Tuesday, November 18, 2008

U.S. Embassy Adjusts Consular Exchange Rate

NEW DELHI -- Effective Friday, October 24, 2008, all United States Consular Sections in India will adjust the consular exchange rate from Rs. 50/- to the dollar to Rs. 54/- to the dollar. This rate change is effective for all rupee-denominated costs of applying for visas and passports, including the nonimmigrant visa application fee paid at HDFC bank branches prior to the scheduling of visa appointments. The new application fee for nonimmigrant visas is Rs. 7074/- (equivalent to USD $131). Receipts issued by HDFC Bank prior to October 24, 2008 that reflect a payment of Rs. 6,550/- will be honored and there will be no need for a supplemental payment.
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October 18, 2010 at 4:28 AM

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Seminar at Hyderabad

Article Published by THE HINDU

HYDERABAD: Applying for a U.S. visa under different/incorrect categories or adopting fraudulent practices to secure a visa could land you in trouble.

The centralised database system to become operational most likely from October will help officials to keep track of the status and history of visa applicants across all the U.S. consulates around the globe.

Overstaying illegally

A former Chief Consular Investigator (Anti-Fraud Unit) with the American Embassy, New Delhi, Himish Bhatnagar, also cautioned participants at an interaction programme on Sunday against illegally overstaying in US as a serious note is taken of such issues what with the new database system in place. “Once someone overstays illegally even for a small duration and approaches any consulate anywhere across the globe, they’d be caught and could be deported to their home country besides being blacklisted,” he warned. The seminar-cum-interaction session was organised by Ameyas, a private consulting firm and well attended by students, software professionals and dependents (spouses).

Fingerprinting

Apart from this, all fingers would be biometrically fingerprinted henceforth when compared to the earlier system where only the index finger was being fingerprinted, he revealed. Mr. Bhatnagar was asked several queries about employment visas like the H-1, H-2B, L etc.

He explained that the reputation and the history of the company’s previous US-based employees and its financial documentation will be considered when granting an employment visa. He advised potential visa-applicants to be fair and frank in their documentation.

Providing details

“Do not hide relevant and necessary facts from a visa officer. It is better if you tell them in a systematic way.

This lessens the damage when compared to the diplomatic mission knowing about it during their investigations,” he told one participant. While agreeing there are loopholes in checking fraud, the US diplomatic missions have fraud detecting units which go about very efficiently analysing every minute detail once their suspicions are aroused, he pointed out.


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Docs bitten by phoren bug -- Article by Times of India

It isn't only reel-life hero Munnabhai MBBS who had to go to Hollywood for his MD. In a sixties phenomenon that is making a comeback, Indian doctors are again heading for American shores. Thanks to scarce MD seats — made even more scarce by reservation — doctors are again queuing up outside the offices of visa consultants.

 

Delhi-based visa consultant Himish Bhatnagar is handling a veritable deluge of applications. "The volume of doctors going to the US from India has increased dramatically in the last two years," he says. Last year, Bhatnagar helped 400 doctors get visas to the United States as compared to the mere 250 in 2005. It's almost come full circle. In the 1960s, doctors and research scientists immigrated to the US in a big way. The IT boom in the 1990s saw computer professionals overtaking doctors. But post the tech meltdown and 9/11, its doctors again who are making a beeline to the US. More than dollar dreams, it's the kissa kursi ka that's driving them there. India produces 30,000 MBBS graduates every year."But less than 50% of these students get a MD seat," says Dr AK Aggarwal, dean of Delhi's Maulana Azad Medical College. 

So those who want a specialisation have very little choice in the matter. "There are too many MBBS doctors and too few MD seats, leading to a funnel-like situation. So many doctors have no option but to go abroad," says Dr Mala Srinivasan, director (Delhi operation), Indo American Professional Education Network (IAPEN). 

The company provides review courses and coaching to doctors who want to crack the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination). 

The USMLE is a three-stage process. Step 1 and Step 2-CK (clinical knowledge) exams can be taken in India while Step 2-CS (clinical skills) has to be taken in the US.

But it's still easier for an IT professional to get to the US on a H-1B visa than a doctor who has cracked the USMLE. Most doctors initially go on a J1 (exchange visitor) visa. 

Under this category, doctors have to abide by a two-year foreign residency (in this case, the home country) rule after completing their MD and fellowship programme. 

They can avoid foreign residency by opting for a waiver job i.e. working in an under-privileged district in the US for two years. 

After that, doctors must find universities or hospitals who are willing to sponsor them under a H-1B category. Only a lucky few manage to bag a H-1B sponsor offer after clearing Step 3 of the USMLE. 

So while many IT professionals manage to get permanent residency at the end of their six-year H-1B visa tenure, for doctors the wait for a green card can stretch almost 10 years. 

Wait or no, an MD has become almost mandatory for doctors these days. "The practices of MBBS GPs (general practitioners) flourish only in smaller towns where there aren't too many specialists," points out Dr Srinivasan. 

Another category of students eying residency programmes in the US are Indians who have got their MBBS degrees from Russia or other East European countries. 

"To be a qualified practitioner in India, such doctors have to pass a few more examinations conducted by the Medical Council of India (MCI). In such a scenario, many of these doctors end up exploring options abroad," explains Dr Srinivasan. 

Smita Gehlot (name changed), who is currently doing her MBBS internship from MAMC, blames reservation for the exodus of doctors to the US