PEOPLE wanting to transfer American visas to their new British Nationality (Overseas) passport have increased the workload of United States consular officials by 20 per cent.
A consulate spokesman said the increase was coupled with applications by students wishing to visit the US over the summer.
People in the last phase of BNO applications - those born between 1947 and 1956 - wanted their business visas transferred from their British Dependent Territory Citizen passports, the spokesman said.
Both passports can be used until 1997, but only the BNO can be used afterwards.
'Our workload has gone up significantly. People prefer to just have the one passport so it is fair enough that they transfer across their visas,' the spokesman said.
Applications for BNO passports closed at the end of February for those born from 1947 to 1956. The current intake is for people born before 1947 and closes at the end of this month.