Have you been Ten printed?

Ten-Printing When you Visit the US

What does ten-printing mean? Have you been ten printed? 

Have You seen the Phrase “Have you been Ten Printed Before?” on your Visa application form before? well if you are confused as to how to fill this field, Look no further.

Ten-printing refers to the fingerprint of all the ten fingers of your hands. The question ‘Have you been ten printed?’ with respect to DS 160 means whether you have provided the fingerprints of all the ten fingers of your hand to the US government. 

The application of ten-printing within the visa process came into effect in 2008. So, if you have applied for a visa post-2007, then you have been ten-printed at some point of the time during the visa application process. 

What is an OFC Centre and why are these centers set up by the USCIS?

OFC or the Off-site Facilitation Centre is one of the many different types of offices set up by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in a country to make visa processing simpler which is otherwise a cumbersome process. Setting up of these offices individually breaks the process of visa application into sections and is easier for the applicant as well as the officials to move forward. OFC is also commonly known as Visa Application Center (VAC). Often times, it is at these OFC centers that you will be ten-printed.

Various documents you need to carry when you visit an OFC:

1. Your passport has a validity of at least 6 months or more months. If you have been issued a new passport, make sure to carry your older passports as well if you have any. 
2. Your OFC appointment confirmation page: This is a very important document without which you will not be allowed to enter inside the office premises. You need to carry the hard copy of the confirmation page when you go for the appointment. 
3. Your DS 160 form’s confirmation page: This is also a vital document without which you will not be permitted inside. You will have to take a print out of the confirmation page and carry it with you.
4. Visa Application fee receipt.

What is the process of applying for a Visa in these OFC centers:

There are some key pointers to consider during the visa application process in the OFC centers. 

First things first, to visit an OFC center you need to take a prior appointment. The OFC appointment is taken beforehand along with the visa appointment. Do keep in mind that the OFC appointment should take place prior to your visa interview. 

Once you have an appointment, make sure that you arrive on time. You will not be allowed to carry any personal belongings inside. It is advisable to keep your bag or smartphone somewhere in safe custody before you go inside the office.

Once you are inside the OFC, there are three stages:

• Ten-printing or fingerprinting:  As obvious as it may sound, it involves taking fingerprints of all ten fingers. You need to put your fingers on the biometric machine and the officials will scan your fingerprints. The biometrics are taken for cross verification of your identity. In case the fingerprints of all ten fingers cannot be taken because of an injury, you will have to make an appointment and come back again once the injury is healed.
• Photograph: This is a vital step in the US visa application process which requires your most recent digital photo to be taken by the representative. This will later be verified by the visa interview officer during your visa interview.
• Verification of the documents: Once you are done with the photograph, you move to the document verification stage where you need to submit all the required documents (both original and photocopies) for the officials to update their database.

After this is done the officials will give you a confirmation note stating that your visa interview is confirmed. Remember that your US visa interview does not take place in the OFC office. 

Return to the OFC

Once your visa interview is done in the US Embassy, you will have to return back to the OFC to collect your passport. For this, you will again need a hardcopy of your DS 160 or the visa application confirmation page.

Where are the different OFCs located in India?

There are several OFCs located in different cities within India like New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai. To get more details about the locations and their details click here.

What are the details needed to make an appointment at Offsite Facilitation Centre?

In order for you to make an appointment at an OFC you will need to keep the following information handy:

• The 10-digit barcode from your non-immigrant US visa application form (DS 160) 
• Your passport number
• The date of your fee payment

Now that you know what to do when you have an OFC appointment, let’s understand why Ten-Printing is an ongoing affair during the visa application process. 

Why is Ten-Printing the status quo when applying for a visa in the US:

Ten-Printing is an important aspect of the application process to verify your identity.

Once you are done with Ten-printing at the OFC, you may again be asked to give fingerprints during the visa interview as well as other checkpoints or entry points to re-validate your identification process for security reasons. 

How should I respond to the DS-160 form when asked if I am ten-printed or not?

This is a common query most people have when filling up the DS 160 application form. Well, if you are applying for the first time your obvious answer to the question ” Have you been Ten Printed” will be ‘NO’. 

If you have already applied for a US visa earlier, you will have to answer ‘Yes’. However, the process of ten-printing came into effect post-2007. So if you have visited the US earlier than that then you would probably not have gone through the ten printing process. 

In case you have forgotten whether or not you have been Ten-Printed earlier, then you can just mention ‘NO’, and the embassy will take your fingerprints again and update the record.

What are Social Media Identifiers and what is their impact on the outcome of applying for a visa for the United States?

Social media identifiers or social media handles are the names used by an individual on the social media platform. 

The updated version of the US visa application DS 160, DS 156, and DS 260 forms have been introduced with a specific tab for Social Media Identifier information.

This has been included in the application of visa processing to improve and increase efficiency in the security screening process of the individuals traveling to the United States.

The Embassy uses this information during interviews to screen better, verify the identity of an individual and decide whether or not the applicant is eligible for a visa approval under US law and should be allowed to travel to the US. This is done in the interest of securing the US citizens and making travel to the US legit.

Some pointers to remember with respect to Social Media Identifier are:

• When you fill-up the visa application form, provide all the handles under the list provided in the form, give the usernames of all the platforms you are into. Please remember that the application form does not ask for your password so do not mention your password. 
• If you do not have any presence in any of the social media platforms, simply select the option ‘None’ in the dropdown. This will not affect your visa application process if you have provided your information with honesty. 
• Remember to not change the username of your social media handle that you have provided in the visa application forms until your processing is completed and your visa has been approved. 
• The various Social media platforms that the US officials keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+, Flickr, MySpace, Youtube, Pinterest Tumblr, Twoo, Vine, etc.

Conclusion

So as we conclude on a few key aspects of the US visa application processes like the ten printing and its importance, OFC appointments, and the do’s and dont’s when you visit your OFC Interview, so when they pop you the question “Have you been Ten Printed before?” you will be able to answer accurately!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)