On February 26, the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy hosted an information session on official and diplomatic visas for protocol officers and travel assistants of the local ministries and government institutions, and international organizations. Over 50 participants benefited from hearing the opening words from Ambassador Mushingi, a presentation by Consular Assistant Caroline Conseibo which outlined the different steps of the visa process, and participating in a Q&A session with Consular Officer Cristin Heinbeck. The debut of a new administration proved to be the perfect opportunity to explain, clarify and emphasize some aspects of the visa process such as applying on time, filling out the form properly with the correct visa code, dropping off documents on time, i.e. Fridays between 7:45 and 10:00 am. Consular staff was also able to explain why officials should not expect the Consulate to issue visas for official travels on the same day or the day following an application. Participants showed a great deal of interest and asked many questions. The Consular Officer encourages those who still have questions to write to our consular address, consularouaga@state.gov. At the end of the session, delegates expressed their appreciation for the session and believe it will improve collaboration and the quality of their work as far as official visas are concerned. The Consular Staff look forward to improved communication with staff assisting officials with visa applications.
