Consulate General of the United States of America in Hyderabad

Consulate General of the United States of America Hyderabad
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent Michael Mullins since 7 September 2013
United States Department of State
Style	Consul General
Nominator	Barack Obama
Inaugural holder	24 October 2008
Website	http://hyderabad.usconsulate.gov/

The Consulate General of the United States of America, Hyderabad is a United States diplomatic mission located in Hyderabad. The consulate provides visa and consular services to the Indian citizens in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. It is housed in the historic Paigah Palace. It was the United States government's first new consulate general anywhere in the world since 1985, and also the first new United States consulate general in India since its independence in 1947.

Until the consulate opened in Hyderabad, the Consulate General of the United States, Chennai received about 40% of its visa applications from Andhra Pradesh. In early 2006, the then Chief Minister of the State Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy announced that the United States government has agreed to open a consulate in the capital city of Hyderabad. He also announced steps to provide temporary and permanent accommodation to the consular staff. This announcement came soon after the visit of President of the United States George W. Bush to the state capital. Hyderabad was chosen because of "its strategic location in terms of a large visa demand, a broad-based economy spanning information technology, bio-technology and other life sciences besides a diverse population, including Muslims." Soon after this, the then United States Ambassador to India David Campbell Mulford announced that the consulate will begin its operations in 2007 and inauguration planned for 2008. The purpose of opening the consulate in Hyderabad was to reduce the burden of the consulate in Chennai that issues the highest number of visas in India.