Short answer
An OFC appointment collects your fingerprints and photo, while the consular appointment is the interview with a visa officer. Most first-time applicants in India need both, and the OFC visit normally comes first.
What happens at the OFC
The Offsite Facilitation Center (OFC) records your biometrics. It is short and administrative: nobody asks about your case or decides on your visa there.
Bring your passport, appointment confirmation and DS-160 confirmation page. Check your appointment letter for the exact list.
What happens at the consular appointment
A consular officer reviews your application, asks about your plans and decides the case. This is the appointment that matters for the outcome.
Can they be in different cities?
Applicants have commonly been able to book the OFC in one city and the interview in another, with the OFC at least a day earlier. Some categories are processed only at certain posts, so confirm what the scheduling portal offers for your visa class before planning travel.
Common questions
- Does the OFC appointment decide my visa?
- No. The OFC only collects biometrics. The decision is made by the consular officer at the interview.
- Which should I look for first, OFC or interview dates?
- Start with interview availability, since it is usually the harder date to find, then choose an OFC date before it.
Official sources
This guide is general information from AppointVisa, an independent private service, not legal advice or official government guidance.
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