Outside a sprawling bungalow in New Delhi’s posh Vasant Vihar, stand an unusual number of Tata Sumos with Punjab numberplates. As each new one comes to a halt, families from villages near Jalandhar and Ludhiana alight and troop in. They are all here for one reason: a DNA test. Probably the last hurdle before they are allowed to go to the land of their dreams—the United States. The building belongs to MRO (India) Pvt Ltd, designated by the American Embassy to collect blood samples of applicants for a US visa, which are then sent to the US for a DNA test. If you are travelling to the US and have been sponsored by a relative there, there is a chance you and your sponsor could be asked for a DNA test, and the samples matched, before a visa is issued. In reply to a questionnaire by The Sunday Express, the US Embassy clarified: ‘‘The option of the DNA test is typically suggested to the applicant when there appears to be no other way to establish the relationship upon which immigration benefits are sought.’’ But while the Embassy tells applicants that the DNA testing is voluntary, it also makes it clear in documents given to them that ‘‘if you and other relatives choose not to take a DNA test, we will be unable to proceed with the applications’’. The tests could cost applicants anything between Rs 41,000 and Rs 1.36 lakh depending on how soon they want the results to be delivered from the US. Interestingly, if an applicant consents to take a DNA test, the onus of getting an authorisation from his relative to give his blood sample for a DNA test in the US also lies with him. The US Embassy clearly lays down the rules on this count: ‘‘The Petitioner (the US-based relative) should provide you, the Applicant, written authorisation for DNA testing.’’ The Embassy clarifies that ‘‘regulations, which apply to all countries, do not require the test for a particular country. DNA tests are available to applicants in any country, not just India. Under the regulations, the DNA test is not required for visa issuance.’’ A random check on the Internet shows that these DNA tests could be asked for in countries like Pakistan, Bolivia and Nigeria, but surprisingly the website of the US Embassy in India makes no mention of it. The Embassy replies: ‘‘Embassy websites are managed and maintained by individual embassies and consequently, there are variations in the content and format of these websites.’’
