No Obligation to Return to India (NORI) Certificate is required by a person who has gone to the USA on a J-1 visa. The J-1 visa mandates a person to return to his or her home country for at least 2 years at the end of their exchange visitor programme. In order to apply for an H1B visa, J-1 visa holders must submit to the US authorities a NORI Certificate, waiving the condition of the two-year stay back in India.
This is also called the foreign residence requirement under US Law, Immigration, and Nationality Act, under section 212(e). If an individual is unable to come back to his home country to fulfill the 2 years requirement, he must obtain a waiver from the Embassy or Consulate General of India in the USA. For Embassy to issue a Waiver Certificate for immigration purposes, the applicant must obtain a clearance directly from the authorities concerned in India, namely:
1. The External Scholarship Division, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development
2. The Home Department of State in India which the applicant belongs to
3. The Regional Passport office in India
Ministry of Human Resource Development issues NORI only in case of non-medical category applicants as the instances relating to:
Higher training outside the country in medical and related subjects
Medical profession and education that comes under the purview of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
To issue NORI, the applicant coming under the category of medications are those who possess medical qualifications.
Application procedure for NORI online portal of Ministry of Human Resource Development:
Applicants must register themselves on the portal. At the time of registration, the current address must be given as mentioned in the biodata. Scanned copies of a few documents must be uploaded while making the application for NORI:
• Affidavit
• Biodata
• Educational certificate (diploma or degree obtained after 10th or 12th)
• Visa
• Passport
Affidavit and biodata must be in the format as described on the website of the Embassy of India or Consulate General of India (CGI) in the USA and notarized by a notary public and authenticated by the concerned Embassy of India or CGI.
Applicants are required to fill up the columns and statements mentioned in bio-data and affidavit. All the yes/no columns must be filled without leaving them blank. Resident Indians who apply for NORI should download the forms of bio-data and affidavit, fill them and get them notarized.
Applicants who reside outside India and USA, must contact the Indian mission in the country they are residing in and must get biodata and affidavit notarized from the notary public and the documents should be authorized by the Indian mission in that country. Individuals who have returned to India may apply for this Certificate at the CPV Division, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi
