CONSULAR FOCUS: BOMBAY, INDIA

Telephone Numbers: (91)(22)363-3611; fax: (91)(22)363-0350 (inquiries about cases may be made by calling the Visa Information Unit between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm on workdays.

Address: 	American Consulate General
		Lincoln House
		78 B. Desai Road
		Bombay, 400 026, India

Nonimmigrant Visas:

Nonimmigrant visas applications are accepted between 8:30 am to 11:30 am on regular work days (between March and September, the consulate may open as early as 7:15 am). Appointments are not given and only applicants who are in line prior to 11:30 am are processed each day. Applications must be accompanied by a recent full-face non-glossy photo on a light background. The application fee for a non-immigrant visa is currently in excess of 800 rupees. If the visa is approved, the applicant will pay for the visa and return at 4:00 pm to pick up the passport at the window outside the consulate.

Certain applications may be submitted via a drop box window facing the street (the hours of acceptance at the drop box are the same as listed above and pickup is also at 4:00 pm). Applicants eligible for drop box following include the following:

• persons holding diplomatic or official passports;
• persons who have been in the US within the last six years if they were over the age of 18 at the time;
• person at least 60 years old with permanent resident or US citizen children, grandchildren, or siblings in the US (if they have a notarized affidavit of support from the sponsoring family member);
• airline crew members on duty;
• certain shipping company applications for seamen; and
• military or police officerts travelling on duty.

For those denied a visa because of inability to show non-immigrant intent, reapplying for a non-immigrant visa is permissible after three working days. If the application is denied a second time, for a period of two years, reapplying is only permitted by mail. If the mailed in application appears acceptable, the applicant will be invited back to the consulate for an additional interview.

About 2/3 of non-immigrant visa applications are approved, but less than half of student applications are.

Due to a high reported fraud rate, certain cases receive greater scrutiny than others. These include tourist visa applications filed by young single people (who are presumed to be coming to the US to marry), student visas filed by young, single people, elderly parents of US permanent residents and citizens and crewment.

Immigrant Visas:

Applicants must be in line by 8:15 the morning of the appointment. Between March and September, applicants will be admitted 45 minutes earlier to pay the application fee and submit the application with supporting documents. Approved visas may be picked up by the visa applicant at 3:00 pm the day of the interview. If you are submitting additional documents after being previously refused, you must be in line by 7:45 am.

Processing generally take two to three months from receipt of the Packet 3 sent back by the applicant. The Bombay consulate will sometimes consider processing a case on the basis of receiving an INS cable. Note that immigrant visa applications for persons in the Calcutta consular district are processed in Bombay.

Medical Exams may be received at the following locations:

Breach Candy Hospital (located in the neighborhood of the consulate). Allow at least three working days for completion of the examinations and tests.