An update on the official visa information website of the U.S. Mission in India indicates that the consular exchange rate (which is currently INR 70 to 1 USD) is set to change on August 27, 2018. Any payments made on or after this date will be affected. It is important to check the current consular…

If one is beneficiary of a cap-based H1B approved under FY2019 quota, s/he may apply for a H1B visa based on the approval. Most of the U.S. embassies / consulates in the world accept applications for an H1B visa up to 90 calendar days ahead of the start date mentioned on the approval notice. It is…

A: Each Individual must meet IWP eligibility independently Our regular readers are aware that certain applicants with nonimmigrant visas issued on or after January 1, 2008 are eligible for the interview waiver program (IWP) to renew their visas without having to appear for a personal visa interview with the consular officer. IWP eligibility criteria is…

We reported when USCIS launched Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Immigration Records SysTem (FIRST), which allows FOIA requestors to submit, manage, and receive FOIA requests entirely online. As part of phase one, after submission of request by mail, fax, or email, users / FOIA requestors were only able to login to their account and download…

Regular visitors to our website and subscribers to our bulletin would be aware that the immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants must complete the respective visa application forms on the CEAC website. The CEAC portal for immigrant visa applicants was temporarily unavailable from July 20 to July 31, 2018. On account of this, Immigrant visa applicants…

This update is to alert U.S. non-immigrant visa applicants in India on the availability of visa interview slots for most categories of visa. We had earlier reported on the long wait times at U.S. Embassy and Consulates across India. However, over the last couple of days, we have noticed that several visa interview slots have…

In May 2018, we reported that there is a substantial increase in the average wait time for nonimmigrant visa interview appointments in India. The long wait for nonimmigrant visa appointments continues. On an average, it now takes anything from 5-to-7 weeks or even more at most consulates for a nonimmigrant visa interview appointment. We urge…

Subscribers and regular visitors to MurthyIndiaDotCom may be aware of the eligibility and process involved for Dropbox / Interview Waiver Program (IWP) for nonimmigrant visa applicants in India. Until recently, in order to comply with the interview waiver checklist, a person seeking to renew H or L visa or the respective dependent(s) visa had to…

Interview Waiver Program (IWP) for nonimmigrant U.S. visa applicants in India was introduced in the third week of March 2012. This update can be found here. Since its introduction, this program has constantly evolved. Applicants eligible for the interview waiver program fall under two categories: (i) Interview Waiver (Requiring Biometric Appointment Only) and (ii) Interview…

As our readers are aware, CGI Federal Inc. (CGI Federal) collects and processes information from all U.S. visa applicants in support of visa applications. CGI Federal has updated their privacy policy to keep visa applicants informed on how personal information collected from the visa applicant is handled. U.S. visa applicants are aware that personal data…