Regular visitors to MurthyIndiaDotCom and subscribers to our bulletin may be aware that any lawful permanent resident (LPR) who stayed outside the United States for a year or more will have to qualify as a returning resident (SB1) in the absence of a valid “re-entry permit.”  The form used to apply for this status is…

An affidavit of support (form I-134) is used to show that visa applicants have sponsorship and will not become public charges while in the United States. This form is provided in support of U.S. non-immigrant visa applicant(s) or a lawful permanent resident(s) who qualifies as a returning resident (SB1). A new version of form I-134…

Any beneficiary of a family- (I-130) or employment- (I-140) based immigrant application will have to visit the consulate for a personal interview if s/he has opted for consular process. Apart from this, certain U.S. citizens temporarily domiciled in India may be eligible to file I-130 at the USCIS field office in New Delhi for parents/spouse…

Following the demise of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Selvi. J. Jayalalitha, the U.S. Consulate will remain closed on Wednesday, December 7, 2016. The Consulate is expected to resume regular operations on Thursday, December 8, 2016. Applicants who were scheduled to attend an interview at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai on December 7,…

On account of the critical health condition of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the related situation in Chennai, the Non-immigrant Visa Unit of the U.S. Consulate in Chennai has cancelled all interviews scheduled on Monday, December 5, 2016. Since all the applicants would have completed their biometrics already, they need to login to their…

We had reported earlier that consular posts in India are experiencing longer wait times for visa appointment. A recent update on the official visa information website of the U.S. Mission in India indicates that the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and the four U.S. Consular posts in India have made thousands of extra visa appointments.…

We at Murthy Immigration Services are often contacted by U.S. visa applicants inquiring about the difference between U.S. visa application centers and document pick-up / drop-off locations in India. In this article, we are providing clarity on the same. In India there are only 5 visa application centers. These are located in New Delhi, Mumbai,…

Immigrant Visa applicants in India now have the option to request both their passport and visa to be mailed to their home address, as long as both documents are serviced by Blue Dart. Previously, immigrant visa applicants had to choose from one of the 11 pickup locations to collect the passport. Under the new system, immigrant…

In light of the increased demand for nonimmigrant visa appointments in India, U.S. nonimmigrant visa applicants are permitted to reschedule their visa interview only twice after scheduling an appointment. After the second reschedule, the system will not permit any further changes to the appointment. If the applicant needs to further reschedule an appointment, s/he must…

With effect from Thursday, June 30, 2016, the consular exchange rate has been revised to ₹70 to one US$. This revision in exchange rate will affect the Indian rupee equivalent for all application fees paid on or after June 30, 2016. The revision is applicable across all non-immigrant and immigrant visa applications, and American Citizenship…