Mumbai remains sole U.S. immigrant-visa post in India; interview transfers not available
Key Takeaways
- It has been reported that the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai is the only U.S. post in India that processes and issues immigrant visas.
- Immigrant-visa interviews scheduled for Mumbai generally cannot be moved to other U.S. consulates in India that handle only nonimmigrant visas.
- Affected applicants include family‑based and employment‑based immigrant visa petitioners; practical burdens include long travel, cost, and delay in reunification.
- Applicants with urgent hardships should contact the National Visa Center (NVC) or the Mumbai consulate for guidance; legal counsel can help explore narrow exceptions.
What the rule is
It has been reported that the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai is the only consular post in India authorized to process and issue immigrant visas. That means if your case has been routed to Mumbai for the immigrant-visa interview, you cannot simply transfer the interview to another U.S. consulate in India (for example, New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, or Kolkata), because those posts typically handle nonimmigrant (temporary) visas rather than immigrant visas. The National Visa Center (NVC) and the Department of State direct where immigrant interviews are scheduled.
Who is affected and why it matters
This affects applicants across visa categories that require immigrant-visa interviews—primarily family‑based and employment‑based immigrant visas (and other immigrant classifications). The human impact is significant: applicants may need to undertake long-distance travel, incur hotel and transportation costs, take time off work, and face logistical burdens when a single city handles national processing. For people seeking to reunite with family or start permanent jobs in the U.S., those burdens can delay moves and increase expense.
What applicants can do now
Confirm your appointment and document your travel difficulties. Check NVC and the Mumbai consulate websites for any guidance on rescheduling or hardship procedures. USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) handles earlier petition stages; the NVC and the consulate handle the immigrant‑visa interview. If you face urgent medical, safety, or other severe hardship, contact the consulate and the NVC immediately and consider consulting an immigration attorney—Murthy Law Firm attorneys have provided public guidance on this point. In most routine cases, however, administrative transfer to another consulate in India is not available, so plan for travel to Mumbai if you want your case to proceed without delay.
Source: Original Article