US Embassy in New Delhi

Indian residents apply for two broad categories of US visa: nonimmigrant visas for temporary visits and immigrant visas for permanent residence. Applications run through the official US visa application system, in coordination with VFS Global as the authorised in-country partner; the embassy itself does not accept walk-in visa applications. The most common nonimmigrant categories for Indian applicants are: B-1/B-2 visitor visas for tourism, business meetings, conferences, family visits and medical treatment, typically issued to Indian nationals for ten years with multiple entries and stays of up to six months per visit; F-1 student visas for academic study at SEVP-certified US universities and colleges, requiring a Form I-20, SEVIS fee receipt, financial documentation and demonstration of intent to return — Indians are typically the largest single national group in US higher education, and EducationUSA advising centres along with the Fulbright-Nehru programme administered by USIEF are the standard sources of further information; J-1 exchange visitor visas for research scholars, professors, au pairs and similar exchange programmes; H-1B specialty-occupation visas for graduate-level professional work in the US, subject to an annual numerical cap and a lottery, with Indian nationals representing a large share of approvals each year; L-1 intra-company transfer visas for executives, managers and specialised employees; O-1 for individuals with extraordinary ability; and P visas for athletes and artists. The E-1 and E-2 treaty trader and investor visas are not available to Indian nationals. Immigrant visa categories include family-based immigration (immediate relatives of US citizens, plus the family-preference categories) and employment-based immigration (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4 and the EB-5 investor category). Indian nationals face significant per-country backlogs in EB-2 and EB-3, often measured in years; the diversity visa lottery is not available to Indian nationals. The process is the same across categories: complete the DS-160 (nonimmigrant) or DS-260 / I-130 / I-140 (immigrant) form online; pay the visa fee; schedule a biometric appointment at a VFS Visa Application Centre; attend an interview at the embassy or relevant consulate. Wait times for interviews vary substantially by category and season — check the current US Embassy and Consulates wait-time table before booking flights. An Interview Waiver programme is available for certain repeat applicants meeting published criteria. Required documents typically include a valid passport, photographs to US specifications, the DS-160 confirmation page, the appointment letter, and supporting documents demonstrating purpose of travel, ties to India and ability to support the trip. Student visa applicants additionally present the I-20 and SEVIS payment receipt; H-1B and other work-visa applicants present the I-797 petition approval notice, employment letter and qualifications. Current fees and procedures are published on the embassy website.

The US Commercial Service (FCS) operates from the embassy and from the four consulates general — New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad — under the US Department of Commerce, and is the operational point of contact for American exporters working into the Indian market. FCS specialists cover sector portfolios that include aerospace and defence, automotive, clean energy, healthcare, education services, ICT and digital economy, financial services, infrastructure and construction, agriculture and food processing. The headline services for an American exporter or US-based supplier are: market intelligence (sector reports, regulatory updates, competitive briefings), Initial Market Check and Gold Key business-partner search to identify Indian distributors, agents or buyers, due-diligence support, advocacy on regulatory or market-access issues, and trade-show and trade-mission organisation including US pavilions at the major Indian trade shows. The operational entry point is the US Department of Commerce's trade portal for general guidance and the embassy commercial team for India-specific work; sector specialists for India are listed on the Commercial Service's India page.

For US-India business operators, the practical map of contact points is: • AmCham India (American Chamber of Commerce in India) — the premier US-business membership organisation in India, with chapters in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata and Ahmedabad; runs sector committees, policy advocacy and networking events. • US-India Business Council (USIBC) — Washington/Delhi-based bilateral business advocacy organisation hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce. • US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) — bilateral business and policy forum focused on technology, defence, healthcare and energy sectors. • The embassy's Economic Section and FCS team — for advocacy escalation on regulatory or market-access issues, and as the official channel into Indian central-government counterparts. • State-level US trade and investment offices — several US states (California, Texas, Indiana, Florida, Massachusetts and others) maintain trade representatives in India through SelectUSA partner offices. Which body to use depends on the question: AmCham for member networking and advocacy, USIBC/USISPF for sector-specific bilateral platforms, the embassy commercial team for direct government-to-government issues, and state offices for inbound investment to a specific US state.

Jurisdiction in India is split between the Embassy in New Delhi and four Consulates General. The Embassy serves Delhi (NCT), Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh — and is also the US mission to Bhutan. The Consulate General in Mumbai serves Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The Consulate General in Chennai serves Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. The Consulate General in Kolkata serves West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim and the eight northeastern states (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura). The Consulate General in Hyderabad serves Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with a particular focus on the technology and pharmaceutical sectors. Applicants should book at the post that serves their place of residence.

The embassy sits inside the Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave and is reachable by the Delhi Metro (Lok Kalyan Marg on the Yellow Line is the closest station), prepaid taxi or ride-hailing app. Access is strictly by appointment; visitors pass through extensive security screening on arrival and must present valid photo identification. Mobile phones, electronic devices, large bags and food are not permitted inside the secure perimeter. Storage facilities are limited; plan to leave devices with your driver or in a vehicle. The embassy observes both US federal holidays and Indian public holidays — the consolidated holiday calendar is published on the embassy website. For health-related travel preparation, the US Centers for Disease Control travellers' health page is the standard reference for India-bound American travellers; Indian e-Visa requirements for US citizens travelling to India are detailed on the Indian government's e-Visa portal.