I have a business visa valid for 10 years. The last name on my passport is shown as ‘FNU’. Will this affect my ability to travel in future? How can I get this error corrected?
Parth Mishra
The important thing is that the name on your visa matches the name on your passport. If your passport shows Parth Mishra, FNU, (surname, given name) then the name on your U.S. visa should match.
If the name on your passport and visa don’t match, then you will need to get a new visa. If there is any correction required, please send in your request to
support-india@ustravel
docs.com for further instructions.
My H1B visa was issued in February this year at the Hyderabad Consulate. My dependants also possess H4 visas. I was planning to go to the U.S. and last month, I got a job offer from another employer in the U.S. The new employer is planning to file an H1B cap exempt petition through USICS premium service in the U.S. Is there a chance that this petition could be denied even if it is filed properly? Can I travel to the U.S. on my existing visa, which was approved in February?
Ramesh
An H1B petition is employer specific. If you have accepted a new job offer while in India and do not plan on working for the original company you intended to work for, you should obtain another approved petition.
Once you have the new petition, you can travel on the old visa and the new petition but will need to explain the change to the immigration officer at the port of entry. In order to avoid any possibility of being turned around at the port of entry, you should apply for a new H1B visa through the new employer. However, a new visa is not required as long as you have a valid petition and the old visa is not expired. For more information on H1B visas, consult the USCIS website: www.uscis.gov.
I am an 89-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Hyderabad. I am unable to travel to the U.S. due to ill health. Can I apply to have my social security benefits credited to my bank account in India on humanitarian grounds? From where can I get the requisite form to apply?
Masooma Razvi
The Consulate’s American Citizen Services Unit distributes Social Security and other Federal Benefit checks to eligible recipients living in the Hyderabad Consular District. While the Consulate does not process claims for social security, we can assist you with forms and other information. Please email HYDFBU@state.gov or call 4033-8300 for more information.
I am a dentist. I applied for a master’s programme in public health. My student visa application was rejected. Previously, my application for tourist visa was rejected twice. Can I apply for a visa again?
Raman Kaur
Individuals whose non-immigrant visa applications were refused are eligible to apply again.
However, we do not recommend that applicants reapply unless there has been a significant change to their situation. Consular officers look at the totality of a student’s qualifications during their interview, so you should be prepared to talk about your academic and professional past in India, as well as future plans.
You will also need to demonstrate your ability to pay for your education in the U.S.
My wife is a legal permanent resident of the U.S. Can she stay outside of the U.S. for two years continuously? What procedure should she follow?
Mujtaba Khan
In order to maintain permanent residency status, your wife must return to the U.S. at least once a year. If she knows in advance that she will be out of the U.S. for more than one year, then she should apply for a re-entry permit with USCIS.
Please note that the re-entry permit application must to be filed in the U.S. For further queries on green cards, please write to cis.ndi@uscis.dhs.gov .
