A recent update on the Consular website indicates that effective September 1, 2013, all immigrant visa applicants from India are required to complete the new immigrant visa application form DS-260. This new electronic version of the immigrant visa application form replaces the paper based form DS-230 (Part I and II). The Principal Applicant, Attorney, Petitioner…

With effect from Friday, November 12, 2013, the U.S. consular exchange rate is adjusted to INR 65 to one US$. More recently, the consular exchange rate was revised to INR 68 to one US$ on September 26, 2013. This revision in the exchange rate will affect the INR equivalent for all application fees paid on…

Regular readers of MurthyIndiaDotCom are aware that the U.S. Citizenship Services Section of the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai, periodically provides outreach services at Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), to help U.S. citizens. The next outreach program at Bengaluru is scheduled for December 17 through 20, 2013. More information on the services offered and procedure to schedule an…

Regular readers of MurthyIndiaDotCom are aware that the U.S. Citizenship Services Section of the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai, periodically provides outreach services at Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), to help U.S. citizens. The next outreach program at Bengaluru is scheduled for November 18 through 22, 2013. More information on the services offered and procedure to schedule an…

Once a consular officer grants status as a Returning Resident (SB-1), the applicant must appear for an immigrant visa interview on a different date. We have received several inquiries seeking clarification of the immigrant visa application fee for such cases, because this is not clearly spelled out on www.ustraveldocs.com/in and the consular website. According to…

This is an important reminder for all immigrant visa applicants in India: immigrant visa applicants must create a profile on http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/, and choose a location for passport pick-up or delivery, upon successful completion of visa interview. Immigrant visa applicants also may create a profile and select a pick-up location by phoning into the helpdesk, reachable…

Under the new visa interview procedure, effective September 26, 2012, when an applicant schedules a visa appointment, s/he can choose an Offsite Facilitation Center or authorized Blue Dart office to hold the passport until s/he can collect it (if the visa is approved). Subscribers to MurthyIndiaBulletin and visitors to MurthyIndiaDotCom also are aware that applicants…

Regular readers of MurthyIndiaBulletin and MurthyIndiaDotCom are aware that a new visa application procedure has been in place in India since September 26, 2012. Under the new procedure, all nonimmigrant visa applicants requiring a personal interview must schedule two appointments – one with the Offsite Facilitating Centre (OFC) to complete biometrics, and the other with…

A recent notification indicates that, with effect from October 1, 2013, U.S. visa applicants from State of Bihar will fall under the Consular District of U.S. Consulate in Kolkata. Previously, they were covered under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. Since there is no restriction based on geographic location, U.S. visa applicants…

A recent update on the US Travel Docs website indicates that all applicants with non-immigrant visa interviews scheduled for September 11, 2013 at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate(s) in India will have to login to their profile at www.ustraveldocs.com/in and reschedule this to another date. This change affects only non-immigrant U.S. visa applicants in India…