Effective April 1, 2026, India has transitioned to a fully digital e‑Arrival Card system for inbound passengers, replacing traditional paper disembarkation forms to streamline immigration and enhance data accuracy. Under this mandate, all foreign nationals and OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cardholders flying into India must submit their arrival details online before entering the country.…

Nonimmigrant visa applicants in India will now have to submit the visa application form DS160 prior to scheduling an appointment. Previously, it was sufficient if the applicant submitted the form DS160 up to two business days prior to the date of biometric appointment. Applicants will have to provide accurate information on the form DS160 and…

The U.S. consular posts in India have revised the exchange rate from INR 94 to a USD to INR 96. This came into effect from April 1, 2026. This change does not affect any payment made prior to April 1, 2026. This change will affect the effective INR equivalent for both immigrant and non-immigrant visa…

Effective March 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of State will expand its social media vetting requirements to a broader range of nonimmigrant visa applicants. The policy now covers several additional visa categories, requiring applicants to make their social media profiles publicly accessible to facilitate enhanced screening. Background: The U.S. government has, in recent years, increasingly…

The U.S. Department of State has expanded its B-1/B-2 Visa Bond Pilot Program effective April 2, 2026, adding 12 new countries to the list of nationals who may be required to post a refundable bond as a condition of visa issuance. Background: The Visa Bond Pilot Program was introduced through a temporary final rule and…

Following the recent impasse on H-1B visas, the U.S. Visa Scheduling portal has made some changes to the visa scheduling module. The system has reorganized some of the visa categories and added new event-specific category.  Background:  While scheduling a non-immigrant visa appointment, H and L visas were grouped together under the “H & L” category. This included…

The U.S. Consular Exchange Rate has been adjusted to INR 94 per US dollar. This modification will impact both non-immigrant and immigrant visa fees, as well as charges for services provided to U.S. citizens. It may be recalled that the previous rate was INR 92 per US dollar and this was revised on September 29,…

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an interim final rule on January 14, 2026 aimed at reducing visa wait times for thousands of religious workers abroad, a move expected to ease staffing challenges for faith-based organizations across the United States.  Under the new policy, the longstanding one-year foreign residency requirement for certain…

The U.S. Department of State (DoS) recently announced an indefinite suspension of processing of immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries. The US DoS has noted that migrants from these countries are likely to rely on U.S. public welfare programs. This suspension in processing of immigrant visas is a part of an expanded enforcement of…

The new DHS rule replaces the purely random H‑1B cap lottery with a wage‑weighted selection system that significantly improves the odds for higher‑paid, higher‑skilled positions starting with the FY‑2027 cap season. Employers will need to adjust registration, wage, and compliance strategies now to remain competitive and avoid misrepresentation findings in future cap filings. Key features…