India

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US: February Visa Bulletin Update

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USCIS has determined that, next month, it will only accept employment-based adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is current for final action under the State Department’s February Visa Bulletin.

Employment-Based Priority Date Cut-offs for February 2017

To be eligible to file an employment-based adjustment application in February, employer-sponsored foreign nationals must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed below for their preference category and country.

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India: Biometrics Requirement Introduced in Austria and San Francisco

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According to a change in practice, foreign nationals seeking Indian visas in Austria will be required to visit an Indian visa application center to submit an Indian visa application on or after January 23, 2017. Additionally, foreign nationals filing in-person Indian visa applications in San Francisco must appear for biometrics at an Indian visa application center and must secure an appointment prior to visiting the application center.

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USA: February 2017 Visa Bulletin: Some Advancement in Final Action Dates for EB-2 China, EB-3 India and China

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According to the State Department’s February Visa Bulletin, immigrant visa availability dates for final action will advance by one month for EB-2 China, to November 15, 2012, while EB-2 India will remain at April 15, 2008.

The EB-3 subcategory for professionals and skilled workers will advance by three weeks for China, to October 1, 2013; one week for India, to March 22, 2005; nearly three months for the Philippines, to October 15, 2011; and two months for all other countries, to October 1, 2016. The EB-3 other worker subcategory will advance by one week for India, to March 22, 2005; nearly three months for the Philippines, to October 15, 2011; 

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USA: January Visa Bulletin Update

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USCIS has determined that, next month, it will only accept employment-based adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is current for final action under the State Department’s January Visa Bulletin.

Employment-Based Priority Date Cut-offs for January 2017

To be eligible to file an employment-based adjustment application in January, employer-sponsored foreign nationals must have a priority date that is earlier than the date listed below for their preference category and country.

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India: Minimum salary threshold to be simplified

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As part of the Indian government’s efforts to simplify the Indian visa system, the annual salary threshold for foreign nationals to be eligible for the employment visa category will be changed to INR 1,625,000 from USD 25,000. The reason for the change from USD to an amount in INR is primarily to protect employers and foreign employees from falling below the threshold due to foreign exchange fluctuation.

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India: Simplified visa system forthcoming

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India is revising its visa system to attract travellers and boost trade.

The first step will be a transformed e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme that will merge tourist, business, medical and conference visas into a 60-day multiple-entry visa under a new name.

The new scheme will be extended to nationals from eight additional countries, so nationals from a total of 158 countries will be eligible for the program.

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India: Residence reporting form requirement extended to two cities

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As part of its initiative to maintain updated records of foreign nationals and to curb potential overstays, the Ministry of Home Affairs has expanded the rule for hotels and landlords to report the occupancy of foreign tenants to the cities of Gurgaon and Jamnagar via the ‘Form C’. In addition, landlords in Gurgaon must submit a new Tenant Verification Form.

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India: Important information on Karnataka and Tamil Nadu situation

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Due to the Supreme Court of India’s ruling over the Cauvery River – an interstate water sharing issue that has increased political tensions in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, especially in Bangalore – foreign nationals in these areas should expect immigration application processing delays and rescheduled immigration appointments over the next week.

US: September Visa Bulletin

USCIS has determined that, next month, it will only accept employment-based adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is current for final action according to the State Department’s September Visa Bulletin.

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India, UK: Applicants for Indian visas at High Commission of London must appear in person

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Applicants for several categories of Indian visas in London will have to attend a mandatory biometrics appointment on or after August 19, 2016, with a few limited exceptions, according to an announcement by the High Commission of India. 

Applicants for the below categories will be subject to a personal appearance:

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Malaysia: Changes in multiple Employment Pass categories

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A new set of regulations by the Expatriate Services Division of the Immigration Department will implement three major changes to several Employment Pass (EP) categories on or after August 1, 2016.

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US: August 2016 Visa Bulletin

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According to the State Department’s August Visa Bulletin, cut-off dates for final issuance of an immigrant visa will be imposed for EB-1 India and China and for EB-2 Worldwide, as projected last month.  The cut-off dates for EB-1 India and China have been set at January 1, 2010, while the cut-off dates for EB-2 Worldwide have been set at February 1, 2014. According to the State Department, it was necessary to implement this retrogression given the high demand for classification in these categories.  It anticipates that these categories will be current again in October, the first month of fiscal year 2017.

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India: Deadline for OCI in Lieu of PIO card applications extended until December 31, 2016

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The deadline for Person of Indian Origin card holders to apply for the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) in lieu of Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card has been extended from June 30, 2016 to December 31, 2016.

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South Africa/India: Additional documentation required for visa applications submitted to VFS in India

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Following the announcement that foreign nationals in India must file South African visa applications at a VFS centre, VFS is now requiring additional supporting documents for Intra-company Transfer Work Visa Permit applications.

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United Arab Emirates: Consular process to be required for some employment visa applicants

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Employment visa (entry permit) applicants from certain countries will soon have to process their immigration applications through designated UAE consular service centres in their home country before entering the UAE, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).

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US: June Visa Bulletin update

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USCIS has determined that, next month, it will only accept employment-based adjustment of status applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is current for final action according to the State Department’s June Visa Bulletin. 

Employer-sponsored foreign nationals with a priority date that makes them eligible for filing, but not final action, will not be able to submit an adjustment application next month

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USA: May 2016 Visa Bulletin

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According to the State Department’s May Visa Bulletin, there will be modest advancement in the cut-off dates for final issuance of an immigrant visa for EB-2 and EB-3 India next month, while the cut-off dates in these categories for China will remain mostly unchanged.  In the EB-2 category, the final action cut-off date for India will advance by two weeks, to November 22, 2008, while China will remain at September 1, 2012. 

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India: Random police verifications implemented in Bangalore

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In line with the Ministry of Home Affairs’ efforts to maintain updated records for foreign nationals and curb potential overstays in India, the Bangalore City Police department is conducting random immigration status verifications. The goal of the checks is to enhance the security of foreign nationals in Bangalore.

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India: Appointment unavailability in Gurgaon causes delays

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The Foreigners' Registration Office (FRO) in Gurgaon has drastically cut down the number of available immigration appointments per day, resulting in a wait time of at least seven to ten business days.

This is particularly delaying registration applications, which are due within 14 calendar days of arrival and can only be made after arrival.

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India: Residence reporting form likely to become mandatory

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All hotels and landlords across India may soon be required to report the occupancy of foreign guests and tenants to local police stations, Foreigners’ Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) and Foreigners’ Registration Offices (FRO) through a form called ‘Form C’, similar to the practice already in effect in some Indian cities.

This will allow the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to maintain updated records of foreign nationals and to curb potential overstays.