bulandhausla
Registered Users (C)
Folks,
I am back ! Now a Permanent Resident. We had a successful interview on Jan 20. No unpleasant surprises. If you have regularly visited this forum and have done all that is being discussed here, you should be very well prepared !
At the outset, I would like to mention that without the support structure provided by Mr Rajiv Khanna, I might not have gone the CP route and would be waiting for the I-485 call to happen. It was this forum that clearly made me go the CP route much against the advice of my attorney ! Heartfelt thanks to Mr Rajiv Khanna.
Special thanks to Alren and Raju and everyone else who have been extremely prompt in responding to my queries. Couldn't expect anything more!
I would like to state, that I am not an immigration law expert and all those reading this thread should consult a profession immigration law atttorney. I am not recommending anything to anybody and this is just my experience that I would like to share.
Ok then, here's the story !!!
Documents
I compiled the list from the many threads on this forum. That is adequate. You will always need some documents for your unique situation. I organized my docs as under :-
1. Folder 1 - All docs (for the entire family) that were required (BC,MC,PCC, Interview letter, Employment letter, I-134, DS230-II, etc) - Original and copies. Kept an index on the first page for easy reference.
2. Folder 2 - All academic records for self - Original and copies
3. Folder 3. - All academic records for spouse - Original and copies
4. Folder 4 - All immigration records (H1 petition and approval, Hi extention, Labor app and RFE, I-140 approval, CP docs, Correspondence with NVC, etc) - Original and copies
It was a pain getting all this organized but trust me it was well worth it ! Spent a better part of the weekends over the last 6 months getting this in place.
Medicals
Went to Breach Candy on Monday Jan 17th. Many people had come for their medicals that day. It almost looked like a bus station in Ahmedabad ;-)) because 99% of them were family based cases. There are separate lines for Males and Females, so had to create a separate folder for self and spouse. I was not too happy with the way things were organized (had to stand in 3/4 different queues when everything could have got done more efficiently) and would recommend Lilavati / Hinduja (fewer people, so shorter queues). I went to Breach Candy because of the proximity to My Own Photo Studio
Make sure you carry your immunization records from India / US as that will save you from standing in a separate queue and aslo some cash. We had our past immunization records.
Also carry ALL prior medical records, including for any surgeries that you have had in the past. My wife has a small surgery in her palm 10 years back and they wanted to see those records. I did not carry those records and had to ask a friend to enter my apt in NYC and fax the records to me in Mumbai. Unavoidable stress, if you ask me !!!!
Got the medicals report for self and son on the same day. They took an XRay for adults and blood test. The physical examination conducted by the doctor was just an one minute affair.
Everything was done by noon and we were asked to come back by 4:00 pm to collect
Reports. There are no good places around the consulate to eat. There is a Rajesh Snack adjacent to the consulate (near the parking lot) and a Snowman’s opposite. The Snowman’s quality has deteriorated.
Got the medicals for spouse the next day. Celebrated by going to “Swati Restaurant” (Opp Bhatia Hospital) for the best food (fresh / exotic and home style and very hygienic) that you could get.
The medical report is sealed and should be handed to the Consular officer at the time of the interview.
Photos
I got photos done in the US. They looked ok to me, but played safe and got extra photos from My Own Photo studio – diagonally opposite to the Consulate. From the consulate, cross over and go to the opposite footpath and then start walking towards Cuffe Parade. The studio is a 2 minutes walk. They asked us to remove our spectacles (which is contrary to the photo guidelines issued by the Dept of State…... but I did not argue. He uses a Kodax 6490 digital camera to take the photos. Got the photos on the same day.
Interview
Now the fun part !! Reached the consulate at 7:45 am. Our appointment was for 8:15 am. There was complete chaos outside the consulate. There were like 3 – 4 queues and no one knew exactly what was going on. I finally went to the main entrance and asked the security guard, which queue to stand in and he actually let me ahead of the queue (because he saw I had a small child with me). Good of him.
Got in at 8:30 am after an impressive security check. Those with infants, baby food, formula and milk is allowed. But parents will be asked to taste all food before entering the consulate.
Was asked to wait in front Window no 11 / 12. At about 10:00 am, our name was announced at Window # 14 where an Indian officer collected documents. Documents collected were :-
Self / Spouse –
Passport
Medicals
Original PCC
Copy of BC
Copy of MC
Original Notarized Employment letter (self)
Original Notarized I-134 (for spouse)
Original DS230 – II
Son
Passport
Medicals
Copy of BC
Copy of MC
Original Notarized I-134 (for son)
Original DS230 – II
Note the documents were collected first for me, then spouse and then son. No PCC for son as he was < 15 years old.
It is here that it helps a great deal if all documents are neatly organized.
We were asked to wait again till our names were announced for the interview.
Our name was announced again at 11:45 am. We went to the window, where we were greeted by an American Lady (very polite)
She first made us take the oath and then we were asked to sign the DS 230 Part II. I signed for my son. Then she took my wife’s finger print . There were some problems with the finger printing machine. So she had to struggle a bit. Then she turned to me.
Consular office (CO) :- Since when have you been working in the US?
Me – Since “Date”
CO – Which company do you work for?
Me: - I work for “Name of Company”
CO – What do you do?
Me :- I am a “Designation”
CO :- What is it about your position that we cannot find workers in the US ?
Me :- My job involves blah, blah, blah. The combination of these skills is rarely found in the same person …blah, blah.
Then she took my finger prints. They take finger prints of index finger of left and right hand.
Then she turned to my wife and asked what she did? My wife responded that she was a home maker.
She told us that our immigration visas were approved and that we could collect the passports after 2 days due to some processing that they needed to do (I concluded that it was the FBI Name check … but was not worried as it is just an administrative process). She gave us a letter to that effect. She asked me to collect the passports on Monday 1/24 but wrote Tuesday 1/25 on the letter.
I was more relieved than happy. Finally, it was all over.
I went to the consulate on 1/25 at 4:00 pm and collected the passports. They also gave us sealed visa packets to be opened by Us inmmigration officers at POE. The immigrant visa was stamped on our passports. Checked the visa for any errors and there were none !!!
Things to note : - The visas for my spouse and son had a note that their visas were valid only if accompanied by me.I am not sure if this was because I had mentioned on the DS230-I, that we would all travel together.
The visa also had the "A" numbers for each one of us. It also said that the Immigrant visa evidenced the I-551.
POE
POE at JFK was very smooth. Did not have to fill in the I-194 in the plane on the way back. Went to the queue for permanent residents / citizens. Immigration officer took our passports and visa packets. No questions asked. She took us to another window where she took fingerprints for self and spouse (index finger of the right hand only). We were also asked to sign. I signed on behalf of my son.
She just put a stampy which said "Admitted - NYC on 2/14/05. The Admitted Until section was left blank" There was no I-551 stamp on the passport at JFK.
Lessons
1. Regulary visit this forum, the moment your labor is approved. You will know more than most people and you will be very well prepared.
2. Start compiling your documents at the earliest. Make sure they are right. Organize your documents neatly so that you can retrieve them quickly when asked for.Your battle is then half won.
3. Carry all your past medical records with you to the medicals test.
4. Do not carry and CD’s or any other electronic media inside the consulate. I was carrying our corporate brochure in a CD and had to give it to my dad who was waiting outside.
5. Always have a close relative wait outside the consulate … just in case.
6. Be ready to travel back with Family. Visa for spouse / child could have that note. Double check .. not too sure.
7. Stay calm during the visa interview. They are reading your face. Its almost like a job interview. Both me and my wife dressed formal.
8. Keep a gap of at least 3-4 working days between the medical and the Interview date.
Conclusion :- Do your homework and CP is safe way to get the GC.
Questions are welcome and I will be happy to answer.
BH
I am back ! Now a Permanent Resident. We had a successful interview on Jan 20. No unpleasant surprises. If you have regularly visited this forum and have done all that is being discussed here, you should be very well prepared !
At the outset, I would like to mention that without the support structure provided by Mr Rajiv Khanna, I might not have gone the CP route and would be waiting for the I-485 call to happen. It was this forum that clearly made me go the CP route much against the advice of my attorney ! Heartfelt thanks to Mr Rajiv Khanna.
Special thanks to Alren and Raju and everyone else who have been extremely prompt in responding to my queries. Couldn't expect anything more!
I would like to state, that I am not an immigration law expert and all those reading this thread should consult a profession immigration law atttorney. I am not recommending anything to anybody and this is just my experience that I would like to share.
Ok then, here's the story !!!
Documents
I compiled the list from the many threads on this forum. That is adequate. You will always need some documents for your unique situation. I organized my docs as under :-
1. Folder 1 - All docs (for the entire family) that were required (BC,MC,PCC, Interview letter, Employment letter, I-134, DS230-II, etc) - Original and copies. Kept an index on the first page for easy reference.
2. Folder 2 - All academic records for self - Original and copies
3. Folder 3. - All academic records for spouse - Original and copies
4. Folder 4 - All immigration records (H1 petition and approval, Hi extention, Labor app and RFE, I-140 approval, CP docs, Correspondence with NVC, etc) - Original and copies
It was a pain getting all this organized but trust me it was well worth it ! Spent a better part of the weekends over the last 6 months getting this in place.
Medicals
Went to Breach Candy on Monday Jan 17th. Many people had come for their medicals that day. It almost looked like a bus station in Ahmedabad ;-)) because 99% of them were family based cases. There are separate lines for Males and Females, so had to create a separate folder for self and spouse. I was not too happy with the way things were organized (had to stand in 3/4 different queues when everything could have got done more efficiently) and would recommend Lilavati / Hinduja (fewer people, so shorter queues). I went to Breach Candy because of the proximity to My Own Photo Studio
Make sure you carry your immunization records from India / US as that will save you from standing in a separate queue and aslo some cash. We had our past immunization records.
Also carry ALL prior medical records, including for any surgeries that you have had in the past. My wife has a small surgery in her palm 10 years back and they wanted to see those records. I did not carry those records and had to ask a friend to enter my apt in NYC and fax the records to me in Mumbai. Unavoidable stress, if you ask me !!!!
Got the medicals report for self and son on the same day. They took an XRay for adults and blood test. The physical examination conducted by the doctor was just an one minute affair.
Everything was done by noon and we were asked to come back by 4:00 pm to collect
Reports. There are no good places around the consulate to eat. There is a Rajesh Snack adjacent to the consulate (near the parking lot) and a Snowman’s opposite. The Snowman’s quality has deteriorated.
Got the medicals for spouse the next day. Celebrated by going to “Swati Restaurant” (Opp Bhatia Hospital) for the best food (fresh / exotic and home style and very hygienic) that you could get.
The medical report is sealed and should be handed to the Consular officer at the time of the interview.
Photos
I got photos done in the US. They looked ok to me, but played safe and got extra photos from My Own Photo studio – diagonally opposite to the Consulate. From the consulate, cross over and go to the opposite footpath and then start walking towards Cuffe Parade. The studio is a 2 minutes walk. They asked us to remove our spectacles (which is contrary to the photo guidelines issued by the Dept of State…... but I did not argue. He uses a Kodax 6490 digital camera to take the photos. Got the photos on the same day.
Interview
Now the fun part !! Reached the consulate at 7:45 am. Our appointment was for 8:15 am. There was complete chaos outside the consulate. There were like 3 – 4 queues and no one knew exactly what was going on. I finally went to the main entrance and asked the security guard, which queue to stand in and he actually let me ahead of the queue (because he saw I had a small child with me). Good of him.
Got in at 8:30 am after an impressive security check. Those with infants, baby food, formula and milk is allowed. But parents will be asked to taste all food before entering the consulate.
Was asked to wait in front Window no 11 / 12. At about 10:00 am, our name was announced at Window # 14 where an Indian officer collected documents. Documents collected were :-
Self / Spouse –
Passport
Medicals
Original PCC
Copy of BC
Copy of MC
Original Notarized Employment letter (self)
Original Notarized I-134 (for spouse)
Original DS230 – II
Son
Passport
Medicals
Copy of BC
Copy of MC
Original Notarized I-134 (for son)
Original DS230 – II
Note the documents were collected first for me, then spouse and then son. No PCC for son as he was < 15 years old.
It is here that it helps a great deal if all documents are neatly organized.
We were asked to wait again till our names were announced for the interview.
Our name was announced again at 11:45 am. We went to the window, where we were greeted by an American Lady (very polite)
She first made us take the oath and then we were asked to sign the DS 230 Part II. I signed for my son. Then she took my wife’s finger print . There were some problems with the finger printing machine. So she had to struggle a bit. Then she turned to me.
Consular office (CO) :- Since when have you been working in the US?
Me – Since “Date”
CO – Which company do you work for?
Me: - I work for “Name of Company”
CO – What do you do?
Me :- I am a “Designation”
CO :- What is it about your position that we cannot find workers in the US ?
Me :- My job involves blah, blah, blah. The combination of these skills is rarely found in the same person …blah, blah.
Then she took my finger prints. They take finger prints of index finger of left and right hand.
Then she turned to my wife and asked what she did? My wife responded that she was a home maker.
She told us that our immigration visas were approved and that we could collect the passports after 2 days due to some processing that they needed to do (I concluded that it was the FBI Name check … but was not worried as it is just an administrative process). She gave us a letter to that effect. She asked me to collect the passports on Monday 1/24 but wrote Tuesday 1/25 on the letter.
I was more relieved than happy. Finally, it was all over.
I went to the consulate on 1/25 at 4:00 pm and collected the passports. They also gave us sealed visa packets to be opened by Us inmmigration officers at POE. The immigrant visa was stamped on our passports. Checked the visa for any errors and there were none !!!
Things to note : - The visas for my spouse and son had a note that their visas were valid only if accompanied by me.I am not sure if this was because I had mentioned on the DS230-I, that we would all travel together.
The visa also had the "A" numbers for each one of us. It also said that the Immigrant visa evidenced the I-551.
POE
POE at JFK was very smooth. Did not have to fill in the I-194 in the plane on the way back. Went to the queue for permanent residents / citizens. Immigration officer took our passports and visa packets. No questions asked. She took us to another window where she took fingerprints for self and spouse (index finger of the right hand only). We were also asked to sign. I signed on behalf of my son.
She just put a stampy which said "Admitted - NYC on 2/14/05. The Admitted Until section was left blank" There was no I-551 stamp on the passport at JFK.
Lessons
1. Regulary visit this forum, the moment your labor is approved. You will know more than most people and you will be very well prepared.
2. Start compiling your documents at the earliest. Make sure they are right. Organize your documents neatly so that you can retrieve them quickly when asked for.Your battle is then half won.
3. Carry all your past medical records with you to the medicals test.
4. Do not carry and CD’s or any other electronic media inside the consulate. I was carrying our corporate brochure in a CD and had to give it to my dad who was waiting outside.
5. Always have a close relative wait outside the consulate … just in case.
6. Be ready to travel back with Family. Visa for spouse / child could have that note. Double check .. not too sure.
7. Stay calm during the visa interview. They are reading your face. Its almost like a job interview. Both me and my wife dressed formal.
8. Keep a gap of at least 3-4 working days between the medical and the Interview date.
Conclusion :- Do your homework and CP is safe way to get the GC.
Questions are welcome and I will be happy to answer.
BH
