Visa Appointment Scheduling Issues at Sydney, Australia

The recent launch of Sydney’s new visa appointment scheduling website was supposed to be a technological leap towards streamlined and efficient visa processing for the U.S Consulates in Australia. Instead, it has proven to be a source of frustration, confusion, and stress for visa applicants. From failed email correspondences to vanishing MRV fees, the new system is fraught with issues. In this blog post, we will delve into the challenges visa applicants and their representatives are facing and look for potential solutions.

The Phantom E-2 Visa Appointment Email

One E-2 visa applicant report receiving an email from the US Consulate in Sydney, indicating that he would soon receive a follow-up email to schedule his E-2 visa appointment. Despite the promise of a prompt 15-minute follow-up, the email never arrived. When questioned, the Consulate revealed that new appointments for E-1 and E-2 visas wouldn’t be scheduled until the transition to the new system was complete. However, even after the promised start date of October 7, 2023, the applicant could find an option on the new portal to schedule the appointment.

Data Loss and Inaccessible Features

Another issue that came to our attention involves the transfer of data from the old system to the new portal. Not only was the data incompletely transferred, but even previously paid MRV fees disappeared from accounts. The new portal also displayed inactive hyperlinks meant to revise information, thus leaving the applicants with no way to correct or update their details.

Inefficiencies and Glitches in P-1 Visa Scheduling

Even applicants for P-1 visas aren’t spared from the new system’s shortcomings either. The website is frequently down, and it took nearly two weeks for one user to finally schedule a visa appointment. Consulate technical service teams admit to being swamped with complaints but seem to lack the tools to fix these issues promptly.

Escalating Concerns: Silence from the Consulate

Numerous emails and phone calls to the Consulate and their technical service teams have led to nothing but unresponsive silence. With applicants having tight departure schedules, the clock is ticking, and the non-responsiveness from the authorities is exacerbating the situation.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The new visa appointment scheduling system in US Consulate in Australia needs urgent attention and overhauling. Applicants are left in a lurch, struggling with unclear procedures and unresponsive customer service. For immediate relief, we recommend:

• Consistently checking the website for updates and screenshotting any progress for documentation.
• Keeping a backup of all previous correspondences and transactions for evidence.
• Escalating the matter to higher-ups or seeking help from local government representatives if necessary.

We hope that the concerned authorities will act swiftly to correct these inefficiencies and bring much-needed relief to visa applicants soon.

*Disclaimer: This blog is based on anecdotal evidence and individual experiences. It is not a substitute for legal advice.*