Embarking on a study abroad journey to the United States is an exciting yet challenging endeavor. To ensure a smooth transition, EducationUSA India and the U.S. Mission in India are offering a comprehensive Pre-Departure Orientation session, a virtual event which promises invaluable insights, tips, and expert advice covering various aspects of studying in the US.…

Non-immigrant Visa Interview Wait Times in India We have started a new weekly update on the current visa wait times at the Consular posts in India for non-immigrant visa appointments. This will be shared on the first working day of each week. Comparative table for Consular posts in India The below is a comparative table for…

At Murthy Immigration Services, we are often posed with the question on the wait times for U.S. visas applicants in India. In this news update, we are sharing a compilation of the wait times as on Monday, April 15, 2024. Comparative Table for Consular Posts in India For the convenience of our readers, we are…

In a recent update, the U.S. Embassy in India has notified that all B1/B2 interview waiver appointments have been consolidated in New Delhi beginning March 2024. While eligible applications can be submitted free of cost at the Visa Application Centers (VACs) in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai or New Delhi. Applicants may also submit their applications…

The application window for the pilot program on domestic renewal of H-1B visas closed on April 1, 2024. We had announced the commencement of this program in an earlier article. Important Dates Going Forward April 3, 2024: Qualifying U.S. Domestic H-1B visa renewal applicants from India who have already paid their fees and scheduled an…

Background Our regular readers and subscribers may be aware of the fact that on July 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) transitioned immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointment scheduling from USTRAVELDOCS to a new portal USVISASCHEDULING. This new system is currently being used at the U.S. Consular Missions in India, Australia, South Korea, and Japan. It is…

U.S. visa applicants using https://www.usvisascheduling.com should note that the website has been unavailable since this morning, Wednesday, March 27, 2024.  While accessing the website, users receive an error message which reads as follows: “Access to https://www.usvisascheduling.com was denied. You don’t have authorization to view this page. – HTTP ERROR 403”.  Hopefully this issue will be…

In a recent development, we have noticed that H & L visa applications are directed to the U.S. Consular posts in Chennai and Hyderabad. Background Until recently, H & L visa applicants requiring an in-person interview were able to schedule an appointment at any one of the consular posts in India. However, in recent times,…

The U.S. Consulate, Mumbai was unexpectedly closed on March 15, 2024, owing to accidental damage to water pipelines. Applicants with scheduled interviews with the consular post had to be sent back and were instructed to reschedule their interviews by logging on their profile on https://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/en/  on or after March 16, 2024. The system may not…

A Notification on the CEAC website indicates that the site will be unavailable between 8 a.m. EDT on Saturday, March 16, 2024 and 10 p.m. EDT on Saturday, March 16, 2024. This notification also indicates that the maintenance may extend beyond the scheduled time. This scheduled maintenance will only affect the immigrant visa applicants. This…