COVID-19 : Indian Embassy issues advisory, asks Indians to contact USCIS for visa extension

Indian Embassy here on Friday (local time) issued a travel advisory asking Indian nationals to contact US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for extension of visa in the US amid travel restrictions imposed in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic.

The advisory comes after the Indian government announced that no international commercial passenger aircraft will be allowed into India from midnight of March 22 to March 29.

"In view of these travel restrictions, all Indian nationals are advised to stay safe and isolated within the residential premises and follow the advisories updated on CDC web site and other state and federal advisories relevant to COVID19," read the statement by the embassy.

"For extension of visa in the US during this restriction period, please refer to USCIS website to extend your stay," it added.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday announced that no international passenger commercial aircraft shall take off from any foreign airport to land in India from March 22 to March 29. India has so far reported 236 coronavirus cases and four fatalities.

"No scheduled international commercial passenger aircraft shall take off from any foreign airport to land in India, from March 22, 2020 (05:30 hrs IST). These instructions shall remain in force till March 29, 2020," read the circular.

The Indian embassy has also issued multiple 24x7 helplines to address concerns and queries regarding the recent travel advisory issued by the Indian government which suspended all visas with some exceptions in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, India had suspended all visas with some exceptions including diplomatic and official travel as coronavirus cases continue to proliferate around the world.