Indian consulate in Seattle opens new visa application centres

WASHINGTON: India has launched two new visa and passport centres in Seattle city of Washington state of the US, catering to the needs of the Indian community living in nine Pacific Northwestern states of this country.

The two centres in Seattle and Bellevue -- both in the Washington State -- inaugurated on Friday, come months soon after the opening of the newest Indian Consulate in Seattle.

The other five existing Indian consulates are in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and San Francisco.

“The opening of the Indian Consulate in Seattle is a reflection of the Indian government's strong commitment to deepen our relations with Pacific Northwestern states of USA,” Prakash Gupta, Consul General of India in Seattle, said at the opening ceremony.

The centre is being run and managed by VFS Global on behalf of the Indian Government.

VFS Global is the exclusive service provider for visa, OCI, passport, renunciation of Indian citizenship, and Global Entry Programme (GEP) verification services for the Indian government in the US.

“Through the opening of these new visa application centres (VAC) in Seattle and Bellevue, we hope to ensure for all consular applicants a more convenient experience to adequately prepare their travel to India,” Gupta said.

According to a statement, the Seattle centre will be equipped with world-class facilities aimed at providing an easily accessible and superior application experience for customers and will make the application process more convenient for travellers.

These services are expected to benefit the nearly half million-strong Indian diaspora community in the consular jurisdiction of the Indian Consulate in Seattle, which covers the Nine Pacific Northwestern States of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.

“Providing smooth and efficient consular services is one of our top priorities and we would welcome any feedback and suggestions on further improvement from all applicants as we commence our consular operations in the Greater Seattle Area,” Gupta said.

Amit Kumar Sharma, Head, of Americas, VFS Global, said: "VFS Global has shared a long-standing relationship with the Government of India since 2008 and it is excited to expand its partnership further.

“The new centre in Seattle and Bellevue, United States of America, will play a crucial role in effectively catering to the growing demand for visa and consular services to India,” he said.

“We are confident that these visa application centres will enhance customer experience by making the visa application process even more smooth, thereby helping us serve the travellers and Indian diaspora better,” Sharma said.

VFS Global is the first outsourced visa services partner of the Ministry of External Affairs (India) and has been serving the Government of India since 2008. VFS Global is the exclusive service provider for visa, OCI, passport, renunciation of Indian citizenship, and Global Entry Programme (GEP) verification services for the Government of India in the United States of America.

In the United States of America, VFS Global has provided passport, visa and consular services on behalf of the Embassy and Consulates of India located across the country since 2020.

At present, VFS Global manages 52 Passport, Visa and Consular Services Application Centres for the Government of India in 13 countries: Australia, Belgium, France, Iraq, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom.

In the statement, VFS said these spacious facilities equipped with modern amenities and services will have well-trained customer service representatives to assist visa applicants at every step, enhancing customer experience further, as well as, India visa and consular applicants getting dedicated call-centre.

VFS Global has launched the Seattle Centre to manage visas, Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), passport applications, renunciation of Indian citizenship and the Global Entry Programme (GEP).

Additionally, VFS will operate the Bellevue centre, to extend assistance for members of the Indian community, the statement said.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, who attended the Friday event alongside Port Commissioner Sam Cho and State Rep. Vandana Slatter, presented the first Indian passport and visa to eager applicants, marking a special moment for the community.

Mayor Harrell expressed admiration for the Indian community in Seattle, praising their contributions to enriching the bonds between India and the USA.