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U.S. to Consolidate Indian Blanket L-1 Visa

November 1, 2011— Effective December 1, the Department of State will consolidate the processing of Blanket L-1 visas in India at the U.S. Consulate in Chennai. Foreign nationals applying for L-1A and L-1B visas in India under their employer's blanket petition will be required to travel to Chennai for visa interviews and processing. Dependent family members will still be able apply for L-2 visas at their nearest U.S. consulate. They will not be required to travel to Chennai with the principal applicant.

The consolidation is being implemented at the recommendation of the DOS Office of the Inspector General, which earlier this year issued a report urging more supervision, consistency and centralization of visa operations at the U.S. Consulates in India. DOS is reportedly training a core group of consular officers to handle Blanket L-1 applications at Chennai.

The consolidation of Blanket L-1 processing at Chennai will mean significant inconvenience to those visa applicants who must travel long distances to get to their appointments. The Consulate has indicated that it has sufficient staff to meet the demand for L-1 appointments, and has been instructed to expedite appointments for applicants who live outside the Chennai consular district, but foreign nationals and their employers should expect processing delays.

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