Consulate Security Measures

The following are not permitted inside the visa sections:

1. All battery operated or electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, digital diaries, digital watches, pagers, cameras, audio/video cassettes, audio/video playing or recording devices , calculators, torches, flashlights, radios, compact discs (CDs), VCDs, DVDs, MP3’s, digital audio players (such as i-Pod), floppies, flash drives, memory sticks, Bluetooth devices, laptops, palm tops or portable music players (such as CD players), electronic items. Remote car key are not allowed either.
2. All ladies hand bags/purses. Only a small ladies pouch in hand will be permitted.
3. All bags such as travel bags, back packs, briefcases, suitcases, leather, jute or cloth bags and zip folders. Only an unsealed, transparent plastic bag containing your application-related papers will be permitted.
4. Any food item.
5. Sealed envelopes or packages. Do not push folders or sealed envelopes through any of the counter windows outside or inside the consulate. However, if you are an immigrant visa applicant and have a sealed medical report, you can enter the consulate. The medical report must remain sealed at all times.
6. Smoking items such as Cigarettes / cigars / matches / match boxes / lighters.
7. Any sharp objects such as scissors, pen knives or nail files.
8. Weapons or explosive material of any kind.
9. Bottles of any kind.
10. Any liquids including beverages, hand sanitizers, anti-bacterial gels.

Bring only the items and documents that relate to your visa application. 

Consulates do not have any facility to store any of the items that you bring but are not allowed to take in. You will have to discard them or store them somewhere at your risk or come back later with another appointment.Umbrellas are allowed. Therefore, if it is a rainy season, or if you think it may rain on the interview day, remember to carry umbrella with you.

Bottle for baby milk, diaper, a pair of cloths for baby etc. are allowed. If you are carrying any milk bottle, you will have to taste it in front of the security guard.

The list provided above is not finite. Other items may be prohibited based on security staff discretion. Due to security concerns, the Consulate does not permit interested parties such as friends, relatives or business contacts to accompany nonimmigrant visa applicants to their interviews. However, interpreters are allowed to accompany hearing-impaired applicants.

Please do not bring extra people to your visa interview, including your American citizen children. Food items and bottles of any kind are not permitted to be brought into the building. Consulate recommends that you find a baby sitter for your minor U.S. citizen children.

Due to security issues and limited space within the Consulate, only visa applicants are permitted entry. The consulate recommends that applicants keep to a minimum the number of persons escorting them, as the area around the consulate gets crowded. Friends and relatives of applicants are requested not to wait outside the visa gate where heavy vehicular traffic can present a danger to those who congregate on the streets. Family members are instead encouraged to meet visa applicants at nearby restaurants and alternate meeting spots.

There is no facility at the U.S. Embassy / Consulate / Stanley Application Centers to store prohibited items. You will have to make alternate arrangements to keep the same before entering the facility.

Due to security considerations, there is no information window for walk-in visitors at the Embassy or Consulate.

Interested parties such as friends, relatives, attorneys, or business contacts are not permitted to enter the consular or attend the visa interview of a nonimmigrant visa applicant or intervene on their behalf during the interview.If an interested party wishes to provide information to a specific consular section concerning a particular visa applicant, they are encouraged to supply this information directly to the applicant. The applicant can then bring this information to their visa interview.

It is not advisable for an interested party to send letters to the Consular Section in anticipation of a visa application. Due to the high volume of applicants, the consulate may be unable to provide these letters to the Consular Officer who will interview the applicant.