India opens new visa application centers in Seattle and Bellevue

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Prakash Gupta, Consul General of India in Seattle, inaugurated the first Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) in Seattle and Bellevue on Friday.

In his inaugural address, Mayor Harrell expressed his admiration for the Indian community in the Greater Seattle area, highlighting their significant contributions to strengthening the bonds of friendship between India and the US.

Consul General Prakash Gupta emphasized the importance of the new visa application centers, stating, “The opening of the Indian Consulate in Seattle reflects the Government of India’s strong commitment to deepen our relations with the Pacific Northwestern states of the US. Through the opening of these new visa application centers in Seattle and Bellevue, we hope to ensure a more convenient experience for all consular applicants preparing their travel to India.”

He added, “Providing smooth and efficient consular services is one of our top priorities, and we welcome any feedback and suggestions for further improvement from all applicants as we commence our consular operations in the Greater Seattle Area.”

The IVAC services follow the opening of the first Indian Consulate in Seattle in November 2023. These centers will offer consular services such as visas, passports, OCI, and other related requirements to residents of Greater Seattle.

“For ease of transportation and convenience for residents living on the east side in Bellevue, an additional IVAC drop-off facility for receiving consular applications has been made functional at 1400 112th Avenue SE, Bellevue – WA -98004 (Suite 200),” the official statement read.

Both the Seattle and Bellevue IVAC Centers will be managed by VFS Global, the outsourced visa services partner of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Amit Kumar Sharma, Head of VFS Global, stated, “VFS Global has had a long-standing relationship with the Government of India since 2008, and we are excited to expand our partnership further. The new centers in Seattle and Bellevue will play a crucial role in catering to the growing demand for visa and consular services to India. We are confident that these visa application centers will enhance the customer experience by making the visa application process smoother, thereby helping us serve travelers and the Indian diaspora better.”

These services are expected to benefit the large Indian diaspora community within the consular jurisdiction of the Indian Consulate in Seattle, which covers nine Pacific Northwestern states: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming.