US visa to get costlier from May 30, Pahalgam to soon get cable cars on lines similar to Gulmarg gondola, Kolkata conducts a test run of the country’s first underwater metro and more in top stories of the day.
US visa to get costlier from May 30; tourist and student visas included
After May 30, 2023, your trip to the United States (US) is going to cost you more than what it is right now. As per reports, the United States is hiking the visa processing fees for visitor visas (business or tourism) and Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) applications (students and exchange visitors) from INR 13,138 to INR 15,190 ($160-$185). This new hike in the visa processing fees will be effective from May 30. However, those who have already paid for the visa application won’t have to pay the additional charges.
Those who are visiting the country on business, travel, students (NIV), temporary workers (from $190 to $205), those applying for E-category visa (from $205-$315), and categories H, L, O, P, Q and R. The exact amount of the visa processing fees in Indian currency will depend on whatever the current rate is during the time of application. This hike in the fees is not applicable to the consular fees and the waiver of the two-year residency required fee for certain exchange visitors to the States.
Pahalgam to soon get cable cars on lines similar to Gulmarg gondola
In line with the success of the Gondola project in Gulmarg, Pahalgam will also soon get cable cars. Authorities aim to set a ropeway in the picturesque Pahalgam tourist resort in Anantnag, which is also famed for its breathtaking landscape, high altitude lakes, mountain trails, pine forests, and glaciers.
The aerial length of the route will be just 2 km , Zargar added. Pahalgam, also known as the Valley of Shepherds, is around 90 km from Srinagar and is one of the most picturesque tourist resorts of Kashmir valley in Anantnag district, set amid evergreen forests. This place also serves as a base camp for the Amarnath cave shrine located at a height of 12,775 ft.
Also Read: Quintessential Srinagar And the Kashmir Valley | Travel and Food Guide
Kolkata conducts a test run of the country’s first underwater metro!
Kolkata recently did a test run of two six coach metro trains under Hooghly river’s underwater tunnel, which is the country’s first-ever underwater Metro. If reports are to go by, the two six-coach trains were readied for trials as part of Kolkata East-West Metro Project, and underwent a trial run on the 4.8 kilometer stretch between Esplanade and Howrah Maidan.
Also Read: 72 Hours in Kolkata – Travel and Food Guide
Reportedly, the trials were conducted on the Kolkata Metro’s Green Line, a 16.6 kilometer corridor between Sector V in east Kolkata and Howrah Maidan, across the river via Sealdah and Esplanade. Authorities informed that parts of the line were already operational; however, the Sealdah-Esplanade section was facing delays. As such, the two trains for a trial run were conducted from the Salt Lake depot to Howrah Maidan through the east-bound tunnel between Sealdah and Esplanade, as officials were confident about the expedition. With this, Kolkata Metro added another feather in its cap as it was also the country’s first metro railway that started in Kolkata in 1984 and later in Delhi in 2002.
For latest travel news and updates, food and drink journeys, restaurant features, and more, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram. Read more on Travel and Food Network
Trending on TFN
The 23 Best Places To Go In 2023
