Accra, Dec. 17, GNA - Beginning from January 5, 2009 applicants for non-immigrant United States of America visas with a full-validity five-year non-immigrant B1/B2 visa, would no longer need an appointment to renew their visa if it is less than 12 months expired, the US Embassy in Accra on Wednesday said.

Mr Raymond Stephens, Vice Consul of the US Embassy in Accra, who made the announcement at a press conference, said the move was to improve customer service at the embassy and to make it easier for persons with valid visas to renew them on a walk-in basis. He said applicants were welcome at 1330 hours between Monday and Thursday every week to renew their visas without an appointment, but the embassy would only attend to 25 walk-in applicants per day. "Applicants in position of a valid temporary worker (H1B) and transit/crew (C1/D) visas were also welcome to renew their visas without an appointment," he said

Mr Stephens explained that to qualify for a walk-in service, the applicant must have been issued a validity five year visa to the US, must be in physical possession of the passport with the expired, full-validity visa in it and the full-validity visa must still be valid or had expired within the last 12 months.

He said the new arrangement was also intended as a measure to go round hackers who blocked online appointment dates on the US visa application website and sold the dates to genuine applicants. "We are aware that hackers do sell appointment dates to applicants for up to GH¢150 per appointment.

"We want to inform the public that there is no charge for appointments at the US embassy."

Mr Stephens noted that as a result of hackers' operations, within the previous week between 44 to 49 per cent of applicants did not turn up for their appointments even though the online appointment dates were fully booked.

"But we will continue to use the online appointment facility for first time applicants and other visa categories in spite of the challenge posed by hackers," he said. He said prior to the new arrangement, the embassy raised the ceiling on the number of online appointments per day but the hackers continued to block the dates and the no-show levels increased. Mr Stephens also noted that everyday the embassy recorded about 35 to 40 per cent fraud cases with US visa application in Ghana, and cautioned prospective applicants to be honest to the embassy.