Hello All,
Heres my experience on the CP
Flew to India on June 12th (Interview Date June 26th) Since you have to submit documents to VFS 7 working days prior to Interview.
Flew Virgin Atlantic ti Mumbai and went straight to VFS from the Airport. They are open from 8.00am - 12.00 and 1.00pm - 3.00pm
Documents Submited to VFS
- Copy of the first, second, last page of the current passport, copy of all us visa's in the current passport.
There is no need for old passports and copies of all pages.
- Original birth certificate and one copy
- Appointment letter and one copy (its one copy per person, so if you are with a wife then you will need 2 copies)
They gave me a receipt and put a bar code on the back of my passport.
Consulate Experience
- Arrive at the consulate at 7.00am. Did not avail of the VFS stars and stripe lounge, there is no need to. Make sure you carry everything in plastic bags, no cell phones, pda's balckberry;'s laptops, briefcases etc.. Umbrella is OK.
- Stand in the Line, no need to worry how long the line is.
- At 7.10am they will call all immigrant visa applicants to the front and you go thru security (Separate lines for men and women)
- They give you a wodden stick which you have to return on the way out.
- Was asked to sit on the right side.
- Name was called promptly at 7.30am
- Indain officer asked for thr letter from employer, asked my status (Single or married) and for the Medical (I had mine done at lilavati. Very efficient. I had already done my vaccinations, sdo I carried those reports and did not have to repeat them)
- Then I sat for the next 4.5 hrs
- Finally I was called at window 16 at noon.
- Asked to take oath
- Basic questions
- Who is the sponsorer
- When did you start working for them
- Are you in India on company work
- Do you intend to continue working for the sponsoring company
Then they asked me to sign the DS-230 and a form stating that I will work for the primary sponsorer when I return to the US
- Then the officer told me that she wa keeping my case pending as she needs a letter from my employer stating that I still have a job. Pointed out to her that I did submit the letter in the morning. She shuffled the papers and found it stapled under the copy of my birth certificate.
- No problem, you are all set, you can pick up your passport later. Donot forget to carry the X-ray with you when you go to the US (The consulate did not ask for the x-ray)
- It took 3 days to get my passport back. Interview was on Tuesday and I got the passport back on Friday evening. Those were the most stressful days I have had in a long time. Kept wondering what could have gone wrong...
But everythig was fine
POE Newark.
Waited for 2.5 hrs. There were only 2 officers and they decided that they will process immigarnt visa's last. There was one other guy with me. We were the last ones left in the secondary inspection area.
The actual process took only a few minutes. Sign the form, fingerprint of the right index finger. Who is the sponsorer.
They asked me extar questions as I have a private pilots licence.
When did you start flying ? Why did you want to take flying lessons. When was the last time you flew (as a pilot).
Thats it.
NOw just have to wait for the Card to show up in the mail.
I was told that I can travel on the stamp in my passport till I get the card, then I have to start using my card.
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