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Changes to
Immigrant Visa Application Procedure
[a report from
Murthy Immigration Services, Pvt. Ltd.
in Chennai, India]
Posted
Nov 03, 2006
©MurthyDotCom
The October 20, 2006 edition of the MurthyBulletin reported changes to the
nonimmigrant visa application system in Chennai, India. [That article,
Changes for Visa
Applicants in India, is available on MurthyDotCom.] The
American Embassy in Chennai has recently announced some changes to the
immigrant visa application system, as well.
©MurthyDotCom
As some MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers may be aware,
during the final stages of immigrant visa processing, the consulate sends
Packet 4, which contains the immigrant visa appointment letter along with
required forms, including details of medicals. Once the applicants receive
this, they must visit the consulate on the scheduled date and time with all
relevant documents. But with the new system effective from November 15 2006,
immigrant visa applicants will have to visit the nearest VFS office no
earlier than 15 working days and no later than 10 working days prior to the
date of interview to submit all documents required for the immigrant visa.
The applicants should also pay a courier fee of INR 365 in cash for each
applicant [It may be noted that this fee was paid by way of a demand draft
favoring Blue Dart Express Ltd., for INR 350]. The Embassy announcement
indicates that failure to do this may result in loss of the interview date.
©MurthyDotCom
Though it is preferable to submit all documents to VFS, it is understood
that the documents may be submitted directly to Consulate, but the
preference is to have this submitted to the VFS. However, it is mandatory to
pay the courier charges at the nearest VFS center ahead of the interview.
©MurthyDotCom
Since some clients of Murthy Immigration Services, Pvt. Ltd. (MIS) are
located in remote areas, we have clarified from the U.S. Consulate, Chennai
that the immigrant visa applicants may send their representatives to submit
the documents and pay the courier charges to the VFS center. Further it was
clarified that, in such cases, the medicals may be hand carried to the
interview by the applicant.
©MurthyDotCom
Previously, in immigrant cases for which the consulate had requested
additional documentation, applicants had to visit the consulate with these
documents. But as of November 1 2006, such applicants should submit all the
documents requested in the query to the VFS Center. As yet, the fee payable
for this service has not been provided.
©MurthyDotCom
The location of VFS centers for South India are as follows:
Chennai :
Gowthami Towers
2A First Street
Cenatoph Road, Teynampet
Chennai - 600
018
|
Bangalore :
102, The Presidency, 1st floor,
St. Marks Road
Bangalore - 560
025 |
Hyderabad :
Sunil Chambers, 1st floor
Road No. 7, Banjara Hills
Hyderabad -
500 034 |
Kochi :
3C, South Point Hinton
Chittoor Road, Near Kasba Police Station
Kacheripady, Ernakulam - 682 018 |
Revision in Exchange Rate as of November 13,
2006
©MurthyDotCom
In an October 31, 2006 press release, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi
announced that all United States consular sections in India will adjust the
consular exchange rate from INR 48 to the U.S. dollar to INR 46 to the U.S.
dollar. This change will become effective Monday, November 13, 2006. The
following schedule shows the revised fees for commonly used services.
|
Consular Fees |
New Rate |
Nonimmigrant Visa Application Fee $100
(all applicants - payable at HDFC
branches) |
INR |
4,600 |
Visa Issuance Fee $50
(most visas*, due upon issuance of visa) |
INR |
2,300 |
Visa Issuance Fee $500
(Blanket L-1** visa applicants
only) |
INR |
23,000 |
|
Passport Renewal Fee
(U.S. Citizens) |
INR |
3,082 |
|
New Passport Application
(Adults over 16) |
INR |
4,462 |
|
Passport Application Fee
(Children under 16) |
INR |
3,772 |
|
Single Notary Seal |
INR |
1,380 |
|
* Not applicable to Bhutanese
citizens, holders of yellow Identity Certificate and the
following visa types: A, C-1, C-1/D, D, F, G, J, K, M, T, V and
Blanket L-1 |
| **
This fee covers the cost of a fraud detection and prevention
investigation. Only applicable to Blanket L-1 principal
applicants, not dependents |
The consulate will
accept only bank drafts in the exact amount applicable on the day the
application is submitted. This
information can be found on the U.S. Embassy WebSite.
©MurthyDotCom
Complete Nonimmigrant Visa Application Forms
Online
©MurthyDotCom
In another
update, the U.S. Embassy, New Delhi has announced that, as of November
1, 2006, their office will not accept handwritten or typed applications.
This should not affect applicants who have scheduled their visa interviews
online using the VFS system. This applies more to persons returning to the
consulate with additional documentation or responding to a query. These
forms can be found on the U.S. Department of State (DOS) WebSite.
©MurthyDotCom
We at Murthy Immigration Services, Pvt. Ltd., shall continue to monitor
changes to the visa application system, keeping MurthyDotCom and
MurthyBulletin readers informed of the latest changes. Considering the fact
that there are frequent changes to the system, however, we do encourage visa
applicants to visit the VFS WebSite at
https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/Home.aspx and that of the appropriate U.S.
Consulate / Embassy for up-to-date information on procedures and other
formalities before applying for a U.S. visa.
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