Country Reciprocity Schedule

India Reciprocity Schedule

Visa
Classification		 Fee Number
of Applications		 Validity
Period
A-1 None Multiple 60 Months A
A-2 None Multiple 60 Months A
A-3 1 None Multiple 24 Months
B-1 None Multiple 120 Months B
B-2 None Multiple 120 Months B
B-1/B-2 None Multiple 120 Months B
C-1 None Multiple 60 Months
C-1/D None Multiple 60 Months
C-2 None Multiple 12 Months
C-3 None Two 3 Months
CW-1 11 None Multiple 12 Months
CW-2 11 None Multiple 12 Months
D None Multiple 60 Months
E-1 2 No Treaty N/A N/A
E-2 2 No Treaty N/A N/A
E-2C 12 None Multiple 24 Months
F-1 None Multiple 60 Months B
F-2 None Multiple 60 Months B
G-1 None Multiple 60 Months
G-2 None Multiple 60 Months
G-3 None Multiple 60 Months
G-4 None Multiple 60 Months
G-5 1 None Multiple 24 Months
H-1B None Multiple 60 Months 3
H-1C None Multiple 60 Months 3
H-2A None Multiple 60 Months 3
H-2B None Multiple 60 Months 3
H-2R None Multiple 60 Months 3
H-3 None Multiple 60 Months 3
H-4 None Multiple 60 Months 3
I None Multiple 60 Months
J-1 4 None Multiple 60 Months
J-2 4 None Multiple 60 Months
K-1 None One 6 Months
K-2 None One 6 Months
K-3 None Multiple 24 Months
K-4 None Multiple 24 Months
L-1 None Multiple 60 Months
L-2 None Multiple 60 Months
M-1 None Multiple 60 Months
M-2 None Multiple 60 Months
N-8 None Multiple 60 Months
N-9 None Multiple 60 Months
NATO 1-7 N/A N/A N/A
O-1 None Multiple 60 Months 3
O-2 None Multiple 60 Months 3
O-3 None Multiple 60 Months 3
P-1 None Multiple 60 Months 3
P-2 None Multiple 60 Months 3
P-3 None Multiple 60 Months 3
P-4 None Multiple 60 Months 3
Q-1 6 None Multiple 15 Months 3
R-1 None Multiple 60 Months
R-2 None Multiple 60 Months
S-5 7 None One 1 Month
S-6 7 None One 1 Month
S-7 7 None One 1 Month
T-1 9 N/A N/A N/A
T-2 None One 6 Months
T-3 None One 6 Months
T-4 None One 6 Months
T-5 None One 6 Months
TD 5 N/A N/A N/A
U-1 None Multiple 48 Months
U-2 None Multiple 48 Months
U-3 None Multiple 48 Months
U-4 None Multiple 48 Months
U-5 None Multiple 48 Months
V-1 None Multiple 120 Months
V-2 None Multiple 120 Months 8
V-3 None Multiple 120 Months 8

Documents

Birth Certificates

Available. Prior to l970, the reporting of births was voluntary. Birth certificates of Europeans, Anglo-Indians, Armenian Christians, Jews and Parsis born prior to l970 may be obtained from the State Registrar General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. No standard or uniform certificate is issued by the authorities. In addition, acceptable certificates may often be obtained from the municipal and rural registration records, which are maintained under the state laws. Europeans, Anglo-Indians, and Indian Christians are usually able to obtain church baptismal certificates.

Under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act of l969, births are required to be registered in almost all of the States and Union Territories of India. Birth certificates are available to any applicant born on or after April l, l970, upon payment of a nominal fee to the appropriate authority.

In cases where birth certificates from the authorities are unavailable or contain insufficient information regarding the birth or the parents, a sworn affidavit executed by either the parents, if living, or other close relatives older than the applicant, may be submitted. It should set forth the relationship between the deponent and the applicant, how well the deponent knows the applicant, date and place of the applicant's birth, the names of both parents, and any other related facts. Such an affidavit, when a birth certificate is unavailable, should be accompanied by a document from a competent governmental authority confirming that the certificate does not exist, or no longer exists.

Adoption Certificates

Available. An adoption must conform to the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act of 1956 in order to be valid. It should be noted that families with a natural child or children may not legally adopt another child or children of the same sex. Clarification of the restrictions would assist INS in its adjudication of these cases.

Consular officers will accept an "Adoption Deed" on stamped paper, signed by the natural parents and the adoptive parents, and registered with the Sub-Registrar of Assurances of the area. The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act of 1956 permits adoptions only to Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Jains. All others are not allowed to adopt a child in India. Non-Hindus wishing to adopt an Indian child must obtain guardianship under the Guardianship and Wards Act before removing a child out of India to a country where adoption is legal.

Marriage Certificates

Available. The Hindu and Muslim communities do not usually register marriages, however, marriages by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains or Sikhs may be voluntarily registered under the Hindu Marriage Act of l955. This Act does not apply to Muslims, Parsis, Jews or Christians, who may register their marriages under the Special Marriage Act of l954, or the Christian Marriage Act. Marriage certificates for marriages registered under these Acts may be obtained from the offices of Government Registrar of Marriages, which are located in the headquarters of each district. The certificate will be issued by the Registrar only if the bride and groom personally appear before the official and pay the required fee.

A certificate of marriage between Muslims is usually issued by the priest who performed the ceremony. The document is in the Urdu language, and a certified translation is required. Marriages between Christians are usually obtainable from Church records. If the marriage has not been officially registered, then two sworn affidavits giving the names, dates and places of birth of the bride and groom, and the date and place of marriage, as well as the names of the parents of both parties are acceptable. The affidavits must be executed by one of the parents of each party, or if the parents are deceased, by the nearest relative of each party who was present at the wedding.

Note: A document termed as "Marriage Agreement" or "Deed of Marriage" to live as man and wife (under the Registration Act of l908) is not confirmation of a marriage solemnized legally under the Indian Marriage Acts now in force. Such a document does not confer upon the contracting parties' legal marital status under the law.

Divorce Certificates

Available. Methods of divorce vary among the different communities. As a rule Muslim marriages are dissolved without recourse to the judicial process, thus, no records of such divorces are generally available. Certified copies of divorce decrees of Christian, Hindu, Parsee, and Sikh divorces can be obtained from the Courts of jurisdiction.

Death Certificates

Available. Prior to April l970, reporting of deaths was voluntary. Where no official record exists, a sworn affidavit by a close relative of the deceased giving a detailed account of the circumstances of the death is acceptable.

Since April l970, Death Certificates are issued by appropriate state authorities. Certificates of Death issued by hospital authorities are acceptable.

Burial Records

Records of burial are available from the State Registrar General of Births and Deaths, or from cemetery officials/municipal corporation officials.

Police Records

Indian Police Clearance Certificates should be obtained as follows:

  • All Indian IV applicants aged 16 and above, residing in India, should obtain police certificates from the local Passport Office.
  • Indian passport holders applying for visas outside India should obtain a statement from their local embassy or consulate confirming they have no criminal record.
  • Non-Indian IV applicants residing in India should obtain police certificates from the District Police Station serving their area of residence.
  • Indian police certificates are not available for foreign (non-Indian) applicants applying outside India.

Prison Records

Available. A person who has been incarcerated may obtain a prison record from the State Inspector General of Police, or from the Police authorities of Mumbai, Kolkata, or Chennai, or from the Superintendent of the jail in which the sentence was served.

Military Records

Unavailable. Upon discharge, retirement or resignation from military service, however, a discharge certificate is issued to such personnel.

Foreign Nationals

Unavailable.

Stateless Persons

The Government of India issues an Identity Card or "IC" to among others any Tibetan individual born in India who is a registered member of the Tibetan community, and also to Tibetan individuals who fled Tibet in 1959 with the Dalai Lama. The ICs are issued by the Regional Passport Office in New Delhi, which is the sole authorizing entity in all of India for this travel document. The IC is a valid travel document in which to place a U.S. visa and is valid for 10 years. ICs may also be issued to other stateless individuals in India. Older ICs were paper booklets with a pasted photograph; the latest version (produced since 2007) is yellow in color and bears a digital photo.


Visa Issuing Posts

New Delhi, India (Embassy) -- All Visa Categries

Shantipath, Chanakyapuri 110021

Tel: (91) (11) 2419-8000
Fax: (91) (11) 2419-0017

Chennai, India (Consulate General) -- All Visa Categories

220 Anna Salai
Gemini Circle, 600006

Tel: (91) (44) 2811-2000
Fax: (91) (44) 2811-2027

Hyderabad, India (Consulate General) -- Nonimmigrant Visas ONLY

1-8-323 Chiran Fort Lane
Begumpet, Secunderabad 500 003
Tel: (91) (040) 4033-8300
Fax: (91) (040) 4033-8301

Kolkata, India (Consulate General) -- Nonimmigrant Visas ONLY

5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, 700071

Tel: (91) (33) 2282-3611 through 2282-3615
Fax: (91) (33) 2282-2335

Mumbai, India (Consulate General) -- All Visa Categories

Lincoln House
78 Bhulabhai Desai Road, 400026

Tel: (91) (22) 2363-3611
Fax: (91) (22) 2363-0350

Visa Services

States, Union Territories, and other.

Area Post
Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Union Territory) Chennai
Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad
Arunachal Pradesh (Union Territory) Kolkata
Assam Kolkata
Bihar Kolkata
Bhutan (country) New Delhi
Chandigarh (Union Territory) New Delhi
Chattisgarh Mumbai
Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Union Territory) Mumbai
Daman and Diu (Union Territory) Mumbai
Delhi (Union Territory) New Delhi
Goa Mumbai
Gujarat Mumbai
Haryana New Delhi
Himachal Pradesh New Delhi
Jammu and Kashmir (disputed territory - those under de facto control of India) New Delhi
Jharkhand Kolkata
Karnataka Chennai
Kerala Chennai
Lakeshadweep (Union Territory) Chennai
Madhya Pradesh Mumbai
Maharashtra Mumbai
Manipur Kolkata
Meghalaya Kolkata
Mizoram (Union Territory) Kolkata
Nagaland Kolkata
Orissa Hyderabad
Pondicherry (Union Territory) Chennai
Punjab New Delhi
Rajasthan New Delhi
Sikkim Kolkata
Tamil Nadu Chennai
Tripura Kolkata
Uttar Pradesh New Delhi
Uttarakhand New Delhi
Uttaranchal New Delhi
West Bengal Kolkata

Country Specific Footnotes

  1. Maximum validity for A-1 and A-2 TDY visas is three months.

  2. Diplomatic or official passport holders are exempt from B-2 or F-1&2 visa issuance fees.

Visa Category Footnotes

  1. The validity of A-3, G-5, and NATO 7 visas may not exceed the validity of the visa issued to the person who is employing the applicant. The "employer" would have one of the following visa classifications:

    • A-1
    • A-2
    • G-1 through G-4
    • NATO 1 through NATO 6

  2. An E-1 and E-2 visa may be issued only to a principal alien who is a national of a country having a treaty, or its equivalent, with the United States. E-1 and E-2 visas may not be issued to a principal alien if he/she is a stateless resident. If the spouse and children of an E-1 or E-2 principal alien are stateless, or if they are nationals of a country which does not have a treaty with the United States, they may be accorded derivative E-1 or E-2 status. In these cases, the reciprocity schedule of the principal alien's nationality is used.

    Example: John Doe is a national of the country of Z that has an E-1/E-2 treaty with the U.S. His wife and child are nationals of the country of Y which has no treaty with the U.S. The wife and child would, therefore, be entitled to derivative status and receive the same reciprocity as Mr. Doe, the principal visa holder.

  3. The validity of H-1 through H-3, O-1 and O-2, P-1 through P-3, and Q visas may not exceed the period of validity of the approved petition or the number of months shown, whichever is less.

    Derivative H-4, L-2, O-3, and P-4 visas, issued to accompanying or following-to-join spouses and children, may not exceed the validity of the visa issued to the principal alien.

  4. There is no reciprocity fee for the issuance of a J visa if the alien is a United States Government grantee or a participant in an exchange program sponsored by the United States Government.

    Also, there is no reciprocity fee for visa issuance to an accompanying or following-to-join spouse or child (J-2) of an exchange visitor grantee or participant.

    In addition, an applicant is eligible for an exemption from the MRV fee if he or she is participating in a State Department, USAID, or other federally funded educational and cultural exchange program (program serial numbers G-1, G-2, G-3 and G-7).

    However, all other applicants with U.S. Government sponsorships, including other J-visa applicants, are subject to the MRV processing fee.

  5. Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canadian and Mexican nationals coming to engage in certain types of professional employment in the United States may be admitted in a special nonimmigrant category known as the "trade NAFTA" or "TN" category. Their dependents (spouse and children) accompanying or following to join them may be admitted in the "trade dependent" or "TD" category whether or not they possess Canadian or Mexican nationality. Except as noted below, the number of entries, fees and validity for non-Canadian or non-Mexican family members of a TN status holder seeking TD visas should be based on the reciprocity schedule of the TN principal alien.

    Canadian Nationals

    Since Canadian nationals generally are exempt from visa requirement, a Canadian "TN' or "TD" alien does not require a visa to enter the United States. However, the non-Canadian national dependent of a Canadian "TN", unless otherwise exempt from the visa requirement, must obtain a "TD" visa before attempting to enter the United States. The standard reciprocity fee and validity period for all non-Canadian "TD"s is no fee, issued for multiple entries for a period of 36 months, or for the duration of the principal alien's visa and/or authorized period of stay, whichever is less. See 'NOTE' under Canadian reciprocity schedule regarding applicants of Iranian, Iraqi or Libyan nationality.

    Mexican Nationals

    Mexican nationals are not visa-exempt. Therefore, all Mexican "TN"s and both Mexican and non-Mexican national "TD"s accompanying or following to join them who are not otherwise exempt from the visa requirement (e.g., the Canadian spouse of a Mexican national "TN") must obtain nonimmigrant visas.

    Applicants of Iranian, Iraqi or Libyan nationality, who have a permanent resident or refugee status in Canada/Mexico, may not be accorded Canadian/Mexican reciprocity, even when applying in Canada/Mexico. The reciprocity fee and period for "TD" applicants from Libya is $10.00 for one entry over a period of 3 months. The Iranian and Iraqi "TD" is no fee with one entry over a period of 3 months.

  6. Q-2 (principal) and Q-3 (dependent) visa categories are in existence as a result of the 'Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998'. However, because the Department anticipates that virtually all applicants for this special program will be either Irish or U.K. nationals, the Q-2 and Q-3 categories have been placed only in the reciprocity schedules for those two countries. Q-2 and Q-3 visas are available only at the Embassy in Dublin and the Consulate General in Belfast.

  7. No S visa may be issued without first obtaining the Department's authorization.

  8. V-2 and V-3 status is limited to persons who have not yet attained their 21st birthday. Accordingly, the period of validity of a V-2 or V-3 visa must be limited to expire on or before the applicant's twenty-first birthday.

  9. Posts may not issue a T-1 visa. A T-1 applicant must be physically present in the United States, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or a U.S. port of entry, where he/she will apply for an adjustment of status to that of a T-1. The following dependents of a T-1 visa holder, however, may be issued a T visa at a U.S. consular office abroad:

    • T-2 (spouse)
    • T-3 (child)
    • T-4 (parent)

  10. The validity of NATO-5 visas may not exceed the period of validity of the employment contract or 12 months, whichever is less.

  11. The validity of CW-1 and CW-2 visas shall not exceed the maximum initial period of admission allowed by DHS (12 months) or the duration of the transition period ending December 31, 2014, whichever is shortest.

  12. The validity of E-2C visas shall not exceed the maximum initial period of admission allowed by DHS (24 months) or the duration of the transition period ending December 31, 2014, whichever is shortest.