CHICAGO INSTRUCTIONS FOR VISA APPLICANTS :

Juridition of the Consulate General of India, Chicago, Address: 455 N. Cityfront Plaza Drive, Suite 850, Chicago, IL - 60611, Tel. 312-595-0405, Fax: 312-595-0416 and 312-595-0417, covers the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, N.Dakota, S.Dakota, Wisconsin, Missouri.

For visa, passport and other consular services, you may contact the concerned officers on their direct telephone lines in case of any inconvenience. These direct lines are 312-595-0413; 312-595-0411 and 312-595-0415.

If you are a resident in a state outside this area, please apply for your visa services,

depending on the location of your residence as per details below:

(a)Embassy of India, Washington, Address: 2107 Massachusetts Ave., Washington DC 20008.Tel. 202-939-7000 Fax: 202-265-7532 which covers Delaware, Washington D.C., Kentucky, Maryland,N.Carolina, S.Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, The Bahamas.

(b) Consulate General of India, New York, Address: 3 EAST 64TH ST.(BET. MADISON AND FIFTH AVENUE), NEW YORK, N.Y. 10021, TEL.(212)879-7800 EXT.206,(212)879-7805 / 7806. FAX (212)570-9581which covers Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont and the Virgin Islands.

(c) Consulate General of India, San Francisco, Address: 540 Arguello Boulevard, San Francisco, CA - 94118 Tel. 415-668-0662, Fax: 415-668-9764, which covers Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, California.

(d) Consulate General of India, Houston, Address: Suite 600, 6th floor, 3 Post Oak Central, 1990 Post Oak Boulevard, Houston, Texas - 77056, Tel. 713-626-2148, Fax: 713-626-2450, which covers Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas.

1. Passports valid for a minimum of six months beyond date of intended departure from India should accompany visa applications.

2. Paste one photo and staple the other one on the form at specified place.

3. Applicants holding other than United States passports should submit proof of long term-stay(at least three years) / permanent residence (copy of green card) in the United States to expedite issuance of visa. For Applicants, who do not normally stay in U.S., references have to be made to their country of residence for which an additional $20 fee is applicable and will involve five to seven days processing time after receipt in the Consulate. Please refrain from making inquiries about the status of application during this time. Pakistani, Bangladeshi and SriLankan nationals who are not permanent residents of U.S.A. have to apply for visa in the country of their residence. Application of Chinese nationals permanently resident in the U.S. may take 1-3 months time to process depending on the purpose of the visit.

4. Following visas are available:

(a) TOURIST VISA: Valid for 6 months to 10 years for US nationals only. The stay on each visit should not exceed six months. For nationals of other countries , tourist visa is valid from 6 months to 5 years.

(b) ENTRY VISA: Valid for 6 months to 5 years with multiple entries. This visa allows stay for more than six months and is available to people of Indian origin or applicants having abiding reasons to visit India.

(c) BUSINESS VISA: Valid for one year to 10 years with multiple entries available to US nationals only. The stay on each visit should not exceed six months. For nationals of other countries , business visa is available from 6 months to 5 years. Letter from sponsoring organization indicating nature of applicant's business, probable duration of stay, places and organizations to be visited incorporating therein a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses, etc. should accompany the application.

(d) STUDENT VISA: Depending upon the duration of the course multiple entry student visa for bonafide students to pursue regular studies at recognized institution in India. A letter conforming admission from such an institution along with evidence of financial arrangements for stay in India should accompany application. In case of admission in medical or para-medical courses in India, a letter of approval or No Objection Certificate from Ministry of Health, New Delhi, is also required. Likewise for admission in graduate or post-graduate courses in Engineering or Technical Institutions in India, a letter of approval or a No Objection from Ministry of Human Resources Development (Dept. of Education), New Delhi, should be submitted. For research purposes detailed synopsis of the research project, countersigned by the sponsoring institution in India should be submitted.

NOTE: Processing of applications for research visa may take about three months.

(e) TRANSIT VISA: Valid for single/double entry for short stop over for travelling to a third country with confirmed onward tickets.

(f) MISSIONARIES: Valid for single entry and duration as permitted by Government of India. A letter in triplicate, from sponsoring organization indicating intended destination in India, probable length of stay, and nature of duties to be discharged should be submitted along with guarantee for applicant’s maintenance while in India.

NOTE: Processing of applications for missionaries may take upto three months.

(g) JOURNALIST VISA: Journalist visas are given to professional journalists and photographers for three months stay in India.

(h) EMPLOYMENT VISA: Employment visas are initially issued for one year stay subject to fulfillment of certain conditions. This can be extended by Foreigners Regional Registration Office in India,if the job contract continues. Spouses and children will get coterminus visas.

(I) CONFERENCE VISA: Letter of invitation from the organizer of the conference and approvals of Indian authorities to be submitted along with the visa application.

For visit to Restricted or Protected Areas, a separate form (in triplicate) is to be filled in along with three photos. Processing of this application will take at least two months.

Resides the above-mentioned categories, visa are also available for learning Yoga, Music and Dance in India from the institutions approved by the Government of India.

6. Special forms have to be filled by citizens of Pakistan (4 copies with 5 photos) and Bangladesh (2 copies with 3 photos)

7. For transfer of visa from old to new passport, the applicant is required to submit application in regular visa form alongwith two recent photographs. The fee for transfer of visa is $25.

10.EMERGENCYSERVICE:

An amount of US$35 per visa service will be charged over and above the normal fee for rendering emergency service. The Consulate opens for emergency visa service on every Saturday between 11.00 AM to 1 P.M. Please call telephone number 312-595-0413, For emergency visa services, the officers concerned are Mr. Narinder Singh, Vice Consul (Residence tel:
773 989 5984), Mr. Chaman Lal, Vice Consul (Residence tel: 773 944 0317) and Mrs. Kaushal Israni, Assistant Consular Officer (Residence tel: 773 334-2354). If you are unable to reach any of the above three officers then please call Mr. Jagdish Rai, Consul for Community Affairs (Residence tel: 312-587-8271). It is requested that these telephone numbers may be contacted only in case of genuine emergencies during weekend and outside office hours and in no case at unearthly hours. On working days, emergency fee will be charged for 'on-the-spot' services and in the case of applications submitted after 1.00 p.m. It may please be noted that emergency visa service is available only in cases of genuine emergency such as death in the family and if the case does not fall under reference category. Note: “No requests would be entertained for emergency services by mail. "

11. NO REFUNDS :

Visa fee once received cannot be refunded, even if the application is withdrawn, visa is refused or the type of visa applied for has not been granted.