How to obtain L visa at the US Consulate General in Chennai, India
The L-1 Visa allows for the transfer of employees to the US office of your business. It can be an existing US office or we can set a new US office up for you. Click here to find out more about the L-1 Visa.
This page deals with the L-1 Visa application process at the US consulate in Chennai, India. However, you can apply for the L-1 Visa from any country. The best thing to do is click here to contact us to arrange a free consultation to discuss your personal circumstances and plans.
In order to obtain an L-1 visa an applicant must complete the following steps detailed on this page.
It is worth noting that all Blanket L1 visa petitions filed in India are currently adjudicated in Chennai. Accordingly, the US consulate in Chennai are highly experienced with L1 visa applications and as with all consular business visa processing experienced counsel is highly advised.
| Steps | Notes/Remarks |
| 1. Obtain an approved L-1 visa petition | This page addresses the post-L1 petition process of applying for the L1 Visa. For guidance on processing an L1 visa petition for an Indian business please follow this link. |
| 2. Complete the Online Non-Immigrant Visa Application, Form D-160. |
Follow this link to complete Form D- 160: For any inquiries on completing the DS-160, you may visit this
website: |
| 3. Pay the visa application fee of $190. |
Although fees are listed in U.S. dollars, payment must be made using local currency. Follow this link to check the visa fee for L visa Learn about bank and payment options through this link: |
| 4. Schedule your interview with the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, India. |
You may schedule your interview at any U.S. Embassy or Consulate, but be aware that it may be difficult to qualify for a visa outside of your place of permanent residence. In general, you must schedule an appointment for your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where you live. You will need to provide the receipt number that is printed on your approved Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Form I-129, or Notice of Action, Form I-797, to schedule an interview. You may make an appointment through the call center: You may also schedule your appointment online through this
link: The approximate appointment wait time is 7 calendar days (as of November 5, 2015). |
| 5. Sit down with our team to prepare for your visa interview. |
We, at Davies and Associates, are ideally positioned to assist you in your preparation for the interview though our location in India. We can answer all your questions about the interview process, give you valuable tips and do mock interviews. For over fifteen years, we have worked with your fellow Indian nationals and gained deep understanding of your needs and culture. We narrowly tailor our services to meet your needs and produce the very best immigration solutions possible. While there can be no guarantees, none of the visa applications we have prepared has ever been denied given our personalized approach and close interaction with our clients. |
| 6. Attend your visa interview and bring all required documentation. |
Required documentation includes:
PLUS
The Embassy will not accept documents received directly from the company by mail or fax. All L Visa applicants must bring one extra photocopy of any original documents they presented with their application package that they wish to be returned. |
| 7. After your visa interview, you will be informed how your passport with visa will be returned to you. |
The approximate processing time is 2 work days (as of November 5, 2015). In some cases, the consular officer will inform you if further administrative processing is necessary for your application. |
*All Blanket L Visas are processed at the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai.
The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai is the sole acceptance center in India for all applications for intra-company transfers under the blanket L category as of December 1, 2011. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and U.S. Consulates in Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad no longer accept or process applications for this visa category. The blanket L category includes specialized knowledge professionals, executives and managers.
All other visa processing procedures remain unchanged.
Please note that spouse and children visas (L2) and individual L visas (L1B and L1A individuals) may be processed at all posts in India-Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi.
Address/Location:
U.S. Consulate General
Gemini Circle
Chennai
600 006
Phone: 044-2857-4000
Fax: 044-2811-2020
Email addresses:
Nonimmigrant visas support-india@ustraveldocs.com
Call Center:
Callers in India: Call +91 120 4844644 or +91 40
46258222.
Callers in the United States: Call +1 703 520 2239.
Skype: To use Skype to speak to a customer service representative Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., India Standard Time (IST), and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., IST, please add a new contact to your Skype account with the Skype name ustraveldocsindia