Updated October 28, 2026

OFC appointment for a US visa: what it is and what to bring

An OFC appointment is the short visit before your US visa interview where your fingerprints and photo are taken. OFC stands for Offsite Facilitation Center, the older name for what US Mission India now calls a Visa Application Center (VAC). Nobody interviews you there. In India it has to be at least 2 business days before your interview, and applicants under 14 or over 79 don't have to go in person.

What is an OFC appointment?

An OFC appointment is your biometrics visit: the first of the two appointments most US visa applicants in India book. OFC means Offsite Facilitation Center. It's "offsite" because it sits away from the embassy or consulate where you're interviewed.

You'll see both names. The US Mission in India's appointment service mostly says Visa Application Center (VAC) now, but one of its own FAQ answers still says "OFCs" in the same place another says VACs. Other US missions use the name too. The US Embassy in Brazil, for example, describes its OFC as the place for collecting fingerprints and visa photos and picking up passports (March 18, 2024).

So if your appointment letter, a friend or an agent says OFC, it means the same visit as the VAC appointment. There's one VAC in each of the five interview cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The addresses are in our US visa interview in India guide.

It costs nothing extra. The appointment service says the visa fee includes the VAC service.

What happens at the OFC appointment?

The appointment service describes the visit like this (checked October 28, 2026):

1. Arrive at your appointment time. You won't be let in before the time on your appointment letter. Parking at and around the VAC isn't allowed, so plan how you'll get there.
2. Security check. Everyone who enters the VAC is screened.
3. Document check. Staff look at your passport, appointment confirmation and DS-160 confirmation page.
4. Fingerprints. An ink-free, digital scan. The appointment service says all nonimmigrant applicants ages 14 to 79 are fingerprinted.
5. Photo. A digital photograph is taken.

That's it. There are no interview questions at the OFC, and nobody decides your visa there.

Your fingerprints are a promise. The State Department's DS-160 FAQ says that when your fingerprints are scanned, you certify again, under penalty of perjury, that your DS-160 answers are true and that you'll tell the truth at the interview. Read your form once more before you go. Our guide on how your DS-160 comes up in the interview explains why that matters.

Hours. The appointment service lists biometrics appointments from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. VACs close on both US and Indian holidays.

What should you bring to the OFC appointment?

The appointment service lists these for the VAC visit (checked October 28, 2026):

• Your passport, valid for travel to the US and at least six months beyond your planned stay, unless an agreement for your country says otherwise. It also needs at least 15 calendar days of validity from the date of your interview appointment.
• Your DS-160 confirmation page, printed, with the barcode that matches the one in your appointment profile.
• Your appointment confirmation page.
• One printed photo for a child under 14, taken to US visa photo rules.

If you corrected your DS-160 after booking. For appointments booked on or after November 15, 2023, the US Mission in India says to bring both the original confirmation page you booked with and the corrected one. If you can't bring both, you have to cancel and rebook with the new DS-160 number.

Your other papers, like bank statements, an I-20 or a petition, are for the interview, not the OFC. The interview checklist is in our US visa interview tips.

What isn't allowed inside the OFC?

The appointment service's VAC rules say (checked October 28, 2026):

• Cell phones and cameras are prohibited.
• Bags are restricted by security. Its list includes travel bags, backpacks, briefcases, suitcases, leather and cloth bags, and zip folders.
• Smart watches, flash drives, memory sticks and Bluetooth devices are restricted too.

The embassy and consulates have their own, longer list for interview day, which is in the India guide. Check your appointment letter before you leave home, because the rules can change.

How many days before the interview is the OFC appointment?

At least 2 business days before. The appointment service says you must schedule the VAC appointment at least 2 business days before your interview at the embassy or consulate, and you can't book it for the same day.

The one exception it names is blanket L-1 applicants, who may have both appointments on the same day. In India, blanket L-1 interviews happen only at the Consulate General in Chennai.

You book both appointments in the same session on the appointment website, after you've submitted your DS-160 and paid the visa fee. The full five-step process is in our US visa interview in India guide.

Who can skip the OFC appointment?

Children under 14 and adults over 79. The appointment service says they don't have to attend the biometrics appointment in person. A family member or representative can submit their documents at the scheduled date and time, with one printed photo for a child under 14.

They still go to the interview. The same page says all applicants, including those under 14 or over 79, must appear in person for the interview at the embassy or consulate. That changed in 2025, when the State Department ended the general interview waiver for these age groups.

Interview waiver (dropbox) applicants. The appointment service says every applicant needs a VAC appointment unless they qualify for the interview waiver. Dropbox applicants book a document drop-off appointment instead. Few people qualify now, mostly B1/B2 renewals. See our interview waiver guide.

If you can't give fingerprints. The US Mission in India says applicants who can't provide fingerprints because of a medical condition, such as a birth defect, a physical deformity or a skin condition, may qualify for a fingerprint waiver for certain fingers. Ask for an accommodation as soon as you book.

Can you reschedule an OFC appointment?

Once. Since January 1, 2025, the appointment service allows one reschedule for any reason. After that, you can only attend or cancel, and if you cancel, your fee payment becomes invalid and you have to pay a new fee to book again.

Two timing rules from the same pages:

• Reschedule a VAC appointment at least 2 business days before it. After that, the service says you can't reschedule it.
• Cancel at least 2 business days before the interview if you can't attend, to avoid being marked a "no-show."

The service says it can't make exceptions to the rescheduling limit. Because wait times can be long, pick dates you're sure you can keep.

What happens if you miss your OFC appointment?

The appointment service says a missed biometrics appointment is marked as a "no-show." If you haven't used your reschedule yet, you can reschedule both your biometrics and interview appointments. If you have, you need to pay a new visa fee and book both appointments again.

Missing the interview itself is more costly. The service says a missed interview means paying a new visa fee and starting the application process again.

How is the OFC appointment different from the visa interview?

The interview is where your visa is decided, so that's where to spend your preparation time. Our US visa interview tips cover the documents and the day, and US visa interview questions lists what officers ask, with sample answers.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.