Officials at the United States Embassy are urging Bahamians to put off getting visas during this holiday season. In a statement sent to The Nassau Guardian, US Ambassador John Rood said the December holiday season is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for visa applications. He added that the increased number of applicants could be problematic.
“Even though our embassy in The Bahamas has one of the fastest visa processing units in the world, we’re concerned that we won’t be able to provide our usual level of service in December, due to the heightened volumes we’re seeing,” said Ambassador Rood.
The top embassy official insisted that only vacationers, whose travel date is close by, should request visas during the month of December.
“If there are persons who aren’t travelling right away, I would ask that they wait until the Christmas rush dies down, before coming to the Embassy to apply for their visa,” he said. “That will make the process go more smoothly for everyone.”
Anyone with immediate travel plans and in need of a visa, is asked to bring all of the required application materials with them when they visit the embassy.
According to the US Embassy press release, “This includes a fully completed and signed visa application form; a valid passport or travel document and any previous passports or travel documents; a passport-sized picture with a plain white background taken within the last three months; documentation of employment or other ties to The Bahamas and the $100 application fee in either all Bahamian dollars or all US dollars.
Additional materials may be required depending on the type of visa.”
Applications may be submitted Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am until 11:00 am, except on US and Bahamian holidays.
Source: The Nassau Guardian
