THE US Embassy has opened
additional appointments for visa
applications in centres around the
country in response to criticism
from agents struggling to get timely
slots for their clients.
Until very recently, agents could
not secure an appointment for this
year in Johannesburg. Available
times in Cape Town were from
October, and Durban from November.
Now Johannesburg and Durban have
availability from October, and Cape
Town from September.
“In response to recent elevated
appointment demand, Consulate
Johannesburg expects to receive
additional resources in the near
future to assist with lowering the
appointment wait time,” says
Robert Mearkle, the US Embassy
spokesperson in Pretoria.
He says the agents are
encouraged to check the
appointment system regularly to
see if appointments become
available. “We are aware of the
frustration that these longer
than usual waiting times
cause. We are trying to
process visa applications as
quickly as possible,” Robert
adds.
Agents have been waiting
for cancellations, checking
the system on a daily basis,
says Brian Kruger, md of
4UK & Worldwide Visas.
He is not convinced that
the released appointments
will alleviate the problem.
“These are not guaranteed
and the decreased waiting
times are still not conducive
to business travel, which
is often booked with little
notice.”
Corporate clients do not
want to incur the extra
expense and hassle of
travelling to Durban or Cape
Town for the day for an
appointment, he says.
