In a significant move to enhance consular service delivery across the United States, the Embassy of India and VFS Global jointly announced the opening of eight new Indian Consular Application Centers (ICACs). The announcement marks a major expansion of India’s diplomatic outreach and service accessibility for the over 5.3 million-strong Indian diaspora.

The new ICACs have been established in Boston, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edison, Orlando, Raleigh, and San Jose, bringing the total number of centers in the U.S. to 16. A 17th center is set to open in Los Angeles later this month.

In a virtual inauguration ceremony, Indian Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra said, “We are very happy to announce the opening of 8 new Indian Consular Application Centers. With the opening of these new Indian Consular Application Centers, our presence to provide extensive consular services and related delivery capabilities would increase and expand significantly.”

He emphasized that the expanded network will accelerate the delivery of essential services and improve accessibility for the Indian community.

“We firmly believe that people-to-people ties are at the heart of the India-US partnership,” Ambassador Kwatra added. “With the opening of two new consulates in Boston and Los Angeles, which the Prime Minister of India had announced a few months ago, we would be able to further strengthen not just a relationship between our two countries, but also our people-to-people ties, particularly in the areas of Boston and Los Angeles.”

Head – North America & Caribbean, VFS Global, Amit Kumar Sharma, expressed appreciation for the continued collaboration with the Indian government. “We are honored by the continued trust the Government of India has placed in VFS Global to support its diplomatic mission in the United States. These ICACs will play a crucial role in effectively catering to the growing demand for visa and consular services to India led by business partnerships, tourism and trade,” he said. 

According to VFS Global, these centers are equipped to offer a wide range of services, including: India Visa, Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), passport application, renunciation of Indian citizenship, Police clearance certificate, Global Entry Programme (GEP), and Miscellaneous/Attestation services. VFS Global remains the exclusive service provider for these critical functions on behalf of the Government of India in the United States.

The expanded ICAC network introduces several applicant-friendly upgrades:

• Saturday hours for added flexibility
• Return courier services now included in standard fees
• Free in-house services such as form-filling, photocopying, and photography
• Wider availability of core consular services across locations

The new centers are expected to significantly benefit applicants within the jurisdictions of the Indian Consulates in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

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