WILLEMSTAD - Over the past three months, the U.S. Consulate in Curaçao has witnessed a significant surge in visa applications from Venezuelans. According to confirmed information from the U.S. Consulate, 871 visa applications were submitted by Venezuelans during this period, accounting for 44% of the total number of applications.
The uptick in the number of applications is attributed to various factors. Previously, the consulate had only offered visas to applicants with at least 10 years of residence in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, such as Curaçao. However, it has modified its procedures to align with other consulates worldwide.
Reopening of Borders
The demand for visas has risen notably since the reopening of regular flights between Venezuela and Curaçao following the border's reopening. The Consulate began offering non-immigrant visas such as H1B and E Treaty Trader visas. They also eased the residency requirements for applicants seeking appointments in Curaçao.
The mentioned visas represent two distinct types of U.S. visas that provide applicants with the opportunity to temporarily live and work in the United States for specific purposes.
Waiting Times
Since Venezuela no longer has a U.S. embassy, and waiting times in Bogotá can exceed one year, many Venezuelans, especially those needing to renew their visas, have scheduled appointments at the U.S. Consulate in Curaçao.
Previously, applicants had to travel to Lisbon, Madrid, or the Dominican Republic to submit a visa application or had no other option to renew their visas.
Dutch Passport
The number of Venezuelan applicants has dramatically increased, but so has the number of visas issued by the consulate. For instance, holders of Dutch passports now account for 13 percent of our applicants. If the numbers from the past three months persist, the number of Dutch applicants is heading towards a thousand or more, representing an increase of approximately 25 percent.
The consulate has also added an extra day for visa appointments, and last August marked the first month ever in which they processed more than a thousand visa applications.
For comparison, in the calendar year 2018, the number of visas processed was 3,153. This means that the Consulate has processed nearly a third of what they would typically do in a year in just one month.
Online
So far, the Consulate claims to be equipped to manage the influx of visa applications. Washington has noticed the increased workload, leading to the Consulate being admitted to the Global Support Services, streamlining their service and allowing applicants to pay online for appointments. This significantly enhances the efficiency of their operations. "We plan to transition to this new system sometime early next year, which is why we cannot schedule appointments beyond January 2024 for now."
The Americans have also implemented an expedited appointment system, making it easier for them to provide direct appointments to applicants in the Dutch Caribbean who have had their ESTAs canceled and are traveling to the U.S. for emergencies or for study or work visas.
As time goes on, we expect to receive more resources in Curaçao as we grow. An example of this is the construction of the new consulate building.
