I-90 Application to Replace Alien Registration Card $75
I-102 Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant
Arrival Departure Document $65
I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker See below*
I-129F Petition for Alien Finance(e) $75
I-130 Petition for Alien Relative $80
I-131 Application for Travel Document $70
I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker $75
I-191 Application for Advance Permission to Return
to Unrelinquished Domicile $90
I-193 Application for Waiver of Passport and/or Visa $90
I-212 Application for Permission to Reapply for
Admission into the U.S. After Deportation
or Removal $95
I-360 Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special
Immigrant (except for a petition seeking
classification as Amerasian) $80
I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or
Adjust Status
--if 14 years of age or older $130
--if under 14 years of age $100
I-526 Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur $155
I-539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status $75
(plus $10 per coapplicant)
I-600 Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate
Relative $155
I-600A Application for Advance Processing of Orphan
Petition $155
I-601 Application for Waiver of Grounds of
Excludability $95
I-612 Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence
Requirement $95
I-751 Petition to Remove the Condition on Residence $80
I-765 Application for Employment Authorization $70
I-817 Application for Voluntary Departure Under
Family Unity Program $80
N-300 Application to File Declaration of Intention $75
N-400 Application for Naturalization $95
N-470 Application to Preserve Residence for
Naturalization Purposes $115
N-565 Application for Replacement Naturalization/
Citizenship Document $65
N-600 Application for Certificate of Citizenship $100
N-643 Application for Certificate of Citizenship in
Behalf of an Adopted Child $80
N-644 Application for Posthumous Citizenship $80
*I-129 Petition with Unnamed Beneficiaries:
--Fee of $75 per petition
I-129 Petition with Named Beneficiaries:
--Base fee of $75 per petition plus either:
--$10 per worker is requesting consulate or port-of-
entry notification for visa issuance or admission;
--$80 per worker if requesting a change of status; or
--$50 per worker if requesting an extension of stay, if
filing an extension of stay or change of status for one
worker, dependents may be included for a fee of $10 per
dependent.
Q: What is the phone number of US Consulate in XXX?
A: [From Manish, manish@hogpa.ho.att.com]
[Modified by Rajiv S. Khanna, rskhanna@immigration.com]
Quebec: 418-692-2095
Montreal: 514-398-9695
Toronto: 416-595-1700
Ottawa: 613-238-4470 ext. 301
There is a complete list of all consulates at
http://www.immigration.com
Q: What are the formalities for translation of foreign language documents?
A: [From Rajiv S. Khanna, rskhanna@immigration.com]
[Addition suggested by Siegfried Rambaum]
Immigration related documents may be translated by any person who is
competent in both the foreign language as well as English. It is best to
ask a person not related to you to translate. Each translation must be
accompanied by substantially the following words:
"I, [Name of Translator], do hereby certify that I am proficient in both
English and [Foreign Language], and accordingly I am competent to perform
translations, and that I have translated the foregoing/attached document
accurately and to the best of my knowledge and ability.
/Sign/
-----------------------
Name
Address
Date:"
Q: Can E-mailed ASCII text (without signatures) be used for translations?
The following language appended to the translation should work:
"The translation is transmitted electronically
and my signature shall be deemed valid and its
validity shall be deemed proven by the sender's
and other message routing information, which
are both automatically created and appended to
this communication by the computer sites routing
it between <my place> and <place where received>."
Q: Rajiv, is there a list of evaluation agencies, recognized by DOL and INS?
I'm trying to do evaluation of my education, but I am not sure that
DOL and INS will recognize it. If there is a list of these accredited
agencies, how can I obtain one?
A: [From Rajiv S. Khanna, rskhanna@immigration.com]
There is no such list. INS does not "recognize" these agencies.
In my personal experience, as long as there is some analysis for
an evaluator's opinion, any agency with reasonably good background
should suffice. My office uses "The Global Education Services."
I believe they have a world wide web site.
Q: Citizenship information
A: List of Citizenship questions and answers can be accessed
at http://www.immigration.com
Q: I am a legal P.R. in the United States from China. When I saw CNN's
Nation Within program on TV tonight, an INS officer said that an immigrant
in the United States is not protected by constitution or has not constitution
right. Is this true? If this is true, then it is legal to discriminate a
legal immigrant. Please give me an answer.
A: [From Rajiv S. Khanna, rskhanna@immigration.com]
That information is incorrect. Once inside the U.S., an immigrant is
entitled to all constitutional guarantees barring some such as federal
government employment, right to run for the Presidency of the U.S., etc.
Q: Can I find out BEFORE making application to INS if FBI check will reveal any
criminal history in my background?
A: [From: trich@netcom.com (Timothy J Richards)]
You could check your FBI record by sending in a set
of finger prints. I think the finger print form is
available from police stations and various other places.
Approximate time to receive the "Certificate of no criminal conviction"
is 30 days. Following is the procedure to obtain above certificate:
1. Go to your local police station and ask for finger prints
card (Form FD-258). According to FBI, you can use any standard
finger prints card available from local law enforcement agency.
The local police station may charge you some fee for doing your
finger print work. Here in Ames, they charge $5.00. Fill out
the information required in the card.
2. Write a brief letter to FBI explaining why you need the
certificate. It does not hurt to add your personal details
like name, date of birth, social security number and address
in the letter. Above information will be included in the
finger prints card too.
3. Include a money order or certified check for US $17.00, payable
to US TREASURY. The fee for this certificate will be
US $ 18.00 from February 1, 1995.
4. Mail the letter, finger prints card and money order to:
FBI, CJIS Division
Room 10104
10th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. N. W.
WASHINGTON D.C. 20537-9700
Their direct phone # is: (202) 324-5465
It may take up to 30 days to receive your certificate.
Q: I am a GC holder. If I move do I need to notify INS about my change
of address?
A: [From Rajiv S. Khanna, rskhanna@immigration.com]
There is no such requirement.
Q: Do you have any information about consular procedures
in Madras, India?
A: [from Rajiv S. Khanna, rskhanna@immigration.com]
We have retrieved the following information from their
web site in August 1997:
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
* APPLICATION APPOINTMENT BY PHONE: Applicants may call 44-823-2434 daily
between 2 and 4 PM to register their names for an appointment at a future
date. They should give their full names and passport numbers.
Between 125 - 140 appointments are usually registered per day.
The applicant should arrive at the Consulate the morning of his/her
appointment no later than 10 AM in order to enter the Consulate and
be processed. The applicant will receive a pink, numbered token, be
asked to pay the machine readable visa fee by crossed demand draft, made
out to the American Consulate General, Madras and then asked to enter the waiting room to await the interview. Applicants are interviewed before 1 PM and applicants who will be issued a visa should return at 4 PM to pick up their passports.
* DAILY TOKENS: While the appointment system is for the convenience of
applicants who wish to ensure they will be seen on a specific day, an
appointment is not necessary in order to apply for a visa, primarily
because many people who have appointments do not turn up at the Consulate
on the day of their appointments and because the Consulate is generally
able to accept another 50 to 60 applications a day, depending on staffing
availability. At this time, we are seeing all applicants who apply on a
given day, whether they have appointments or not.
* USE OF THE DROP BOX BY RETURNING STUDENTS/EXCHANGE VISITORS/TEMPORARY
WORKERS: Applicants wishing to use the drop box must meet the criteria
described under mail applications on page 8, unless the applicant is a
returning student, returning exchange visitor or a returning temporary
worker or a spouse of one of the previous. If you are a returning
student/spouse (F-1/F-2), a returning exchange visitor/spouse (J-1/J-2
or a returning temporary worker/spouse (H-1B/H-4), you may leave your
passport, application and crossed demand drafts for both the machine
readable visa fee and the visa issuance fee in the Drop Box at the
Cathederal Road entrance AFTER JANURY 15. Please note that this service
is not available to applicants who have previously been refused a visa.
Passports will picked up by Consulate Staff for processing at 10 AM,
so that any passport which is in the drop box at the time of retrieval
for processing will be ready for pick-up, inside the visa waiting room
between 4 and 4:30 PM.
* APPLICATIONS BY PREVIOUSLY REFUSED APPLICANTS: Applicants are entitled
to two personal interviews within a two-year period. Applicants refused
under Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act who are refused
twice within that two year period in personal interviews may continue to
reapply for the visa, but applications in person will not be accepted for
the next two years after the last refusal. Therefore, all applicants who
have been refused in two personal interviews in two years under Section
214(b) may reapply by mail only. If the Consular Officer decides that
the situation has changed, s/he will request the applicant to return for
another interview.
PAYMENT AND VISA FEES
* THE MACHINE READABLE VISA (MRV) FEE: With very few exceptions, all
applicants must pay the $20, non-refundble MRV application fee if applying
for a non-immigrant visa. The fee should be paid by crossed demand draft
made payable to the American Consulate General, Madras. Currently, the
fee is Rs. 720; however, the exchange rate fluctuates from time to time,
so the amount may differ. We notify the media via press releases immediately
upon learning of a new exchange rate. We generally have a "grace period" of
one week, during which we will ask the applicants to make up the difference
in exact change.
* NON-IMMIGRANT VISA ISSUANCE FEES: The fees for issuance of non-immigrant
visas to Indian citizens, with the current exchange rate in rupees, are as
follows: for a B-2 (tourist visa) under 6 months - $25.00 (Rs. 900); for
a B-1 (business visa) or any other category of visa, valid up to one year
- $50.00 (Rs. 1800); for any visa valid longer than one year - $100.00
(Rs. 3600). For a transit visa of any length - $5.00 (Rs. 180). Visa
issuance fees may be paid either in rupees or by a crossed demand draft
made payable to the American Consulate General, Madras.
CONSULATE OPERATING HOURS
* CONSULATE OPERATING HOURS: The Consular Section is open from 8:15 AM to
5 PM daily except for holidays. The Consulate telephone number is
91-44-827-3040; we would appreciate callers restricting their calls to
urgent (i.e., life and death) matters and to calling in the afternoon,
as it is difficult to process visas and answer the telephone simultaneously.
Our fax number is: 91-44-826-2538, but please understand that due to our
heavy volume of faxes, limited staff and insufficient storage space, we
have no place to store and retrieve routine faxes sent regarding visa
applications. It is best, if you want to send a fax on behalf of an
applicant, to send it to the applicant to hand-carry to the interview,
rather than send it to us, when we have no means to match your fax to
the applicant.
IMMIGRANT VISA QUESTIONS
* FINGERPRINTS FOR SPOUSES OF AMERICAN CITIZENS: If you are an U.S. citizen,
have married an Indian citizen and filed the immigrant visa petition in the
U.S., we will begin processing your spouse's fingerprint clearance when you
have received the petition approval and transmitted it to your spouse in
India. When your spouse in India has the petition approval, s/he may
telephone the Immigrant Visa Unit at 827-3040, ext. 321 or 320 to make an
appointment to be fingerprinted. At the time of fingerprinting, s/he must
show our staff a xerox copy of the spouse's U.S. passport data page and a
xerox copy of the notice of petition approval from INS. By the time the
fingerprints return from the FBI (generally within three months), we should
have received the approved petition from the National Visa Center and be
able to schedule the immigrant visa applicant for an immigrant visa
application appointment expeditiously.
* PRIORITY DATES FOR IMMIGRANT VISAS: Many people have requested us to post
priority dates for immigrant visas. Until our system becomes more
interactive, we are unable to do so. However, until then, interested
parties can check the TV information screen at the Consulate
guardhouse on Cathederal Road or telephone the Department of State
in Washington DC at 202-663-1541 for recorded monthly updates on
priority dates.
TRAVEL TO OTHER COUNTRIES FROM THE U.S.
* TRAVEL TO CANADA AND CRUISES: Many applicants have friends,
relatives or business contacts in Canada and travel between Canada
and the U.S. Some tourist applicants use package tours which include
cruises to the Bahamas or Mexico. The applicant is responsible for
any visas to countries outside the U.S. to which they intend to
travel after their arrival in the U.S. It may be easier to secure
visas in your home country, rather than secure visas to a third
country from the U.S. Although virtually all visa applicants receive
multiple entry visas, applicants should ensure that they request a
visa for multiple entries if they plan to travel to other countries
from the U.S.
Q: Can you clarify the sub-sections for denial of visas?
A: [from Rajiv S. Khanna, rskhanna@immigration.com]
We have retieved the following information:
GROUNDS OF INELIGIBILITY
* THE 214(B) INTENDING IMMIGRANT PROVISION: Non-immigrant visa applicants
in almost all categories must demonstrate to the Consular Officer's
satisfaction that they have strong ties to a permanent residence outside
of the U.S. which would compel them to leave the U.S. upon the completion of
their authorized stay. The Consular Officer evaluates the applicant's
economic, social and cultural ties to his/her residence (in this case,
South India) in order to determine whether it is more probable that the
applicant will return to India within the period of authorized stay in
the U.S. or whether it is more likely that the applicant will remain in
the U.S. on a more permanent basis. There is no set "list" of documents
an applicant should bring; rather, an applicant who can convincingly
explain the reasons for travel, present believable business or personal
documents to substantiate his/her ties to India and who answers questions
in an open manner is more likely to be issued a visa than someone who
comes in with a huge folder of irrelevent or clearly questionable
documents. Remember, eligibility is not determined by the pound
(of documents you submit!)
* THE 212(A)(6)(C) INELIGIBILITY: Applicants should be very careful to be
truthful in all areas of their visa applications. Applicants who wilfully
misrepresent material facts in their immigrant or non-immigrant visa
applications can be found ineligible to enter the U.S.; under some
circumstances, permanently. If you present forged, counterfeit or
otherwise bogus documents you are likely to fall under this provision of
the law. Our Consular Officers are skilled at detecting fraudulent documents
and, the truth is, most are so poorly executed that expertise in determining
their fraudulent nature is not necessary. Claiming "no knowledge" of the
antecedents of your documents is not an acceptable excuse.
* THE 212(A)(4) INELIGIBILITY: We are unable to issue an immigrant or
non-immigrant visa to an applicant who appears to have insufficient
financial resources in the U.S. and who it appears may become a public
charge to the U.S. state or federal social welfare system. This provision
is particularly applicable to applicants for non-immigrant visas who wish
to visit the U.S. for medical treatment. We need to know the cost of the
treatment, including the charges of both the physicians and the hospital
and any therapy or recuperative treatment the applicant may need.
Applicants for immigrant visas who cannot clearly support themselves
immediately upon arrival to the U.S. need to demonstrate that the relative
who is sponsoring them has sufficient funds to support them until they are
able to become self-supporting.
* THE 221(G) INELIGIBILITY: If an applicant is refused under this section,
it is because s/he is missing a document or some other piece of evidence
which the Consular Officer needs in order to render a final decision on
the applicant's eligibility for the visa. Generally, you will be told
what types of documents might satisfy the Consular Officer
