Back home / Emergency kit: getting home to India, and back
Emergency kit: getting home to India, and back
A parent is in hospital or has died. Answer four questions to see the fastest safe way to travel for your situation, what can go wrong on the way back, and what to carry. Then print the grab sheet and keep it ready.
Grab sheet
Keep a printed copy with your passports. Fill in the blanks now, not in an emergency.
Documents to carry
- Passports for everyone (6+ months valid), with visa stamps
- Latest I-797 approval notice(s) and the most recent I-94 printout
- Employment verification letter (dated within 30 days) and 2–3 recent pay stubs
- Advance parole / combo card and I-485 receipt, if you have them
- Kids: US passports and OCI cards (or e-Visa printout)
- Marriage certificate and kids' birth certificates (copies)
- Proof of the emergency: hospital letter on letterhead, or death certificate
- Prescription medicines in original packaging, with prescriptions
Numbers and logins
- Immigration lawyer: ______________________
- Employer HR / immigration contact: ______________________
- US visa appointment system (ustraveldocs.com) login: ______________________
- US visa support in India: +91 20 6902 0000 · +1 332 220 1866
- USCIS Contact Center (emergency advance parole): 800-375-5283
- VFS Global (Indian consulate services): 1-800-320-9693
- Family contact in India: ______________________
- Travel/medical insurance: ______________________
How this works
Based on State Department, USCIS and Indian consulate rules as of October 2026: H-1B and H-4 renewals need an in-person interview (waivers ended September 2, 2025) and must be applied for in your country of nationality or residence; leaving with a pending I-485 abandons it unless you have advance parole or qualify for the H/L exception (8 CFR 245.2). Every situation is different; if anything here is unclear for you, a 15-minute call with an immigration lawyer before you book is worth it.
- State Department: Interview waiver update (July 25, 2025)
- State Department: Applying in your country of nationality or residence
- U.S. Embassy India: Nonimmigrant visas and appointments
- State Department: Administrative processing (221(g))
- eCFR 8 CFR 245.2: H/L exception for travel with a pending I-485
- USCIS: Emergency travel (emergency advance parole)
- Consulate General of India, San Francisco: Emergency entry visa
- Indian e-Visa
Not legal advice. When the stakes are this high, check with an immigration attorney before you book, even by phone.