NO OBLIGATION TO RETURN TO INDIA (NORI)
1. NORI waiver certificate is issued to Indian nationals to waive off two years of home (India) residency which is mandatory for all J-1 visa holders, as per US Immigration Laws, who wishes to apply for H1B Visa (Work Visas).
2. NORI applicants residing in India may approach CPV Division of the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi to avail NORI Service. Applicants staying in United States or any other country outside India are required to apply at the the nearest Indian Mission/Post.
3. NORI applications for J-1 categories (Au pair and Edu Care, Camp Counselor, Intern, International Visitor (department of state use), Professor and Research Scholar, Short-term Scholar, Specialist, Student, college/university, student, secondary, Summer Work Travel, Teacher, Trainee) shall follow the following process:-
The following documents are to be submitted along with an ink signed application requesting for issuance of NORI:I. Original notarized affidavit (compulsorily on stamp paper) containing full details of his/her visit to USA on student visa, especially, details of his/her Indian passport number, date and place of issue, period of stay in USA, his/her address in USA during his/her stay there and his/her present address in India where he/she is currently staying;
II. Original notarized bio-data containing full details of his/her educational qualifications, details of Passports/J1 Visa, his/her present address in India where he/she is currently staying, etc;
III. Copies of the Indian passports including the one on which the candidate travelled to US and US J1 visa pages;
IV. Copy of Third Party Bar Code page from the US State Department containing the applicant’s Waiver Review Case File Number required to be quoted in the NORI Certificate (For Details, Please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/study-exchange/student/residency-waiver.html).
4. NORI applications for J-1 category of Government Visitor shall follow the above-mentioned process after seeking clearance from their parent department.
5. NORI applications for J-1 category of Physician shall follow the following the above-mentioned process after obtaining necessary clearance from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
6. CPV Division will issue the waiver certificate and forward (ink signed copy only) to the Embassy of India in Washington DC for onward transmission to the Waiver Department, Department of State, who will then notify the applicant directly regarding further status of the application.
7. The applicant who is in India should submit application for issue of NORI Certificate at the CPV Division (Consular-I Section), Ministry of External Affairs, Patiala House Annexe, Tilak Marg, New Delhi-110001 (Tel: 011-23389165; Email: socons[at]mea[dot]gov[dot]in).
8. Specimen copies of the bio-data and affidavit for Miscellaneous Services are attached.
Click here for Annexure A: Bio-Data
Click here for Annexure B: Affidavit