USA - FAQ's

Immigration VISA - Forms, Applications, Fees

Applying for an Immigrant Visa

Detailed information on how to apply for an immigrant visa, priority dates, and documentation requirements can be had in person every workday afternoon from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Consular Office's Information Window opening onto the street at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. All applicants must submit certain personal documents such as passports, birth certificates, police certificates, and other civil documents, and evidence that they will not become public charges in the U.S. at the time of applying for a visa. The applicants will be informed of other documents needed as the applications are processed. Every applicant, regardless of age, must undergo a medical examination by a doctor designated by the U.S. Embassy before the issuance of an immigrant visa.

For more information in the New Delhi Consular District, call (11)419-0106
   

Fingerprint Requirements

The United States Department of State has announced that the current legal requirement that applicants for U.S. immigrant visas have their fingerprints cleared by the Federal Bureau of Investigation before visas can be issued will expire on April 30, 1998.

Applicants for U.S. immigrant visas who have previously been informed that they must appear at a U.S. consular office to have their fingerprints taken are advised that, as of May 1, 1998, this will not be necessary.

Immigrant visa applicants who have already given their fingerprints for clearance or who do so before May 1 must await the results of that process before further action can be taken in their cases.
    

Immigrant Visa Fees

The immigrant visa fees detailed below must be paid by a demand draft on a bank with a New Delhi branch in favor of "American Embassy New Delhi."

All fees are per person.

• Application Fee: Rs.11,440
  

• Issuance Fee: Rs.2,860
  

Appointments and Documentation for Immigrant Visa Interviews

Appointments are scheduled by the 10th of each month for the following month. Applicants are notified of their scheduled appointments through the mail and should come to the Embassy's Consular Office on the morning of the interview by 8:30 a.m., bringing with them their passports, all relevant documentation as requested, and bank drafts made out to American Embassy New Delhi to pay application fees (Rs.11,440) and issuance fees (Rs.2,860) for each person applying for a visa.

The application fees are paid to the cashier first thing in the morning; applicants are then seated until they are called for an interview. Most interviews take place before lunch. If no ineligibilities or technical problems arise, immigrant visas are issued on the day of the application on payment of the issuance fee.
     

Entry into the U.S.

Immigrant visas are valid for 120 days for a single entry into the United States. The principal beneficiary must travel to the United States, with or without other members of the family, before the expiry of the 120-day period. At the port of entry, each immigrant visa will be taken for filing and an entry stamp placed in the immigrant's passport. The entry stamp serves as visa documentation until the intending immigrant receives a Resident Alien ("Green") Card.

Priority Dates for Immigrant Visa Categories

Whenever there are more qualified applicants for a category than there are available numbers, the immigrant visas will be issued in the chronological order in which the petitions were filed. The filing date of the petition becomes the priority date.
In certain categories, there may be a waiting period of several years before a priority date is reached. Information on priority dates for immigrant visa categories may be obtained in several ways.
Applicants can check the dates which are posted in front of the Consular Office of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. In the United States, priority dates can be obtained by calling the Department of State in Washington D.C. at (202) 663-1541; the information is updated monthly.

Note: Priority dates for immigrant visa categories as well as a wealth of information about consular services and travel are also accessible on the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs homepage at: www.travel.state.gov
     

Contacting the Consular Office

In general there is no need to call the Consular Office. Immigrant visa beneficiaries will be informed by mail of each development in their cases as quickly as possible. If, however, you choose to call, information on the status of a case already at the New Delhi Embassy may be obtained between the hours of 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Callers from the U.S. may call for information anytime during local work hours of 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.