Chennai Consulate - What to expect !

shankaran

Registered Users (C)
Hello all,

I see that many members of this forum, who appeared for stamping at Chennai have been through VISA stamping successfully, some have been sent back to get more documents , read 221 g and some refused after background checks etc.

I belong to the second category where I have been asked to get more documents for the second time. In an increasing trend, the VO's look very closely into two things:

a) The profile of the company the applicant is going to work for. ( Employee strength, offices, payments earned by all employees, projects / clients of that company)


b) UG / PG degree of the applicant and his/her ability to play the role of a Programmer analyst / software engineer, etc. if the applicant has a non-CS degree.

If you work for a big company - ( BIG - global presence, large no: of employees, increasing Number of VISA's issued under the name of that company), you will not have any major issues, some VISA officers might come down hard on you, but, they will eventually give you the VISA.

If you work for a small company, and you are the first person from this company to appear for the interview at Chennai, then, be ready to present a lot of information, again, it depends on the VO. There are cases, where a small company has had its employees come from delhi or mumbai, and appeared for interview at their resp consulates and obtained the VISA. But, if the applicant is representing a small company that's never been heard of in Chennai consulate, they might ask you to bring more information. Some VO's are very good at spotting misinformation or instances where the employer is trying to hide some information. In such cases, you have no other go than to accept the 221 g they are going to give and bring back more information.

Let’s come to the education of the applicant. Even if you work for a big company, in case you have a non-CS degree, there are cases where applicants were given a 221g. Before this happens, be sure to mention any programming courses you have done in your UG / PG. Do not mention courses you've done from computer training institutes, the VO will not even care to hear you. Also be ready to present the education evaluation, a copy will do, that was sent to USCIS while your employer filed for your H1B. Some times, the VO asks for it.

In your I-129 there's a section which mentions the degree of the applicant, if your employer or her attorney has mentioned the correct degree then no issues.If not, then you may get a refusal or a 221g asking for more documents. Also, make sure your employer clearly mentions the degree in your offer / appointment letter.

Pls. note that the VO comes down hard on applicants to sort out any fraud cases and make sure that the applicant does not land up in a company that does not pay him/her and makes the applicant's life miserable. Due to the enormous number of complaints that DOL / USCIS / INS has received over the last many years from suffering H1B holders, the state department is trying to make the VISA issuance real difficult for applicants from small time companies. And this is very prevalent at the Chennai consulate.

Yes, some applicants have a hard time with some VO's,but, keep your cool and do not feel dejected if you get a refusal. Get the documents required and appear for the interview with confidence. Be positive, as that's what I am trying to be. Also, remember what you had said in your previous encounter. For example, if you met a VO for the first time and say that your company does work on A, B, and C and the VO asks you to come back with more information. Next time you go, make sure you do not change what you had said earlier. The VO records most of the responses that you give to their questions.

The above is not a generalized opinion and is based on my experience and that of the other applicants whom I saw at the Chennai consulate during my interview days. Do not take it as the best advice, as the VO can ask for any other information apart from the above. My idea is to make future applicants to be bit more prepared.

Members - Pls. let us all know your views.

All the Best!
 
Dear sankaran,

Your information is so helpful. I really appreciate your insight in this matter. Hope people who attend at the chennai consulate will get through the issues barrier and will have smooth ride sooner. I completely understand the issues as i am one of those victims and thank you for all your inputs. Please keep posting with any updates.

Thanks again,

VJ
 
Chennai Visa Issue

Hi Sankaran,

I really appreciate your inputs after being rejected 2 times you have posted this gr8 notes for other so that they can be prepared...I wish you all the best for your visa and hope you receive it soon.

Keep posting such update guys help many others...

Thanks once again.

VP
 
VISA at last

Hello all,

I had gone to the Chennai consulate for the third time, after being refused twice, and got my VISA approved. Will post the details about my interview and some of my views soon. Pls. watch this post.

This forum has definitely helped me gain an insight on how to be prepared for VISA interviews and I hope my views / opinions help you all to some extent.

All the best!!!
 
Congrats

shankaran said:
Hello all,

I had gone to the Chennai consulate for the third time, after being refused twice, and got my VISA approved. Will post the details about my interview and some of my views soon. Pls. watch this post.

This forum has definitely helped me gain an insight on how to be prepared for VISA interviews and I hope my views / opinions help you all to some extent.

All the best!!!

--Congrats Buddy, Request you to post your latest interview so that it will be helpful to others.
 
Thank you VP.

Here's what I wanted to tell you all. Just a word of caution - everything I have mentioned here is based on my experience and of those who attended the interviews on the same day when I had appeared. Pls. do not take this to be a generalized opinion and take it with a pinch of salt :) .

Some of the points below might convey the same message as those mentioned in my initial post. So, pls. read on and let me know if you have any questions.

When you attend the interview, the outcome depends on several factors. Some of the significant ones are as follows:

1. The VO you are going to talk to. This is arbitrary, based on the crowd at the consulate your token might assign you to any VO. So, just be prepared.

2. The next factor, is how far the VO is convinced that you work for a decent company, even if small, and that pays you properly. If the VO is not convinced, you might be asked to bring more information - read 221g.

3. Does your education - Bachelors or Masters - qualify you for the position of a Software engineer or analyst etc? If you have a non-CS degree, you will have to let the VO know about your experience, any programming courses you have taken at college. The best bet would be your education evaluation. Present the same. If the VO is not convinved, you might have to face a technical interview on your area of expertise. Again, it depends on the VO.

4. This is very very important - Pls. do not take any documents that are not prepared by an authority who you claim has prepared. If you do not have a required documentation, pls. explain to the VO why you have not got it or produce a duplicate of the same, which is notarized. For example, Fake degree certificates, fake mark sheets and experience letters which claim wrong information are all bad ways to present your eligibility to qualify for a VISA. There are cases where applicants who produced fake certificates were handed over to the police in Chennai. Pls. be careful in this regard.

5. Pls. be clear in explaining what you are going to do in the US and why. This is an area where many applicants found it difficult to articulate even though they had it.

6. The most important of all - BE COOL and BE CALM. Just be reponsible with your answers, as what you say is recorded and the VO might just base the issuance of the VISA on how convincing you are. Do not get flustered and when they ask you to get more information, and when they say it hard, thank them and leave politely. Remember, they have given you a second chance, so, its better to work on it.

Ok, I hope you all understand that the above is not a comprehensive list and it finally comes down to the day when you go for the interview.


With respect to my interview:

I was interviewed thrice. The first officer took a look at my documents and told me that his supervisor would talk to me. After this, I met another VO who took my case and asked me some questions and I was asked to wait. Now, he had taken all the documentation I was asked to bring. After about 6 hours of wait, I was called by the same VO, who asked me about the company I am going to work for and which client I am going to be working with. I am pretty sure that this VO took a look at all the documents and verified the same, which is a good thing, I believe. I would not be surprised if he had called my previous employer. The consulate is cross verifying information regarding your education as well as experience and that's the reason I had stressed on point 4 as mentioned above.

That's it. The VO asked me to pay the fees and the best part I wanted to hear came by - "Have a nice trip". I mentioned my thanks and paid my fees.

I hope that whatever I have posted here will help atleast some of you. I am not a lawyer or someone who specializes in immigration services, so, pls. let me know if you have any questions with respect to what I have posted here.

Wish all of you the very best.
 
New Visa or Revalidation?

shankaran said:
Thank you VP.

Here's what I wanted to tell you all. Just a word of caution - everything I have mentioned here is based on my experience and of those who attended the interviews on the same day when I had appeared. Pls. do not take this to be a generalized opinion and take it with a pinch of salt :) .

...

With respect to my interview:

I was interviewed thrice. The first officer took a look at my documents and told me that his supervisor would talk to me. After this, I met another VO who took my case and asked me some questions and I was asked to wait. Now, he had taken all the documentation I was asked to bring. After about 6 hours of wait, I was called by the same VO, who asked me about the company I am going to work for and which client I am going to be working with. I am pretty sure that this VO took a look at all the documents and verified the same, which is a good thing, I believe. I would not be surprised if he had called my previous employer. The consulate is cross verifying information regarding your education as well as experience and that's the reason I had stressed on point 4 as mentioned above.

That's it. The VO asked me to pay the fees and the best part I wanted to hear came by - "Have a nice trip". I mentioned my thanks and paid my fees.

I hope that whatever I have posted here will help atleast some of you. I am not a lawyer or someone who specializes in immigration services, so, pls. let me know if you have any questions with respect to what I have posted here.

Wish all of you the very best.

Thanks for your detailed explanation Shankaran. Great!!!

A quick question. Was this your new visa appointment or a revalidation?

Thanks.
 
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Help needed

Hi Shankaran,
Thanks for all the inputs. Its really great and appreciable.
Shankaran, can you please throw some guesses as to what could be reason for your first two rejection. I think it would give us more idea as to what all should be avoided the most.

Looking forward for your reply.
Thanks in advance
Taurus05
 
shankaran said:
Hi,

It was a new VISA application.

Did you have to put in application form that your visa application has been turned down due to 221(g)? Please let me know! Thanks
 
Sankaran,
Thanks.
section 221(g), from what i remember, is termed 'temporary refusal'. your thoughts serve as valuable input in light of what you have been through. I guess it was ok with consulate to not answer in affirmative for 'have you ever been denied/refused a visa'. It is good news.
Thanks,
krjeevan
 
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Yes krjeevan. Its definitely good news for people who had been refused earlier. If you get the documentation they require, you should be able to get past the 221g hurdle.

Wish you all best of luck.
 
krjeevan said:
Did you have to put in application form that your visa application has been turned down due to 221(g)? Please let me know! Thanks
If you are talking about Ds-156 form and planning to attend for visa at Chennai,I would suggest do let them know.

I didn't answer that qns and they did ask about my previous refusals.
The Officer did ask me why i didn't answer it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
221g

Question:
Provide a detailed and specific account of how H/L worker will be employed during the next 12 months. Be sure to specify location, client and client contact information, nature of the project and duration of the project.

We provide all the information. Visa officer refused and said 'insuffcient information'.

W/out getting social security card, how the employer (consulting) company provide the detailed client information for a new h1b?
 
My friend went to interview today. He was asked to bring itenary on any week day morning.

Sometimes they are asking for client letter.How can anybody get Letter form Client when consulting comanies cant arrange for interviews for the person who is at india??
 
My friend was asked to provide following things and was given 221G. He has all his experience letters, but the CO didnt ask anything.He just asked which client is he going to work.He said his employer has own implementation project.He is going to work in that one.He just marked one column on application 221g and asked him to bring those docs. The description of docs is as shown below. Can anybody know what it is, pleas explain


A complete itinery of services or engagements specifying the dates of each service or engagement, Names and addresses of agent, the names and addresses of actual employers, and the names and addresses of the establishment, venues or locations where the services will be performed.


Thank you
 
skriyaz said:
Question:
Provide a detailed and specific account of how H/L worker will be employed during the next 12 months. Be sure to specify location, client and client contact information, nature of the project and duration of the project.

We provide all the information. Visa officer refused and said 'insuffcient information'.

W/out getting social security card, how the employer (consulting) company provide the detailed client information for a new h1b?


**********************

Hello everyone

is there any one who had thier h4 got stamped (for H4 revalidation) from cennai consulate recently ? if yes, can you please let me know what documents i need to send with my spouse . she is appearing alone . i am not travelling at the moment.

Thanks for your help.

Ravi
 
Looks like Chennai is giving out a lot of 221(g). Is it for new h1bs or even for revalidations? I am in my 6th year of h1b and I have interview at Chennai consulate on Jan 31st. Just making sure so that I can as the client for a letter.
 
Help on H1 visa revalidation

VisaProblem said:
--Congrats Buddy, Request you to post your latest interview so that it will be helpful to others.

Hello everyone,

I am so glad a forum like this is created. My brother, an Occupational therapist is scheduled for visa revalidation (H1) in chennai in january, 2006. He entered the US in 2002 with an H1 visa from his former company as an occupational therapist. However, he has failed his exams for OT licensure 3x, so from 2002 to 2004, he has been working as an OT aide. He just passed his licensure exam november 2004, transferred to a new company, which also sponsored his H1B. I need to know if in case his previous experience as an OT aide would in anyway be seen by the consulate, would this affect his chances of getting a revalidation? :confused:
 
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