US set to roll out ‘paperless’ visas. Here’s all that you need to know

U.S. visas stamped or pasted on applicants’ passport pages may soon be obsolete now that the Biden administration has successfully completed a pilot project to issue “paperless visas.”

The US recently completed the small-scale program at its diplomatic mission in Dublin and hopes to roll it out gradually.

What is a paperless visa?

According to Julie Stufft, Deputy Under Secretary of State for Visa Services, in the case of the paperless visa, the visa process will remain the same, but there will be no physical visa in the passport.

“That will ultimately require an app or something that allows people to show their visa status without the physical paper in their passport,” she said.

Is a paperless visa the same as an e-visa?

No, this is not the same as e-visas issued by India to nationals of certain countries, usually tourists.

“We don’t call it an e-visa (like India) because we have the same visa process down to the paper. So an interview is still required by law. If you are applying for the first time, you will apply in the same way with the same forms. If you get a paperless visa, it will all look the same until the point where there is no more paper,” Stufft said.

Will it be available for Indians?

Yes, that can be so. Stufft said she hoped paperless visas would also be issued to Indian nationals.

When will paperless visas be rolled out?

Stufft said the paperless visa will not be introduced in 2024. “It will probably take us 18 months to get to widespread use of this, if not longer,” she added.

“I hope it is rolled out as soon as possible. But this is a long-term project that we have just tested,” Stufft told news agency PTI.

“Now we are expanding to other types of visas. We started with our embassy in Dublin. Because there is an airport facility there with US officials who can check it before anyone boards a plane. We fully expect to expand that regionally and around the world. world. However, it will happen piece by piece,” she added.

(With input from the agency)