What is an Offsite Facilitation Center in the U.S.?

The process of a United States visa is often long and cumbersome. You’re asked to present numerous documents and attend multiple interviews to earn the visa. Offsite Facilitation Centers (OFC) form the main component of this process. Yet very few people know about these centers. Even worse, they confuse them with the consulate and embassy, which are different entities of the USCIS. In this article, we’ll explain the role of an Offsite Facilitation Center and the services it offers.

What is an Offsite Facilitation Center?

Before you learn about OFCs, let’s get the definition right. The USCIS has different types of offices in any given country. These are the embassy, consular, OFC, and VAC (Visa Application Center).

The embassy is the primary location that ensures the diplomatic presence of the United States in another country. There is only one embassy in a country. Unless you’re a government official or a high priority candidate, it’s unlikely you will visit the embassy.

Next in the priority chain is the consular. Think of it as a branch of the embassy. Its purpose is to assist expats, tourists, and public administrators. This is where your visa interviews are conducted. Unlike an embassy, there might be multiple consular offices in a single country.

Finally, you have an OFC or Offsite Facilitation Center. You go to this center first in your visa application process. It is also known as a Visa Application Center (VAC). You should know that the employees at these centers are not US government employees, but local employees of the company that’s contracted by the USCIS.

OFC Appointments

You apply for a US Visa by submitting Form DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, online. This is accessible from the Consular Electronic Application Center website. You’ll also be required to schedule an interview appointment. Once acknowledged and approved, the US Embassy will direct you to the nearest OFC via an email.

If your email says you have an OFC interview and a consular interview scheduled, you need to visit the OFC first, followed by the consular. In some cases, you don’t have to attend the consular, and your visa is approved and delivered to you.

A copy of this email, along with a passport and the DS-160 confirmation page, is mandatory to visit the OFC. You cannot walk in and schedule an interview. Filing DS-160 is the only way to visit the OFC.

Offsite Facilitation Center Services

An Offsite Facilitation Center is contracted by the US government to facilitate the visa process. Previously, the embassy and the consular were responsible for carrying out the application process from end to end. But this was a tedious process. So, OFCs were contracted to handle part of the process. Since then, they’ve been providing various services such as:

Fingerprinting

Almost all visa applicants are required to provide their fingerprints as part of their biometrics. These are stored digitally on the USCIS’ server and will be referenced throughout all subsequent interactions with the agency. You just have to place your fingers on the biometric machine, and it’ll scan your fingerprints. Biometric fees are charged separately, and you must use a payment method accepted at the center.

When providing your fingerprints, make sure you have clean hands, free from water and any foreign substance.

Photograph

Photos are important for identification purposes. The USCIS requests a recent photo that meets all the visa photo requirements. Officials will take your photo using a digital camera. You’ll be seated in front of a white background.

Children under the age of seven are not required to have their photo taken and can provide physical photos. This is free of charge.

Document Verification

Depending on the visa you’re applying for, you have to submit relevant documents for verification. While the consular handles the document verification along with the interview, the OFC can also ask for documents. They’ll update your information in the database for faster processing. So, you should bring original copies of relevant documents to OFC appointments.

Once all the processes are finished, an official will put a sticker on your letter that reads, “Your Appointment at USC is Confirmed.”

Depending on the OFC, you can enjoy additional services like form filing, couriers, automated voice tracking, service lounges, internet kiosks, among others. But these are additional services and not mandatory for the OFC to offer.

How to Find an Offsite Facilitation Center Near You

You can find an OFC by visiting the U.S. Embassy’s official website. Then navigate to your country-specific domain. For India, it will be in.usembassy.gov and so on.

Then click on “Embassy and Consulates.” This should list all the locations. From here, you can find the local OFC that’s nearest to you. If not, then you might have to travel to the consular to process your application. It’s best to get in touch either via email or phone to confirm the address.

Safety Measures to Take at the OFC

When visiting an OFC, or the consular or embassy for the matter, be aware there will be safety measures, as it’s not just another public-serving facility. Someone stationed outside the OFC will verify your documents before letting you in. They might also check your belongings or bags. If required, they’ll ask you to empty your pockets and check your bags. Finally, you’ll be scanned for any metal and given a number to carry inside.

Conclusion

Once you’re inside the Offsite Facilitation Center, you’ll be asked to join a queue of other applicants. You mustn’t break the queue or hurry. The verification process takes 10-15 minutes. Once done, collect your receipts before you leave.

As the number of applicants keeps growing, the USCIS will be adding Offsite Facilitation Centers.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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