The Indian government has extended the June 30, 2017 deadline for applying for conversion of Person of Indian origin (PIO) cards to Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards until December 31, 2017.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in 2014 that the PIO and OCI cards will be merged with the objective to grant optimum benefits to the Indian […]

The U.S. Global Entry programme has rolled out for the Indian citizens on July 3, 2017 thereby allowing expedited clearance of pre-approved, low risk travellers. Besides Indian citizens, U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders) and citizens of Colombia, United Kingdom, Germany, Panama, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and Mexico are eligible for the […]

All U.S. employers that sponsor an H-1B foreign worker are required to maintain certain documents related to the worker in a Public Access File (“PAF”) which is to be kept either at the employee’s actual place of work or the employer’s principal place of business.  The PAF is an important element of employment related immigration compliance and […]

The USCIS has issued a revised version of Form 1-9, the use of which will become mandatory beginning September 18, 2017.  The Form I-9 is used by employers for verifying identity and employment authorization of newly hired employees.  The key change in the new form is the revision related to the list of acceptable documents […]

A foreign national entering the U.S. is issued a Form I-94 by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the port of entry.  The Form I-94 is essentially an arrival/departure record that states the date until which the foreign national can lawfully remain in the U.S., after which he or she is required to […]

The U.S. Department of State sent out a cable on July 12, 2017 to all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, instructing them to inform their host governments regarding new standards pertaining to U.S. travel and immigration.  These new standards that have been set out in the State Department’s cable apply to 191 countries and have […]

Biometric enrollment comprising fingerprints and facial image scans will be taken along with the visa applications at the VFS India Application Centers in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.  Applicants availing the electronic visas however, will be required to enroll their biometrics with the immigration authorities at the select ports of entry upon landing.  Process to Enroll Biometrics […]

The State of Israel recently launched a new type of visa called the “Innovation Visa Program”, which is a joint project of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Interior which is the State agency that issues visas to Israel. This visa program might be of interest as it is specifically introduced for entrepreneurs […]

The Indian government had introduced a new visa category – the Intern Visa – earlier this year in an effort to keep up with growing business needs and trends.  The Intern visa is available to foreign nationals intending to pursue an internship with NGOs, companies and educational institutions in India.  Detailed guidelines regarding this visa category have been issued by a few Indian consulates thereby bringing more […]

International travelers whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives or to attend a short-term yoga programme, are eligible to enter India on an electronic tourist visa (e-TV). The validity of this type of visa is 60 days from the date of arrival in India with double […]