In a press release dated March 23, 2020, the Embassy of India, Washington DC has notified that only restricted consular services are available at Indian consular missions in the U.S. following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Until further notice, the Indian consular missions in the U.S. will not accept: Applications for status as Overseas Citizen…

A recent update on the CEAC website indicates that Immigrant Visa payments which are showing a current status on “In-Process” are taking longer than usual to reflect final payment. This update is available here. Our readers may be aware that the display of various status like “Start Now”, “In-Process” and “Paid” generally indicate the three stages of…

The Department of State has announced that the consular posts worldwide will give priority and grant emergency visas to medical professionals, especially those who can treat or mitigate the effects of COVID-19. This update can be found here. Medical professionals with approved I-129 or I-140 (with current priority date) or valid form DS-2019 should approach…

The U.S. mission in India has arranged a series of flights to take back U.S. citizens and certain U.S. Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) to the United States.  There are two flights arranged for this week. One is scheduled to depart on April 7, 2020 and the other on April 10, 2020. The notification also indicates…

The Indian Government has issued an advisory the the F1 students in the United States. We urge Indian students in the United States to follow this link and take adequate precaution to ensure they not only stay safe, but also continue maintain valid status by doing the needful.

A recent update on the CEAC website indicates that they are experiencing technical difficulties and are working on fixing them. During this time, applicants accessing the forms may face some issues, including loss of data. If one is updating the forms at this time, it is important to review whether all the changes are reflected accurately prior to…

The unprecedented pandemic has literally brought the world to a stand-still. With the challenges on all of us, we at MISPL want to continue to take good care of all our clients, while ensuring the safety and care for all. We have enabled our office to function 100% remotely. We continue to offer our services to…

As of this writing it appears that the consulate is accepting fresh nonimmigrant visa applications eligible for dropbox. Additionally, applicants may submit documents in support of nonimmigrant INA 221(g) cases. The consulate is not processing immigrant visa related INA 221(g) cases at this time. This is a welcome relief for applicants eligible for the dropbox…

Effective Monday, March 16, 2020 all immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments in India stand cancelled until further notice on account of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Once consular services resume, one would be able to login to their profile on www.ustraveldocs.com/in and reschedule their appointment. At this time, it is not clear how long this may…

Generally, the visa for business or visa for pleasure, commonly referred to as the B1/B2 visa, is valid for a duration of 10 years in India based on visa reciprocity. Visa applicants wishing to renew their B1/B2 visas may use the drop-box facility if the most recent B1/B2 visa is valid or if it has…