Hyderabad, February 14: What if a student was genuinely deceived by Tri-Valley University and is now caught up in the clamour? Will the US government help them to get into other schools? What can students do to verify the credentials of a university or a program? What guidance or advice can be given to students? Do you have a list of registered (legal) consultation agencies or consultants that students should use?
Victims of fraud do have access to a variety of federal and State resources in the United States – at minimum, each U.S. State has victims’ assistance units to aid victims of crime, and a legitimate student who is a fraud victim should have little trouble re-applying and enrolling in a different, fully-accredited educational organisation. If fraud victims choose to return to India first and apply for a new student visa, they will be treated as any other applicant.
The U.S. Department of State takes allegations of immigration and visa fraud very seriously, and the Tri-Valley University fraud allegations are an excellent example of the universally damaging effects of visa fraud. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have established a helpline for Indian students affected by the closure of Tri-Valley University in California, which any affected student may call to seek help. The U.S. Department of State is following this case closely and is in regular communication with Government of India officials. The Department of Homeland Security’s ICE division is leading the investigation, and as it is an ongoing investigation it would be inappropriate to discuss further details at this time.
For more information on education advising, fraud prevention hotlines, and other resources to help students avoid becoming victims of fraud, students are encouraged to visit www.usief.org.in, http://www.educationusa.state.gov/. More information on visa fraud can be found at http://travel.state.gov/. The United States India Educational Foundation offers educational advising resources through satellite centres at the UNITI Foundation (www.unitifoundation.org) and at the Osmania University Centre for International Programs (http://www.osmania.ac.in/oucip/). The U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad regularly undertakes consular outreach initiatives to help prospective students. We encourage all students to use these resources to ensure that they are enrolling in registered and accredited programs that are appropriate for their means and needs.
My original passport, with an expiry date of 07.09.2010, was lost and it contained my visa (B1/B2) that was issued by U.S Consulate in Chennai, with the expiry date of 17.09.2017. Based on my complaint, police issued me a certificate and I got a new passport. Please tell me the correct procedure to apply for a new visa, the required documents and if I can apply at Hyderabad for obtaining a new visa.
Theepireddi Venkata Reddy
If you have lost your passport, you must reapply for a new visa before you can travel to the United States. To do so, you must fill out the DS-160, pay the appropriate fees, and schedule a non-immigrant visa interview. For additional information, please visit our website, http://hyderabad.usconsulate.gov. You need to bring the copies of your lost passport and visa page as well as a copy of the FIR/report filed by you with the police about the lost passport, to your visa interview. Please note that we cannot guarantee anyone that he or she will receive a visa. It is up to the officer at the time of interview to determine if an applicant qualifies for a new visa to the United States.
Is it okay for people living in other regions to attend an interview in Hyderabad? One of my relative living in Mumbai is planning to attend interview in Hyderabad as there were no interview dates available in Mumbai.
Venugopal Kodali
Yes, anyone can apply at any post in India, so your relative can apply in Hyderabad. Please note that visa applicants are strongly encouraged to apply within their consular district, as consular officers who work in one region are more familiar with the circumstances of applicants from that region; however, it is not required.
My wife and I hold U.S. visas issued in August 2001. We made four visits to the U.S. to stay with our son. As our visa expires by early Aug-2011, we want to apply for renewal. I request you to advise us on what documents are required for visa renewal.
K. M. Vishnu Murthy
My wife and I visited our only son in the U.S. in 2000. Now, I wish to see him again in the last week of May- 2011, as we are eager to see our grandson. I would like to know if we have to apply for the interview in advance in the month of March 2011. Do we need to have separate DS-160 forms?
S. R. Mohan
We would encourage you to apply for a new visa before your current visa expires. To apply for a new visa, each individual applicant will need to fill out the DS-160, pay the appropriate fees, and schedule a non-immigrant visa interview. For a tourist (B1/B2) visa, the documents the Consulate General requires from visa applicants are as follows: Applicant’s valid passport (and old passports), DS-160 confirmation page (with readable barcode), recent photograph, blue HDFC receipt (in the correct amount), and his or her VFS appointment letter.
Applicants must bring these with them to their interview. Applicants may also wish to bring documentation that supports their case or demonstrates their economic and social ties to India. The fundamental rule for applying for a non-immigrant visa is that every applicant must qualify based on his or her own circumstances. Please note that we cannot guarantee you will receive a visa.
It is up to the officer at the time of interview to determine if you qualify for a new visa to the United States. You can find more information on required documentation on our website: http://hyderabad.
–Agencies