People who plan to visit the US and require a travel visa will soon be able to book their appointments online, according to the US Embassy.

The service, which will be available from February 1, will ease the booking process for people who do not fall under the visa waiver programme.

It has two main functions. First, it will enable applicants to access accurate, up-to-the-minute information about US visa matters from anywhere in the world. Also, starting from March 1, all non-immigrant visa applicants in Malta would need an appointment to enter the US embassy to sit for the interview which forms part of their visa process.

Details on how to use the new service, which is free of charge, will be available at http://malta.usembassy.gov as of February 1. Interview appointments for March, April and May 2011 will also be available.

The embassy recommends that visa applicants start the process two months in advance of their planned trip. Authorised travel agents may continue to submit visa applications to the embassy but must use the online system to book appointments for their clients.

Those planning travel to the US who do not meet the requirements of the visa waiver programme should begin the application process well in advance of their desired departure date.

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