or those over 80 years of age should not go to the embassy either,” explains the consul.
He adds: “In addition, we are doing everything we can to facilitate the interview process. After the pandemic, the time to get an interview appointment was extended too much. Now it is 90 days approximately and we want to continue reducing it.”
Those who want to renew the visa, find an appointment within 10 days about.
How many visas for the United States are processed per year
“Before the pandemic, every year, between 500,000 and one million of Argentines (Argentines who use a European passport are not counted) traveled to the United States. During the pandemic, the numbers decreased considerably, but now, more and more Argentines choose the United States to travel and I think we will reach almost a million again in the coming years,” says Hellman.
Last year they issued 273.206 B1/B2 visas (business/tourist), 1,962 student visas, 8,771 for cultural exchange (Work and Travel) and 826 investor visas.
In total, 291,892 nonimmigrant visas were processed, while in 2019, before the pandemic, a total of 225,412 were processed.
Steps to apply for a visa for the United States
1) Go to ceac.state.gov/genniv and complete the nonimmigrant visa application and print the confirmation DS-160 for each applicant.
2) Go to ais.usvisa-info/es-ar/niv to register, choose the visa category and pay the visa fee (from US$ 185 depending on the type of visa) and schedule the other.
3) Attend the appointment at CAS. You must present: valid passport, DS-160 form, additional documentation depending on the type of visa.
4) Attend the appointment at Consular Selection (Av. Colombia 4300), where the interview will be held if necessary. You must present a valid passport, other passports if they are visad, form DS-160 and any other documentation that you consider relevant for the interview. Important: you cannot enter by phone.
5) If the visa is approved, within the next 5 to 7 business days, you will receive an email with the notification. You have to schedule another appointment for him passport withdrawal at the CAS or at one of the Andreani branches. If you opted for the premium service, the passport will be sent to your home.