In this article, we outline the process whereby consular staff at U.S. embassies and consulates may require additional security clearance from State Department headquarters in Washington D.C., prior to issuing visas for certain applicants. Consular staff typically request a Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) in cases where an applicant is potentially ineligible under Section 212 (a)…

Regular readers of our bulletin and visitors to our website are aware of the SB-1 category of visa. Generally, U.S. lawful permanent residents (LPRs) should maintain their residence in the U.S., and if an LPR spends more than 12 months outside the U.S. without obtaining a “Re-entry permit,” s/he loses their LPR status. Under certain…

The CEAC website provides access to the latest U.S. non-immigrant and immigrant visa application forms. This site has been enhanced on August 1, 2012 to provide new features. In this article we take a look at some of the new features. Status of Visa Application Both non-immigrant and immigrant visa applicants have the option to…

he U.S. Embassy / Consulates in India (Except Kolkata) may provide group visa appointment for U.S. non-immigrant visa applicants, travelling to the United States to participate in a program or event. In this article, we take a look at when one can request for a group appointment and the procedure for the same. Purpose of…

Immigrant visa applicants living outside the United States are required to undergo a medical examination by an approved panel physician, normally as part of their visa interview at the U.S. Embasssy / Consulate in the applicant’s country of residence. In this article, we alert our readers to some recent changes in the approved list of…

BLS International Services US (BLS) has been appointed as the authorized Visa and Passport Application Centre for the Indian Embassy / Consulates in the United States of America, with effect from May 7, 2013. BLS will be responsible for handling the following services in the United States: 1) All Indian Passport related Services; 2) Applications…

In January 2012, we had detailed the procedure for a legal permanent resident (LPR) to obtain a “Transportation Letter”, which can be found here. Introduced in April 2012, the Lincoln Boarding foil has replaced the “Transportation Letter”. In this article, we take a look at the current procedure to obtain a “Boarding Foil” from India. Situations…

This article is intended to provide general guidance for F-2 visa applicants: dependents of nonimmigrant students who hold or seek F-1 status. Readers of the MurthyIndiaBulletin and MurthyIndiaDotCom may be aware that spouses and unmarried minor children — under 21 years of age — who are accompanying or following to join the F-1 student, are…

Regular visitors to MurthyIndiaDotCom and subscribers to the MurthyIndiaBulletin are aware that the Visa Interview Waiver Program (IWP) was introduced in March 2012 by the U.S. Embassy and Consulate(s) in India. Eligibility for IWP Under the IWP program, U.S. non-immigrant visa applicants who previously held a B-1/B-2, C-1/D, J-2, L-2, or H-4 visa were eligible…

Regular visitors to MurthyIndiaDotCom and subscribers to the MurthyIndiaBulletin will be aware of the new visa application procedure introduced in India, with effect from September 26, 2012. Because any new process will face challenges, in this article, we take a look at some potential pitfalls of the new system that could cause delay in the…