By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: A team of officials from the US Consulate General, Kolkata was in Shillong to provide information on visa procedures.
The visiting consular team hosted public information sessions on the requirements to apply for US visas. The sessions covered nonimmigrant tourist, business, student and exchange visit or visas. Attendees learnt who is eligible for nonimmigrant visas to the United States and receive information about application procedures.
On Friday the team had an interactive student visa presentation at the Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management. The team guided the students who assembled at the faculty lounge of the institute on various dos and don’ts while obtaining visas. The students also asked several questions pertaining to visa which were addressed by the team.
The team informed about various processes right from making application, interview processes and finally allotting a visa besides various rules and regulations.
They said that for obtaining a visa candidates have to carry with them a valid passport and previously issued passport, passport size photograph with a white background, DS-160 confirmation page with barcode, HDFC visa application fee receipts, VFS appointment letter, F and M student should bring I-20 and SEVIS receipt, J exchange visitors should bring SEVIS receipt and DS-2019.
The team informed that visas can even be refused as per 214(b) of US Immigration besides 221(g) dealing with administrative processing. Section 214(b) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act states that “Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for a visa that he is entitled to nonimmigrant status.”
This means that most visa applicants must convince the Consular Officer that he or she intends to return to his or her home country following a temporary stay in the United States, that his or her financial situation is such that he or she can afford the trip without having to seek unauthorized employment in the US and that the travel is for legitimate purposes permitted by the applicant’s visa category.
Section 221(g) deals with the legitimacy of an applicant’s petition. “Even after the approved petition, a Consular Officer may still discover new issues, such as petition approval being obtained through fraud, misrepresentation, or other unlawful means, or the beneficiary is not entitled to the status conferred by petition, or a Consular Officer discovers that the degree certificate presented is forged or the applicant does not have the necessary experience claimed that is required for the petition approval,” says a clause under 221(g).
However, applicants whose visa has been refused will be intimated in a written letter. In such cases where candidates produce fraud documents, they will become permanently ineligible for visa to US.
The team also warned applicants that nobody can “guarantee” a US visa in return of a fee and they should abstain from approaching any tout in this regard.
They also said that applicants can contact the US Consulate, Kolkata in its toll free number and email address for any assistance.
In case of student visas, they also urged the students to apply early as it cannot be said as to how much time it would take to issue a visa.
The team informed that India is the biggest recipient of H1B visas – which allows one to get employment in specialty occupations.