MSID India
Visa Information
You will need a passport to enter any of the MSID countries. Your passport must be valid for the entire duration of your program. If you have not already obtained your passport, apply for one immediately. Information about applying for a passport can be found on the US Department of State's website.
Mail your actual passport (not a photocopy) with your application to Perry International to obtain a student visa. Travel outside the US will not be possible while your visa is being processed. Make a photocopy of your passport before submitting your visa application.
Visas
US citizens studying in any of the MSID countries must obtain a student visa. Non-US citizens should check with the host country embassy to determine any special regulations pertaining entry into that country.
You are required to obtain a student visa through Perry International, a passport and visa processing company based in Chicago. The visa processing fee charged by Perry International is included in the MSID program fee. You pay Perry International the cost of the actual visa plus shipping costs and any additional fees. Instructions and application material can be found on Perry International's website. Enter 'MSID' for the program name when selecting your visa country and type on Perry's website, and view MSID-specific instructions.
The Learning Abroad Center will send the required letter of acceptance directly to Perry International. Any photos required by Perry International are in addition to those you may have already submitted to the Learning Abroad Center.
If you have any questions about the visa process, contact Ty Collins, Thomas Heimdal or Tom Collins, either by email or by phone at 312.372.2703.
You do not need to pay Perry International to be registered with the US embassy. Perry International will automatically register you as part of the services they provide to the MSID program.
Check the visa in your passport when you receive it, particularly if it lists the dates of your stay abroad. Embassies have occasionally been known to make errors when entering in duration dates. Contact Perry International if you think that there may been an error in your visa.
Country-specific Instructions
NOTE: You may NOT arrive before the official start date of the program. India immigration laws require that you are registered with the police in Jaipur by the MSID staff within 14 days of arrival. The MSID on-site staff will register the group as part of the orientation. You cannot register yourself, and the MSID on-site staff cannot register you before the official program start date. You may travel independently after the official program end date.
You must apply for a student visa through Perry International. The AIIS form that you filled out as part of the confirmation process is NOT an application for a visa. Also, DO NOT apply directly to the Consulate (TRAVISA) for your India visa. You will not have the required paperwork, and your visa will not be granted. You must use Perry International.
Students on the semester program should note that your India visa is only valid for 6 months, even if you are participating in the August pre-session. As a result, Perry will carefully time the submission of your visa application so that your visa is valid until the end of the semester program. Academic year students have 1 year of visa validity.
For the online application, you use the following information:
Name and Address of Institution in India:
AIIS MSID India Program
11, Uniara Garden
Jaipur 302004, Rajasthan
Emergency Phone: 011 (91) 966.751.5323
Reference In India:
Rima Hooja11, Uniara Garden
Jaipur 302004, Rajasthan
Emergency Phone: 011 (91) 966.751.5323
cell phone: N/A
Reference In Applicant's Country:
Heidi SonesonUniversity of Minnesota
271 19th Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
phone: 612-626-9000
cell phone: 612-625-2571
Students of Indian origin may not need to apply for a student visa if they have obtained Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status or have a Person of Indian Origin (POI) Card. Check with Perry International for details if you qualify for either of these exceptions.
