US Embassy in Chennai
However, the British colonial rulers refused his commission, and he remained in Calcutta as the American government’s commercial agent.
History of the US Embassy in Chennai:
Managing U.S. maritime interests in Madras from Calcutta proved difficult. Hence William Abbott was chosen as the first U.S. Consular agent at Madras Presidency. Bilateral trade relations improved after several decades and subsequently a separate U.S. consular agency was formed in 1867.A regularized consular service was set up in 1906 which included fixed office tenure, fixed salary, and system of office promotion as well as seven position classes which included consuls and consuls general.
With the improvement of Indo-US relations, the Consulate General needed a structure which could help a diversity of activities like educational exchange, visas, library services, American citizen services, cultural programming besides the promotion of trade. So it moved to a land on the Gemini Circle where it is currently situated.
Offices and Departments of the US Embassy:
- Consular Section- It facilitates travel between India and the United States.
- Management Section – It gives logistical, administrative, and managerial support to the other sections including all the employees of the US embassy in Chennai.
- Political/Economic Section- It reports and analyses the economic and political developments of South India supporting a population of around 250 million.
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) - This is situated within the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). This federal agency is responsible for the health and safety of people within India and abroad.
- Regional Security Office- The RSO is responsible for giving security to the people of the Consulate and protecting its information, helps to combat terrorism, advices Americans travelling abroad on safety issues and acts as a law enforcement arm for the U.S. Department of State.
- U.S. Commercial Service- It provides service to U.S. businesses in exporting goods and services to India.
- Public Affairs Section- It manages the public activities of the U.S. embassy in Chennai. It has two subsections; the Cultural Affairs Office which organizes lectures, conferences, seminars etc. and the Information Office which responds to all media and press enquiries to American Consulate in Chennai.
Services by the US Embassy in Chennai:
Visa
The American Library
Many Book fairs are also organized at the American Library in Chennai.
Pursuing Education in the U.S.
Promoting Business
U.S. Citizen Services
How to apply at U.S. Consulate in Chennai:
In order to apply, you must understand your visa category, i.e. which visa type most suits your purpose in traveling to the United States.
For a non-immigrant visa, an appointment has to be made through phone (+91-120-6602222 or +91-22-67209400, and 1-310-616-5424) or through the website www.ustraveldocs.com/in
While creating a user account here, you must schedule TWO appointments, the first for photo and finger printing at an offsite center and the second for visa interview at the Chennai Consulate.
Important Documents to be brought at the time of interview:
- Valid passport as well as previously issued passports.
- VFS appointment letter
- DS-160 confirmation page with barcode
- For F, M students the SEVIS receipt and I-20 is compulsory
- H, L and all other petition based visa applicants must bring I-129, I-797 and other petition related documents.
- For J exchange visitors, the SEVIS receipt and DS-2019 is mandatory.
Contact Information of the US Consulate in Chennai:
You can also find more about Embassies in Chennai