Seattle – Indian Consul General Prakash Gupta and City Mayor Bruce Harrell officially opened the first Indian Visa Application Centers (IVACs) in Bellevue and Seattle. The first Indian Consulate will open in Seattle in November 2023, and IVAC services will come after that. Residents of Greater Seattle will be able to obtain consular services like as passports, visas, Overseas Citizens of India cards, and other necessary documents from these centers.
“An additional IVAC drop-off facility for receiving consular applications has been made functional at 1400 112th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA 98004 (Suite 200), for the convenience and ease of transportation for residents living on the east side of Bellevue,” the official announcement stated. Mayor Harrell conveyed his gratitude for the Indian community residing in the Greater Seattle area, emphasizing their noteworthy contributions towards fortifying the connection between the United States and India.
Declaring, “The opening of the Indian Consulate in Seattle reflects the Government of India’s strong commitment to deepening our relations with the Pacific Northwestern states of the US,” Consul Gupta stressed the significance of the new visa application centers. We intend to make sure that all consular applicants planning their trip to India have a more convenient experience by opening these new visa application sites in Bellevue and Seattle. “One of our top priorities is to provide smooth and efficient consular services, and as we begin our consular operations in the Greater Seattle Area, we welcome any feedback and suggestions for further improvement from all applicants,” he continued. As stated by Amit Kumar Sharma, Head – Americas, VFS Global, “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,” Sharma will oversee both IVAC locations.
We are sure that by streamlining the visa application process, these centers will improve customer satisfaction and enable us to provide better services to Indian expatriates and tourists alike. The vast Indian diaspora under the Indian Consulate in Seattle’s consular jurisdiction—which includes nine states in the Pacific Northwest—is anticipated to gain from these services. These states include Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming.