What's New?

U.S. Embassy Announces New Systems For Visa Applicants (September 20, 2005)

V.F.S. service charge for non-immigrant visa applications at the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai is Rs.276 per passport. Payment can be made by demand draft drawn in favor of HDFC Bank a/c VFS payable at Chennai.

All appointments for visa interviews at the Consulate General are made via the Internet at http://www.vfs-usa.co.in/.

Interested applicants must schedule their appointments through the website http://www.vfs-usa.co.in/.

National Call Center : info@vfs-usa.co.in

If you have an emergency need to travel urgently:

The option to self-select an emergency appointment is now live on the http://www.vfs-usa.co.in/ system. Below are the criteria used in order for someone to self-select an appointment. Appointments are available until end of August for those that qualify.

You first need to enter all the personal details and only then can you choose the emergency appointment option.

Step by step procedure to fix an Emergency Appointment

All applicants must visit a designated HDFC bank branch to pay both the visa application fee (MRV) Rs. 4600 and VFS service fee Rs. 276, before scheduling their appointment.

1. Log on www.vfs-usa.co.in
2. Click on Apply for Non Immigrant Visa; click CONTINUE listed at the bottom of the screen.
3. Answer the question, -Do you have a BEP user ID?- - say yes or no, click continue
4. On the next screen choose the Create a new application, click continue
5. Answer all questions: Purpose of travel, select, select all mandatory fields, click continue
6. Which shows earliest available dates, click continue
7. Next screen shows, if you need to proceed please enter the following, mention passport expiry date here, scroll down windows
8. Click Continue. On the next screen enter name, passport no, serial no of HDFC receipt and personal information. Click continue.
9. DS 156 application appears on screen, complete this application.
10. If your case requires an emergency appointment, answer YES. If the applicant is eligible, can schedule the emergency appointment.

Visa applicants must make an appointment for a visa interview and fingerprint collection. In New Delhi, Chennai and Calcutta, applicants should make appointments on-line at http://www.vfs-usa.co.in/, or by visiting the offices of Visa Facilitation Services in Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin, Vijaywada or Hyderabad if applying from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, or Tamil Nadu. Applicants from Maharastra, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh may make appointments on-line at www.visa-services.com or by visiting the office of the Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, or Pune. Contact information and locations for Visa Facilitation Services Services can be found on the U.S. Embassy web-site.

Visa applicants must make an appointment for a visa interview and fingerprint collection. In New Delhi, Chennai and Calcutta, applicants should make appointments on-line at , or by visiting the offices of Visa Facilitation Services in Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin, Vijaywada or Hyderabad if applying from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, or Tamil Nadu. Applicants from Maharastra, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh may make appointments on-line at www.visa-services.com or by visiting the office of the Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, or Pune. Contact information and locations for Visa Facilitation Services Services can be found on the U.S. Embassy web-site.

The embassy reminds applicants that all posts in India experience delays in the availability of appointments during the spring and summer months, and this year is no exception. The longest delays are in Chennai, due to the higher volume of applications, but delays at all posts are at least several weeks long. Applicants from Chennai with urgent travel needs, who have good English skills and have not previously been refused a visa, may make appointments for visa interviews in New Delhi by going on-line at the internet address for Visa Facilitation Services given above. Should a sufficiently quick appointment not be available on-line, each post has procedures in place to handle genuine requests for unanticipated urgent travel.

USCIS Implements H-1B REform Act of 2005. Click here for information

New Consular Fees Schedule. Click here for information

U.S. Adjusts Consular Exchange Rate. Click here for more information

Indian Passports with 20 Years Validity

In past years, the Government of India issued some passports with 20-year validity periods. This information is not widely known in the international community and has caused some Indian travelers with 20-year passports to experience difficulties with immigration personnel. The United States Government recognizes and accepts the Indian 20 year passports as valid travel documents duly issued by the Government of India to Indian citizens. However, in March 2004, the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC advised persons holding Indian passports with 20 year validity to apply for a new 10 year validity passports.

Persons holding Indian 20 year passports who wish to change them for 10 year passports should contact the Indian passport office directly regarding the modalities for doing so. Persons with a valid US visa in their old passport may still use that visa by carrying both the old and new passport when they travel. Persons with a 20-year Indian passport who will apply for a new U.S. visa may do so using the 20-year Indian passport if they so wish. Persons who do not yet have a visa, or who have a visa that is expired, or who have a visa that will expire in the next year and who intend to change their passport in the near future are advised to make the change in passport before applying for their U.S. visa rather than after. Persons who change their passport after making their visa interview appointment should bring the old passport or a photocopy to the visa interview.

Important Information on Visa Appointments and Visa Processing

Visa Appointments:

High demand for visas during peak travel times and the need to take additional steps to ensure the safety of the traveling public is likely to result in periodic increases in the wait time for visa appointments. The information below is updated on a weekly basis.

Average length of time to obtain an appointment for a non-immigrant visa interview in Chennai: click here.

Average length of time to obtain an appointment for a non-immigrant visa interview in New Delhi: click here.