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Beginning October 1, 2006, all applicants for U.S. non-immigrant visas will be required to submit an Electronic Visa Application Form ("EVAF"), completed on-line at http://evisaforms.state.gov, in order to apply for a visa at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, or U.S. Consulates in Frankfurt and Munich. Use of the electronic application form will reduce processing time for visa applicants in Germany, ensuring that their visit to the Embassy or Consulate is as short and convenient as possible.
The EVAF is available in German, English, and several other languages, and prints with a two-dimensional ("2-D") barcode that allows consular personnel to electronically scan more than 30 data fields into consular computer systems in a matter of seconds. Since the EVAF was introduced in 2003, the amount of time saved on data entry has increased dramatically, allowing U.S. consular officials to attend to visa applicants far more rapidly than in the past. Though not previously mandatory, the EVAF is already used by nearly 70% of all applicants who apply for U.S. visas in Germany.
Applicants who appear for their visa interviews without a completed EVAF will experience delays in the processing of their application, but may be given the opportunity to complete the EVAF using an Internet computer at the Embassy or Consulate, or at a nearby public Internet facility, if available, in order to complete their application on the date of their scheduled appointment.
The new requirement making EVAF usage mandatory as of October 1, 2006 is part of the U.S. Government's plan to eventually develop a paperless visa application system that will allow visa applicants worldwide to fill out required visa application forms and schedule interview appointments from a central Internet website.
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