Hi all,
I had visited Boulder, Colorado, in the US for working on a research project for about one and a half months (Aug-Oct) in 2012. I had traveled on J1 short term scholar visa. I thought that since I was visiting the US on J1 short term scholar visa the clause 212(E) wouldn't be applied in my case. However, it happened otherwise. The 212(E) was applied in my case. Well, my first step after returning to India was to apply for an advisory opinion from the US Department of State. They sent me an advisory opinion on Nov 21st, 2012 that it has been applied in my case because my field of specialization is included in the Exchange Visitor skill list (45: Social Sciences) Hmmmphh!!! Now, I took up the challenge of getting the J1 visa waiver from India. Just for your information - I live in New Delhi, India, but I am originally from Kolkata, West Bengal. My passport was also made in Kolkata, West Bengal. I would like to share the timeline and some important addresses so that it could be of some help to anyone applying from India for a J1 visa waiver. Here are the details -
I downloaded the NORI form from the San Francisco Consulate website
I got them attested from a lawyer in Bikaji Cama Place in New Delhi.
27th Nov, 2012 – Submitted the No Objection certificate request for NORI to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Education. They said that they would take a month.
The address where you have to go to -
Ministry of Human Resource Development
West Block 1 Building, 2nd Floor, Wing-6,
R.K.Puram, New Delhi -110066
11th Dec, 2012 – Collected the No Objection certificate request for NORI in person from the NRI department, Writer’s building. This was signed by G.G. Sarkar, Joint Secretary to the Government of West Bengal. It took around 2 days. Visited the Writer’s building on the 10th and 11th of December.
The contact address of this department in Writer’s Building is –
The Joint Secretary
Home (F & NRI Department)
Government of West Bengal
Writer’s building
Kolkata – 700 001
27th Dec, 2012 – Got the NOC letter from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Education.
The third place where I had to get the NOC from was from the passport office in Kolkata (4 Brabourne Road, Kolkata - 700 001). Visiting the Kolkata passport office was a very bad experience. My father and I went there separately, but it was of no use. They refused to give me the NOC. Well, at least they showed me the way. They asked me to get a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from the Passport Seva Kendra. I had to arrange for another visit to Kolkata.
I got my PCC on the 28th of March. I think if I was living in Kolkata the whole process would have been faster.
6th April, 2013 – Got the check of $215 done to send to US Dept of State.I got this done from my ICICI branch in Connaught Place, New Delhi.
I was required to send self-addressed stamped envelopes to the US Department of State so that they could send their decision to that address. Since I was in India, I wrote to them on [email protected] and asked them whether I could give them the address of my aunt who lives in Seattle. They were pretty flexible about that. So, I asked my aunt to send me two self-addressed (with their Seattle address on it) stamped envelopes that are sent within the U.S. so that I could that in the package along with all the other documents that I was required to send to the US Department of State.
16th April, 2013 – Filled out the DS-3035 form and sent everything to the US Department of State using DTDC's courier service.
17th April, 2013 – submitted all the documents to MEA. They required me to send an email to the US Consulate in San Francisco. The email addresses are - [email protected], [email protected]. Basically this needs to be done because I was applying from India, so the MEA requires a letter from the San Francisco US Consulate stating that since I am applying from India they cannot do anything and the MEA will take care of my issues. The US Consul in San Francisco did respond but they actually didn’t know what needs to be done if you are applying from India. However, sending the letter is important.
MEA contact address -
Undersecretary
Ministry of External Affairs,
CPV Division, Patiala House Annexe,
Tilak Marg, New Delhi - 110001.
23rd April, 2013 – the DS-3035 form reached the US Dept of State via DTDC
29th April, 2013 – got the duplicate copy of the letter that MEA would send to the US Embassy in New Delhi, India.
10th May, 2013 – In the U.S. Department of State’s website it started showing that they have received my fees and forms. Contact of US Department of State is [email protected].
11th June, 2013 – The No objection Statement was shown as received on US Department of State’s website. This was after I sent an email to the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India on [email protected]
24th June, 2013 – Favorable recommendation provided by the U.S. Department of State was sent to the USCIS. Then contacted USCIS Vermont Service center - [email protected]
1st July, 2013 – Got the letter from the USCIS on my New Delhi address that my case is under consideration.Got a receipt number to track my case.
10th July, 2013 – USCIS mailed their favorable waiver approval decision
16th July, 2013 – the approval notice reached me at my New Delhi address
Hope all this information is of some help to anyone applying for a waiver from India. Please email me if you have any questions.
Thanks and Good luck!
Tilottama
I had visited Boulder, Colorado, in the US for working on a research project for about one and a half months (Aug-Oct) in 2012. I had traveled on J1 short term scholar visa. I thought that since I was visiting the US on J1 short term scholar visa the clause 212(E) wouldn't be applied in my case. However, it happened otherwise. The 212(E) was applied in my case. Well, my first step after returning to India was to apply for an advisory opinion from the US Department of State. They sent me an advisory opinion on Nov 21st, 2012 that it has been applied in my case because my field of specialization is included in the Exchange Visitor skill list (45: Social Sciences) Hmmmphh!!! Now, I took up the challenge of getting the J1 visa waiver from India. Just for your information - I live in New Delhi, India, but I am originally from Kolkata, West Bengal. My passport was also made in Kolkata, West Bengal. I would like to share the timeline and some important addresses so that it could be of some help to anyone applying from India for a J1 visa waiver. Here are the details -
I downloaded the NORI form from the San Francisco Consulate website
I got them attested from a lawyer in Bikaji Cama Place in New Delhi.
27th Nov, 2012 – Submitted the No Objection certificate request for NORI to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Education. They said that they would take a month.
The address where you have to go to -
Ministry of Human Resource Development
West Block 1 Building, 2nd Floor, Wing-6,
R.K.Puram, New Delhi -110066
11th Dec, 2012 – Collected the No Objection certificate request for NORI in person from the NRI department, Writer’s building. This was signed by G.G. Sarkar, Joint Secretary to the Government of West Bengal. It took around 2 days. Visited the Writer’s building on the 10th and 11th of December.
The contact address of this department in Writer’s Building is –
The Joint Secretary
Home (F & NRI Department)
Government of West Bengal
Writer’s building
Kolkata – 700 001
27th Dec, 2012 – Got the NOC letter from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Education.
The third place where I had to get the NOC from was from the passport office in Kolkata (4 Brabourne Road, Kolkata - 700 001). Visiting the Kolkata passport office was a very bad experience. My father and I went there separately, but it was of no use. They refused to give me the NOC. Well, at least they showed me the way. They asked me to get a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from the Passport Seva Kendra. I had to arrange for another visit to Kolkata.
I got my PCC on the 28th of March. I think if I was living in Kolkata the whole process would have been faster.
6th April, 2013 – Got the check of $215 done to send to US Dept of State.I got this done from my ICICI branch in Connaught Place, New Delhi.
I was required to send self-addressed stamped envelopes to the US Department of State so that they could send their decision to that address. Since I was in India, I wrote to them on [email protected] and asked them whether I could give them the address of my aunt who lives in Seattle. They were pretty flexible about that. So, I asked my aunt to send me two self-addressed (with their Seattle address on it) stamped envelopes that are sent within the U.S. so that I could that in the package along with all the other documents that I was required to send to the US Department of State.
16th April, 2013 – Filled out the DS-3035 form and sent everything to the US Department of State using DTDC's courier service.
17th April, 2013 – submitted all the documents to MEA. They required me to send an email to the US Consulate in San Francisco. The email addresses are - [email protected], [email protected]. Basically this needs to be done because I was applying from India, so the MEA requires a letter from the San Francisco US Consulate stating that since I am applying from India they cannot do anything and the MEA will take care of my issues. The US Consul in San Francisco did respond but they actually didn’t know what needs to be done if you are applying from India. However, sending the letter is important.
MEA contact address -
Undersecretary
Ministry of External Affairs,
CPV Division, Patiala House Annexe,
Tilak Marg, New Delhi - 110001.
23rd April, 2013 – the DS-3035 form reached the US Dept of State via DTDC
29th April, 2013 – got the duplicate copy of the letter that MEA would send to the US Embassy in New Delhi, India.
10th May, 2013 – In the U.S. Department of State’s website it started showing that they have received my fees and forms. Contact of US Department of State is [email protected].
11th June, 2013 – The No objection Statement was shown as received on US Department of State’s website. This was after I sent an email to the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India on [email protected]
24th June, 2013 – Favorable recommendation provided by the U.S. Department of State was sent to the USCIS. Then contacted USCIS Vermont Service center - [email protected]
1st July, 2013 – Got the letter from the USCIS on my New Delhi address that my case is under consideration.Got a receipt number to track my case.
10th July, 2013 – USCIS mailed their favorable waiver approval decision
16th July, 2013 – the approval notice reached me at my New Delhi address
Hope all this information is of some help to anyone applying for a waiver from India. Please email me if you have any questions.
Thanks and Good luck!
Tilottama
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