• a letter from the doctor in India describing the medical condition, such as the urgency of the need to travel and certifying that such care is not available in India
   
• a letter from the physician or hospital in the United States indicating that they are prepared to treat the case, and providing the approximate cost of the treatment
   
• evidence of how one shall pay for the cost of the treatment
   

Funeral / Death  Purpose of travel is to attend the funeral of an immediate family member (mother, father, brother, sister, child, grandparent, or grandchild) in the United States. One of the following supporting documents is required:

o        a letter from the funeral director stating the contact information, details of the deceased, and date of the funeral

o       evidence that the deceased is an immediate relative

o       Note : If the travel for Medical Care or Funeral / Death must take place within the next 3 days, please eMail the Consular Section at the nearest U.S. mission listed:

Delhi	nivnd@state.gov
Chennai	chennainiv@state.gov
Kolkata	consular_calcutta@state.gov
Mumbai	mumbainiv@state.gov

Business  Purpose of travel is to attend to a business matter where the travel requirement could not be predicted sufficiently in advance. One of the following supporting documents is required:

o        a letter of invitation from the corresponding company in the United States, attesting to the urgency of the planned visit, describing the nature of the business and that either the U.S. or Indian company will suffer a significant lost opportunity if an emergency appointment is not available

o        evidence of a necessary training program in the United States of three months duration or less, to include letters from both the Indian employer and U.S. company providing the training

o        contracts, letters of credit, and/or other documents demonstrating a business relationship and a need to travel urgently

Student / Exchange Visitor  Within 120 days of the start date of a valid student or exchange visitor program, as indicated on his/her form, and who has not been refused a visa within the last six months. The following supporting document is required:

• Form I-20 or DS-2019 indicating start date of program within 120 days

Returning Worker  An H or L visa renewal for an applicant already working in the U.S. who is returning to her/his job. The following supporting document is required:

• Evidence such as a previous visa, form I-797 or I-129 to demonstrate that they are returning to their previously authorized employment in the United States.

The criteria provided in this article are a compiled from information available while scheduling a visa interview on www.vfs-usa.co.in. Effective as of June 14, 2006, the VFS system does not allow more than one cancellation. If a visa interview is cancelled more than once, the system locks the PIN required to schedule the visa interview for a period of 60 calendar days. Hence, applicants need to be very careful while rescheduling their visa interviews. Information provided here is subject to change and readers are advised to follow the VFS / Consular websites for the latest updates on procedures.

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