An update on the U.S. Embassy, New Delhi’s website notifies that with effect from January 19, 2010 all non-immigrant visa applicants need to complete Form DS-160. This form replaces the existing Form DS-156, DS-157 (for applicants aged 15 – 55 years) and DS-158 (for F, M and J applicants). Applicants Need To Complete DS-160 Online:…

At Murthy Immigration Services, we are often contacted by H1-B petitioners (Employers) / H1-B beneficiaries (Employees) for assistance with their application at U.S. Consulate / U.S. Embassy in India. In most instances they contact us after they receive a request for additional information under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. In this edition…

There may be instances when an applicant is not able to make it for the nonimmigrant visa interview due to some unavoidable situation. In such situations, it is possible to reactivate the HDFC Visa Fee receipt(s) for the remaining duration of validity of the receipt. A long standing notification on the U.S. Embassy – New…

In this issue of the MurthyIndiaBulletin, we will look into one of the most common visas applied at U.S. consulates across the globe – B1/B2 visa. B1 visa is for persons visiting the United States temporarily for business related activity. B2 visa is for person(s) visiting US for pleasure or family visits or for medical…

In general, a child born to a U.S. citizen parent or parents is eligible for U.S. Citizenship by way of birth to a U.S. Citizen parent. When such children are born outside of the United States, if some conditions / eligibility criteria are met, the parents may register the birth of child at a U.S.…

At MurthyIndiaDotCom, we are often contacted by applicants whose applications are pending for several months on account of a security advisory opinion (SAO). In this edition of the MurthyIndiaBulletin, we look at the SAO and general guidelines to be considered while responding to the questionnaire, which could help expedite the process. Applicants Generally Subject to…

In our earlier bulletins, we described the general procedures and guidelines on applying for a non-immigrant U.S. visa from India. In this bulletin, we are providing valuable tips while applying for student visas (F1/M1). One may be aware that F1 visa (Academic Student) is for students who wish to pursue their education as a full-time…

This is the second of our two-part article on the subject of applying for a U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa in India. Here we provide information on completing appropriate visa application forms online, scheduling the visa interview, preparation for the visa interview and on procedure post visa interview. Now that we have purchased the HDFC receipt and…

Till recently the U.S. Consulate in Chennai used to receive close to 1,300 U.S. visa applications every day. With the opening of U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad, which currently processes around 300 to 400 applications every day with a target of processing 500 applications every day, we understand the numbers in Chennai have reduced considerably. While…