 If you have clicked on this video, then I'm sure that you have faced one or two really frustrating incidents while using the new USA visa portal, such as not being able to add dependents, not being able to reschedule appointment and not being able to log in itself. Well, let me tell you that you're not alone, there are many many of us facing the same issue. However, the good news is that in this video today, we're going to solve these challenges for you and show you the exact steps that you can take. In fact, we are covering top 8 such challenges with the new USA visa portal. Keep on watching. Hi guys, my name is Shachi and I'm a travel and visa coach. On this channel, you'll find lots of useful videos on the US visa process. We have separate playlists for each of the visa categories, so make sure to check it out. So in July this year, the USA visa systems moved from the old CGI portal to the new visa scheduling dot com portal. And the new portal seems to have given a lot of people nightmares as included. Not only is it very tricky, very glitchy, but there are no clear instructions, no guides and no support as well. However, over the course of last few months, purely by trial and error and during the time that we worked with you guys on your visa applications, we have figured out solutions to many of these problems, which I'm going to explain in just a bit. We've also converted this into a very handy PDF guide. So once you're done watching the video, make sure to download your free PDF. The link for that is in the description box below. And this PDF is going to help you as well in resolving these issues. Let's get started. So let's start with the first issue, updating the DS-160 number. Now, once upon a time, updating the DS-160 number was really simple. You could do it yourself, log into your portal and update it. However, the new portal does not have any option to update the DS-160 number. So let's say that you made a mistake in your form and you have to fill a new form. You have to update it. Well, thankfully, there is still a way and the way to do it is at the biometrics. So when you go for the biometric, you need to take the old DS-160 confirmation page and the new DS-160 confirmation page and inform them that your DS-160 form has changed and you need to update the DS-160 confirmation number. It's a very routine process. It is being done really smoothly. In fact, they have made a separate counter in the biometrics where you could go and get your DS-160 number updated. So if you have made any errors and you think you need to fill a new form, please go ahead and do it. Do not hesitate. It can be updated at the biometric. Now a lot of you messengers telling us that you're really worried about doing it at the biometric because it's too last minute and you're not sure whether it will happen or not. Well, let me tell you that there's nothing to worry at all. The DS-160 number is being updated very, very smoothly at all the biometric centers in India and it's literally going to take you just five minutes extra than the normal process. So go ahead, fill your new DS-160 form and get it updated at the biometric. If you need our help in filling your form or reviewing the form that you have already filled, do reach out to us. You can book a DS-160 service with us. The link for this is in the description box below. Let's talk about the second problem, not being able to add dependents. So not being able to add your dependents is perhaps the biggest problem with the new USA visa portfolio. Let's say that you're going on L1, you're not able to add your spouse and child as L2 or you want to schedule an appointment for your mother and father for a B2 visa but you're not able to add them together in one profile. And while you're trying to do this, the system shows a lot of errors. Either it can throw the error message, existing username in database or show you a very random error message which looks something like this. Now here's what we have done and which has worked. So the hack here is to create a completely separate visa profile for your dependents which means that do not try to add them as dependents in your profile but create a separate visa profile for them which means that they will have their own email ID, own login and own security question. So when they have a separate visa profile, you try to book an appointment for them individually and what you'll have to try and ensure is that the appointments are on the same date and time. If not on the same date and time then as close to each other as possible. I know this is not perfect and it's not the ideal way to do it. Also it is cumbersome, you'll have to do the process multiple times but it's better than being stuck and not being able to move ahead and we have seen a lot of our clients who are able to successfully complete their visa application process and the interview by booking appointments individually for their dependents. So if you're stuck at this point, do give this option a try. Another hack which you can use is to slightly edit the passport number. So let's say that you're not able to add your dependents. What you can do is that the passport number which has already been entered for them slightly edit the passport number. That means make one or two changes in the passport number. It could be changing a letter or a number and once you do these change then go ahead try adding them as dependent and completing the rest of the process. This literally tricks the system into thinking that you are doing something new and the process goes ahead and you're able to add the dependent. Now this is really important, you have altered the passport number so also remember to go back edit the profile and correct the passport number. You don't want to go for the interview with an incorrect passport number. This editing passport number hack also works if you're stuck anywhere else in the process. Let's say that you added the dependent but now you're not able to pay the fee or you're not able to schedule the appointment. In all of these places where you've stuck slightly editing the passport number tricks the system into believing that you're doing something new and it's not the same person and many times it lets you go ahead but once you've completed the process again a quick reminder to correct the passport number by clicking on the edit profile option. The third error not seeing the reschedule option this is again a very common error which a lot of people are facing in their profile that when they log into the profile there is no option to reschedule appointment. So let's say you have an appointment but you would like to change it around you're not able to do that. Well again here's a hack which has worked for a lot of people so what you want to do is to basically switch up the browser that you're using. Let's say that you're frequently using chrome move away from chrome and use something else like firefox if possible change your system altogether. Another thing that you could do is to clear the cache of your browser and try a fresh login and see if the reschedule option disappears or you could even try to use the incognito mode. So basically switching off your browser clearing the cache of your browser or using the incognito mode so these are the three different ways which has tried and in many many instances we see that the reschedule option appears back again and you're able to reschedule the appointment. If you're still here still watching the video do give this a thumbs up and let me know. Also if you faced any of the three issues that we discussed so far that is updating the DS116 number adding your dependence or rescheduling your appointment do comment below and let me know which of these three issues you have faced and if you have any other solution for that please share that as well. Moving on to the fourth issue not able to print appointment confirmation. Now in the old system there was a very clear tab or a button through which you could print your appointment confirmation page any point of time. However in the new portal there is no option to save or print your appointment confirmation it simply displays the appointment. Now what you want to do here is simply use the control plus P or the command plus P option on your laptop and save it as a PDF and then print it out. You could even do it on your phone by going to the print option. This essentially saves up the entire page as a PDF which you could print out later. While you're doing this make sure that the barcodes are very clearly displayed because this barcode is what is going to be scanned when you go for your biometric and your interview. Another point of caution here which I have seen happen very frequently is that once you book your appointment the first thing that you should do is to print this appointment confirmation page and save it. That's because many times we have seen that once the appointment is booked and you're trying to just reschedule or play around with any of the other tabs in the system the entire appointment confirmation page tab disappears which means that it's no longer shows whether you have an appointment or not. So just to be really really cautious as soon as you book your appointment make sure that the first thing that you're doing is printing this appointment confirmation page and saving up so that even in the future something happens and you're not able to see the appointment confirmation tab you have the page with you already saved. The fifth error that we're going to talk about are the SGA errors. So the SGA errors are displayed as SGA 15, 20, sometimes 25 and what not. So basically these are random software errors, technical glitches which are there in the portal and they can just randomly pop up. So it either shows as an SGA error or it shows as a message called error has occurred and when you see any of this you know that it's a random technical glitch. Now there is no direct way to resolve it but again there are a few hacks which works. So the number one hack which has worked for us is using a new system altogether. So if your system or your laptop is completely throwing you this SGA errors the best way would be to use a completely new system or a laptop and then try logging into the portal. If you don't have access to another system then try shutting down and restarting your own system itself. The second method which has really worked in solving this error is logging in at non-peak hours. So we see that the SGA errors are more frequent when you log in at peak hours like between 8 to 10 in the morning or in the evening. However if you log in at non-peak hours like early morning the afternoon or late in the night then these errors are less prone. And of course you could also try the usual methods like clearing the cache using a different browser or using the incognito mode and I'm sure that one of these solutions will really work for you and you'll be able to overcome the SGA error. Now let's talk about the sixth issue and this is not being able to login. This again is a really annoying error because you have created the profile you know that you're entering the right data for the security questions but still the system doesn't allow you to log in. Well of all the errors this is the only error where you need to contact the customer support because there's literally no other way. So all the other errors we've shown you some hacks which you can do yourself but when it comes to not being able to log in the customer support is the only way to solve it. Now there are a few ways to contact them you could either email them at support-india at usvisascheduling.com or you could call them we'll display the call number right here on the screen you could call them and contact them and let them know how to resolve this error. It is going to take you a few tries it's going to take you a little bit of back and forth you need to have patience for that but we have seen that in most of the instances by calling the support the login issue has been resolved. The next issue that we're going to talk about is about the exchange visitor number and this is for all of you who are applying for any type of student visa like fm or j. So if you're creating a profile for a student visa you will see that the system asks for another detail called the exchange visitor number and this is not the same as your service ID service ID is different that is something displayed on your i20 however the exchange visitor number is something that you will find on your service fee receipt. So once you pay the service fee on the service fee receipt you will see that below the service number there is another number which usually begins with the letter ccc so that entire number which is displayed is your exchange visitor number which you need to enter into the portal while you create your appointment and the last issue that we're going to talk about is how to track your passport status. Well a lot of you ask us that I have given my interview my visa is approved and my passport is with the embassy but how do I track the status. Well you can track the status by a tab called ppn so once you log into the portal you will see that right on the dashboard in fact on the right corner side there is a tab called ppn and once you go into that tab and scroll down you'll be able to see the status of your passport. So if you've given in to you and you're waiting to track the status of your passport then the ppn status is what is going to tell you for that. So these are some of the solutions that we have found I really hope that it helps you out. There are many other challenges such as payment has been made but it's not reflected or the appointment has got randomly cancelled and honestly we are still working on finding the solutions to many such other issues and once we do we will definitely bring it out right here and share it with you so make sure to subscribe and stay tuned. Like I said with the new USA visa portal there is no clear handbook no guide and it really is about trial and error and figuring it out. So collaborating and helping each other out in finding solutions to this is the only way ahead so if you have any solutions which you want to share feel free to put it in the comment box below. You could also DM me on Instagram my Instagram handle is at shachi.mull. Also don't forget to download your free pdf the link for that is in the description box below. We also have tons of other useful resources like question banks and document checklist you will find all of that right below. If you want to work with me for your visa interview preparation you can do that as well you can do a one-to-one session to frame your answers prepare your profile or we can do a mock and the link for all of this is right below in the description box do take a look that's all for this video more useful content coming up right here on this channel so stay tuned signing off for now I'll see you in the next one.