Immigrant Visas
General Information
Important Announcement: Effective Wednesday, February 01, 2012, all immigrant visa inquiries will be handled by VFS. Please direct emails to infousmumbai@vfshelpline.com or call 0120 6611411 for questions and inquiries.
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The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai will no longer process Immigrant Visa petitions as of January 1, 2012. The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai will no longer process Immigrant Visa petitions as of January 1, 2012. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and U.S. Consulate in Mumbai will become the only acceptance centers in India for Immigrant Visas. The Immigrant Visa allows an individual to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis, as well as provide the immigrant the opportunity to work towards U.S. citizenship. Examples of Immigrant Visa based petitions are those that work toward family reunification of parents, children and siblings. These petitions also include Fiancée and the unique employer category, where one’s employer can petition for the individual and their dependents to immigrate to the United States. This change affects only the locations for processing of Immigrant Visas; it does not change the law or policy for visa processing. Applicants currently in the process of petitioning for an Immigrant Visa may contact ChennaiIVU@state.gov for clarification on their status. |
Immigrant visas are for persons who plan to live permanently in the United States. Processing an immigrant visa takes time and planning. Please review the information on the left side of this web page about eligibility, fees and documents required.
Most immigrant visas (IV) require a petition approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) before any IV processing starts. For additional information on the IV petition approval process is available on the USCIS site.
If you would like information on a visa other than an immigrant visa, such as a visa for a short-term stay in the U.S. to vacation, conduct business or study, please follow the link to the main nonimmigrant visas page.
In order to process an immigrant visa to the U.S., all applicants must complete the necessary forms, provide all relevant documentation, pay the immigrant visa fees, and appear for an interview. Immigrant visa formas are available at the Department of State Travel site.
For additional inquiries regarding immigrant visas, please write to infousmumbai@vfshelpline.com.
DV Scam Alert
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Diversity Visa Program Scammers sending Fraudulent Emails and Letters
The Department of State, Office of Visa Services, advises the public of a notable increase in fraudulent emails and letters to Diversity Visa(DV) program(Visa Lottery) applicants. The scammers behind these fraudulent emails and letters are posing as the U.S. government in an attempt to extract payment from DV applicants. All applicants should be familiar with information about DV scams provided by the Federal Trade Commission. Applicants are encouraged to review the rules and procedures for the DV program so that you know what to expect, when to expect it and from whom. For more information, please click here.