Immigration News  |
| Changes in immigration that impact your life. |
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| Indian consulates may take longer to process certain B1 & F1 visas |
| February 04, 2005 |
The Indian embassy at New Delhi and the consulates at Chennai and Mumbai have
posted a notification on their websites advising certain visa applicants planning
to engage in high-tech related business or study to schedule their interviews
much in advance. It mentions that a limited number of students, scholars and business
persons involved in high-level scientific fields may need to have their visa application
referred to the Department of State for additional processing before the Embassy
may issue a visa.
Only the interviewing visa officer can make the determination whether an applicant’s
file needs additional processing. In most cases, this process takes between four
to six weeks, although it sometimes takes longer. Persons who think they may be
affected by this requirement should apply as early as possible. Students planning
advance studies in highly technical fields may need to ask TTS for an earlier
appointment. In doing so the applicant should make clear that they feel there
may be a need for additional processing necessitating an appointment at least
six weeks before the day they are due to report to their school or research facility.
Applicants can help make this process faster by being prepared for their visa
interviews. For example, graduate students and visiting scholars should bring
a copy of their resume or curriculum vitae (CV); a list of their publications
(if any); a summary of their past and future research; information on their advisor
or sponsor in the United States, including a mailing address and telephone number
(for example, a copy of his/her webpage); and a list of references. This information
should be in English. Applicants should also be ready to answer specific questions
about their research plans in the United States.
Checklist of required documents to bring for the interview:
- 156
- DS-157
- DS-158 (for students)
- Current CV/Resume
- Full list of all of your publications
Qualifications Questionnaire
In addition, the consulates request that the applicants complete a form
and bring a printed copy to the interview. The embassy at New Delhi and the Mumbai
consulate ask for the following information (For Chennai consulate questionnaire
click
here):
- Name and Passport Number
- Describe in detail your current field of research/work
- Describe your current position
- Provide dates and reasons for any past travel to the US
- Provide a detailed statement of the purpose of your visit to the US
- What organizations and individual facilities will you have access to in
the US?
- Describe in detail the real and potential applications of your work or
research. Assume that you are describing your work to a qualified professional
in your field
- What work, if any, does your US sponsor do for the US Government? Is any
of that work sensitive or classified? Will you be involved in the work?
- Describe in detail what research or work you will perform in the US and
explain how your trip to the United States will benefit or change your current
research or work
- Who is funding your trip?
- Provide a list of three references of people who are familiar with your
work or research. Please provide their names, professional title, and contact
information
- Provide your trip itinerary with contact information for where you will
be staying in the US. If you are a student, please provide the contact information
for the professors who will be overseeing your studies/research
- List the names of all accompanying travelers, including both family members
and colleagues
Applicants who do not bring complete information to the interview (e.g., their
resume and their research summary, and completed form) may have their applications
delayed even further, or may be refused a visa and asked to apply again.
As soon as the processing of the applicant’s visa is complete, the consulate
will contact the applicant and explain how he/she can pick up his visa. The applicant
does not need to make a new appointment and does not need to pay a new application
fee.
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