Summary of U.S. Immigration Related Changes at U.S. Consulates / Embassy in India

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The year 2011 saw many changes in the visa process in India and worldwide. We are summarizing some of the significant changes in India for the benefit of our readers.

Looking back at the immigration issues faced by Indian Nationals, especially workers on H1-B jobs, we urge H1-B workers who are employed in consulting firms to reconsider their travel plans if they need to obtain a visa to return to the U.S. It is important to understand that mere approval of the petition for H1-B visa by the USCIS does not entitle one to a H1-B visa stamp at the Consulate. The consulate may scrutinize lots of information and since they have the opportunity to interview the H1-B beneficiary first-hand, officers could indicate that new evidence is available to them (that was previously unavailable to the USCIS at the time of approval) and return the petition for reconsideration and possible revocation. So it is important for such workers to limit their travel to absolute necessity until this situation gets better. In India, following the confusion and lack of uniformity over the adjudication of blanket L visa applications, this process has been consolidated and with effect from December 1, 2011 all blanket L applications are now processed only at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai. Interestingly all immigrant visa applications from south India will be processed at the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai with effect from January 8, 2012.

Other Notable Changes are listed below

The consular exchange rate has been revised several times following the fall of Indian Rupee in the international market and the current exchange rate is INR 54 to a US$.
The wait times for visa interviews have been reduced and now, the interview dates are available with a wait time for 3 to 5 working days in most cases.
The communication channel for all U.S. Consulates and Embassy in India has been routed through the VFS helpline – VFS Global is a trusted partner to the U.S. diplomatic mission in India and manages the administrative function of the visa application process.
The U.S. Consulate in Mumbai moved to a bigger and better location and resumed all services. During the short period of relocating, some of the services were suspended.

We will continue to bring the latest in U.S. visa application procedures and adjudication trends to our subscribers and readers of MurthyIndiaBulletin and MurthyIndiaDotCom.