In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Embassy in India cancels all immigrant and non-immigrant visa appointments from Monday, March 16 onwards, in line with an announcement on Saturday.
“Your visa appointment stands as canceled. Once Mission India resumes regular consular operations, appointments will be made available and you’ll be able to reschedule,” said a terse notification on Saturday.
From Monday, Mission India’s American Centers in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai will “pause in-person programming and shut public access until further notice”.
The Mission India said it looked forward to welcoming people back to all its establishments as soon as conditions permit and till then asked all to “please stay safe and healthy”.
Indian Consulate in new york has launched a COVID-19 travel helpline
The Indian Consulate in new york has launched a COVID-19 travel helpline, in view of the New Delhi government guidelines about travel to the country and suspension of all visas till April 15.
The helpline was launched to assist people facing issues like expiring American visas, denials of H-1B visas and Indian citizens with minor children who are US citizens having to travel back due to compelling reasons, The American Bazaar said in a report on Friday.
“In view of a travel advisory issued by the govt of India regarding travel to India due to global COVID-19 pandemic, following phone numbers could also be used to reach Consulate General of India, new york for any assistance/clarification,” the Consulate said in a message posted on its website.
While any voluntary travels were being canceled or postponed by people to remain safe, many others were worried about unavoidable situations, the report said.
Those who may be facing any immigration-related issues or are challenged with a requirement to travel during these extraordinary times are advised to reach out to their respective embassies, it added.
Protect Yourself While Traveling
On Friday, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency “to unleash the complete power of the federal government” against the outbreak within the country and that up to $50 billion are going to be available to states and territories to meet the challenge.
The declaration came because the number of coronavirus cases within the US hit 1,800 with 41 deaths.
(Source: Live Mint)
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Also Read, Air India Cancels Flights To Italy, France, Germany, 4 More Countries Till April 30
