Note: The Government of India can amend or revise the visa/ project clearance procedure at any given point of time. USIEF will keep all the grantees updated about the process.

General Visa Guidelines

Below you will find most updated information regarding entry visas for U.S. Fulbright students and scholars. Note: The Government of India can amend or revise the visa/ project clearance procedure at any given point of time. Indian Consulates/Embassies have the prerogative to ask for additional information or documents. Therefore, USIEF advises that you follow the instructions given by Indian Consulate/Embassy on their website. Do not proceed to India unless you receive an appropriate visa or project clearance (for OCI card holders). If you experience any problems throughout the visa application process, please contact Priyanjana Ghosh or Neeraj Goswami at USIEF.

IMPORTANT: As per latest Government of India directives, all Fulbright grantees, including research scholars, teachers, and professionals, must apply for a Student Visa. All Fulbright dependents must also apply for a Student Visa.

Before applying for your visa, please ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond the completion of your grant.

For grants that are between 5 to 12 months in length, you must apply for a Multiple Entry one-year Student Visa. The following grants can be from 5-12 months in length:

Fulbright-Nehru Student Researchers
Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Awardees

The endorsement in your visa should read: “Registration required within 14 days of arrival in India for visas valid for more than 180 days.”

For grants less than five months, you must apply for a 180 days Multiple Entry Student Visa. The following grants can be for less than five months in length.

Fulbright-Nehru Distinguished Scholar
Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Awardees (grant duration less than five months)

The endorsement in your visa should read: “Each stay not to exceed 180 days, hence no registration required.”

Step One: Receive Certificate of Affiliation (CoA) approximately 8-10 weeks in advance from USIEF before your travel date

USIEF is arranging your placement with the Indian institution which you requested or which USIEF has identified as an appropriate placement. The Indian institution confirms affiliation for you by issuing a one-page document entitled “Certificate of Affiliation,” which will be signed and stamped by the designated official at the affiliating institute. Generally, an Indian institution takes four to six weeks to send a certificate of affiliation to USIEF. However, some institutions may take a little longer. USIEF will send your CoA as well as an invitation letter on USIEF letterhead which you should submit along with your USIEF grant document when you apply for the visa.

Step Two: Complete the Indian Visa Application Form and Compile Required Documentation

It is very important that you follow the process outlined on the website of the Indian Consulate/ Embassy that serves your jurisdiction. Use the same project title and statement as mentioned in your IIE Fulbright application for your visa application process.

Important Information for Fulbrighters accompanied by minor dependents:
Fulbrighters who will be accompanied by minor dependents during their grant period are required to submit a Parental Authorization form, signed by both parents and notarized. This document is necessary when applying for a dependent student visa.

Please see below the list of Indian Consulate/Embassy and the visa/ project clearance link on their website:

Consulate General/ Embassy	Jurisdiction	Email Address
Embassy of India, Washington D.C.	Bermuda, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia	visa1.washington@mea.gov.in
Consulate General of India, Atlanta	Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virgin Islands	cons.atlanta@mea.gov.in
Consulate General of India, Chicago	Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin	cons.chicago@mea.gov.in
Consulate General of India, Houston	Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado	visa.houston@mea.gov.in
Consulate General of India, New York	Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont	visa.newyork@mea.gov.in
Consulate General of India, San Francisco	Arizona, California, Territory of Guam, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah	acovisa.cgisf@mea.gov.in
Consulate General of India, Seattle	Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming

Step Three: Approximately 6-8 weeks before your travel date, submit your application to the respective Indian Consulate/ Embassy that serves your jurisdiction in the U.S.

If you are of Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage, please submit your application at least three months in advance.

Apply for REGULAR/PAPER VISA APPLICATION AND MAKE APPLICATION FOR ‘Student VISA’ and under sub-category select ‘Research Scholar on Bilateral Exchange Programme’ or ‘dependent of Research Scholar on Bilateral Exchange Program as applicable.

Step Four: Wait approximately four weeks for your visa

The Indian Embassy/Consulate will require approximately two weeks to issue the visa, unless the Embassy or Consulate determines that more questions about the application are necessary, in which case it will take longer. Immediately upon receipt of your passport from the Indian Consulate/Embassy, please confirm that you and your dependents have received the correct visas. Contact the Consulate/Embassy if there is any discrepancy. Please send a scanned copy of your and your dependents’ visas immediately to USIEF upon receiving it.

Please Note: An Indian visa is valid beginning on the day it is issued. For example, a one-year visa issued on July 1 will be valid until June 30 of the following calendar year. Also note that ‘Student’ visa can be used only for Fulbright-Nehru grant duration. Any violation of visa may jeopardize your stay and future visits to India.

Once you have received your passport, it is your responsibility to immediately verify that:

you received a student visa for yourself and your dependent(s)
the visa for your intended stay is valid for the dates for your visit
you have received the proper endorsement in your visa

Please notify USIEF immediately if:

you did not receive a student visa for yourself and your dependent(s)
your visa length does not cover the entire length of your grant
you have a “registration required” stamp if your grant is less than 180 days in length
you have a “each stay not to exceed 180 days” stamp if your grant is more than 180 days in length

VISA

General Visa Guidelines

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