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U.S. visa applicants were previously placed in a waiting room which just indicated that they need to wait before being let in. Last week, www.usvisascheduling.com has a new updated waiting room. The new page displays the average wait time before the URL is accessible.  Some users are being placed in virtual queues with estimated wait times stretching…

The Murthy Immigration Services has received numerous reports from U.S. visa applicants, regarding significant technical disruptions on the official U.S. Visa Scheduling portal (usvisascheduling.com). As of this writing, the portal appears to be experiencing a global outage, impacting applicants in India, the Philippines, and other regions transitioning to the new CGI Federal system. Users attempting to log…

Recent reports indicate that the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has instructed consular officers to ask all nonimmigrant visa applicants two questions regarding past harm and fear of return to their home countries, and to refuse visas when applicants indicate such fear. This change may affect individuals applying for visitor, student, and temporary worker visas…

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,…