NEW YORK (TIP): The Indian Consulate in New York  is preparing to launch new services on August 1, including  new satellite centers in Boston, Columbus, Ohio, and Edison, New Jersey, to provide comprehensive consular services. These centers will handle passports, visas, OCI cards, and miscellaneous services, with a uniform service fee of $19. The consulate also aims to engage more with the Indian American community, particularly students, who number 117,000 in their jurisdiction, and the second and third-generation Indian Americans. The consulate is also working to support Indian women facing challenges and promote Indian culture, which is increasingly mainstream in the U.S.

This information was provided by Mr. Binaya Srikanta Pradhan,  Consul General of India in New York,   in an interview with The Indian Panorama Chief Editor Prof. Indrajit S Saluja on July 30.

Here are excerpts from the Interview.

TIP

I  want The Indian Panorama readers to know what is going to come from you on the coming Independence Day.

CG

Let’s come to that. So, from first of August, we are going to have a few additional services in a decentralized manner. For example, in this consular jurisdiction, will be having three new satellite centers which will be providing all Indian consular services. And when I say consular services, it is not only passport, visa and OCI card. It also includes the miscellaneous services, which include, like attestation, power of attorney, giving a death certificate, a birth certificate,  registering your will,  giving the notary,   and any kind of consular services that we offer. The same services would now be dealt with by the satellite centers. At the moment, our service provider is a company called VSF Global. At present, people deal with VSF Global in New York City. From the first of August we  will be having centers from VSF Global opened in Boston, in Columbus, Ohio, and in Edison, New Jersey. So, these are the three new centers which are being opened here. Similar centers  are being opened in other parts of the country. But in our jurisdiction, we are having three additional centers. In other words, people in those regions  do not have to come to New York City to avail those services. They can go to those centers. The second thing we are doing is that hereafter, VSF  would not be limited to dealing with passport, OCI and visa. They will be dealing with all the miscellaneous services which were so far being dealt with by only the consulate in this building. So now you are going to be getting those facilities in all the VSF centers, from New York to Boston to in addition to Ohio, Columbus. Third, people will be paying a uniform service fee of $19 that is one nine- $19,  which would be taking care of, almost all needs. If  you are coming to a VSF  center and you require somebody to help you to fill up the application,  that will be provided as part of the services. If you have not got your right photographs, or you have forgotten to  get your photographs, the VSF  center will take your photograph, and provide you four photographs free of cost.  Photocopy of your documents will be provided free of cost. And the courier service,  the return courier service, is a  part of that $19 service charge. So earlier, you give an envelope with the required fees so that the envelope can go back to you. Now it is provided as part of the $19 service fee.  I would say that these are the new services that we  are providing and helping people to fill in the application form, so that they are not having trouble understanding the guidelines or understanding the instructions. It is going to be a new thing, because many a time we come across complaints that people are unable to understand how to complete the application form. Now you can go to the VFS center. They will help you to fill it up without any additional charge. So,  that is the new features in this service. And more importantly, earlier VSF was open from Monday to Friday. Hereafter, it would be open from Monday to Saturday. So only Sunday  would be the holiday. So, Monday to Saturday, all these four places in our jurisdiction, New York, Boston, Edison and Columbus in Ohio, would be open from 9 am to 6 pm.  I would say this is a substantial improvement in terms of both the duration of time that they would be open to quality service they would provide in  a more intimate engagement with the people who would come for services. So, I’m sure this would improve the experience that our people had in terms of getting Indian consular services.

TIP

Surely. There are people who work for five days a week, and  they can’t leave their job to go to VS. And if it is open now on Saturdays,  it becomes very convenient for them to visit a VSF center  in case they have to transact a business with it.  And also, nobody would mind paying a fee of $19 and be assured of all the services you have just mentioned. I think people  will be happy with the new services being launched from August 1. 

CG

For  comparison, I would urge you to check about the service fees other countries charge. You would find that this is a very small amount compared to what other countries will charge.  $19 which would include your photocopy to photograph, to return courier service. I would say, it is a very, very competitive service.

TIP

The services that you have just now detailed would probably be taken as  an Independence Day gift by the community here. Thank you for thinking of launching  the new services a few days before the 79^th Independence Day of India.