1. As per the Immigration laws of United States of America, 2 years of home (India) residency is mandatory for all J-1 visa holders for applying for H1B visa, i.e., work visa. For this, the J-1 visa holders are required to submit to US authorities a NORI
Certificate. Normally, the applicants who are staying in USA need a J1-waiver for which they need to apply for a NORI Certificate to the Indian Missions/Posts concerned in USA. Those who have returned to India may apply for this Certificate in the CPV Division,
Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. The applicants staying in a third country are required to apply at the Indian Mission/Post concerned.
2. Procedure for issuing NORI Certificate:
The following documents are to be submitted along with application (Miscellaneous Service) for issuing NORI Certificate:
I. NOC from the Ministry of HRD (Department of Higher Education) or Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in case of doctors & medical professionals [Instructions for issuance of clearances are issued by the concerned Ministries from time to time];
II. NOC from Passport Office (Passport Issuing Authority) [Applicants may check with the Indian Mission/Post abroad OR Consular Section (socons[at]mea[dot]gov[dot]in), CPV Division, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi through e mail, wherever the application
is being submitted].
III. NOC from the Home Department of State/Union Territory in India where the applicant belongs to.
IV. Original notarized affidavit 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 the place where currently staying.
V. Copies of the Indian passports including the one in which the candidate travelled to US and US visa pages;
VI. Copy of Third Part Bar Code page from the US State Department containing the applicant’s Waiver Review Case File Number (this is required to be quoted in the NORI Certificate as well as details of passport, US address, etc.);
3. Applicants are expected to submit the above mentioned documents, in original, along with their application with prescribed fee for miscellaneous consular services in Indian Mission/Post abroad. There is no fee for the applicant who applies in India. It
is the responsibility of the applicant concerned to obtain all necessary clearances.
4. 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).
For those who are applying from a third country where they are currently staying, the concerned Mission/Post should issue NORI Certificate by accepting all the above documents. Specimen copy of the letter is enclosed for reference.