Since my interview was similar to the ones posted in this group, I will not revisit the entire process. However, a few random observances:
Arriving in India: Immigration and customs were a breeze. We are traveling with a 6 month old infant, and were pleasantly surprised to see a special counter for parents with infants at immigration! I have been using the Mumbai intl. Airport since 1989, and was this was my best experience yet. We were out of the airport within 15 minutes of the plane landing. However, watch out for the mosquitoes!!!
Indian Airlines: Had to make quite a few trips via Indian Airlines this time (4 flights). Glad to say that all our flights were on time, and the food beats anything served on US airlines. Would rate service on IA far above what we get here in the US!
Medicals (Lilavati): Again, this issue has been discussed in other posts, so I will not repeat it. A couple of things:
Bring your original appointment letter. One of the guys was sent back to get his, since he brought along just a copy.
Schedule your medical at least 2-3 days (or more) before the interview. Sometimes, they call you back for additional testing (rarely, but it happens), and some people get into trouble because they have scheduled the interview the very next day. Again, it happened to one of the dudes in our \'medicals\' batch.
You need a regular plain passport photo (frontal view) for the medical, not the ‘right side of face’ one.
Stay at Bombay: Since we were coming in from outside Bombay, we decided to stay at Hotel Kemps Corner, based upon reviews on this site. This hotel is very close to the Shalimar. (our cabbie did not know where Kemps Corner was, but most cabbies know where the Shalimar is). Kemps Corner is OK, just about. Clean bathroom, but not so clean carpet. Also, we hade requested for an extra mattress and pillow - The sheets were clean, the mattresses and pillow left a lot to be desired. Although the room was a/c, we still had to deal with a few mosquitoes! The Shalimar appeared to be a lot better, but since we had made our reservations, we decided to stay on at Kemps Corner.
If you have a baby/child, use an AC cab to get to the hotel from the Airport. It will cost you about 375 bucks.
However, we found mosquitoes even in this a/c cab!
Interview: This was painless. I 134 for spouse, pay-stubs, copies of tax returns were NOT asked for. I do not know if this was an oversight, or if it is just not required. Take the stuff along, nevertheless. PCC from CGNY was asked for.
Everybody was generally polite and nice, except for a rude security female. B*&^%!.
No real questions were asked. The desi interviewer jokingly asked if my company was still in business. Very funny!
My photographs, which I had gotten at AAA with exceeding care were rejected. Although the size, pose, background were correct, apparently, there was a faint shadow under my chin. I had to get these redone at the consulate photographer for 500 bucks.
They tell you to come at 3 to pick up the passport, but the counter opened at 4 p.m. Make sure you stand in the right line.
Also, there were no mosquitoes in the consulate!
Departing India: I had heard stories about IV holders being grilled for tax cleareance at the airport. We had no such problems. Apart from an unending line to get our baggage cleared through security, everything was smooth.
POE: Fingerprinting took about 5 minutes at Philly. INS did not want the Xrays - wonder why they ask us to carry it along(???)
Felt sorry for a desi dude (appeared to be a first timer H1) who was being questioned with apparent hostility by another INS chap. Glad this stuff is over.
Arriving in India: Immigration and customs were a breeze. We are traveling with a 6 month old infant, and were pleasantly surprised to see a special counter for parents with infants at immigration! I have been using the Mumbai intl. Airport since 1989, and was this was my best experience yet. We were out of the airport within 15 minutes of the plane landing. However, watch out for the mosquitoes!!!
Indian Airlines: Had to make quite a few trips via Indian Airlines this time (4 flights). Glad to say that all our flights were on time, and the food beats anything served on US airlines. Would rate service on IA far above what we get here in the US!
Medicals (Lilavati): Again, this issue has been discussed in other posts, so I will not repeat it. A couple of things:
Bring your original appointment letter. One of the guys was sent back to get his, since he brought along just a copy.
Schedule your medical at least 2-3 days (or more) before the interview. Sometimes, they call you back for additional testing (rarely, but it happens), and some people get into trouble because they have scheduled the interview the very next day. Again, it happened to one of the dudes in our \'medicals\' batch.
You need a regular plain passport photo (frontal view) for the medical, not the ‘right side of face’ one.
Stay at Bombay: Since we were coming in from outside Bombay, we decided to stay at Hotel Kemps Corner, based upon reviews on this site. This hotel is very close to the Shalimar. (our cabbie did not know where Kemps Corner was, but most cabbies know where the Shalimar is). Kemps Corner is OK, just about. Clean bathroom, but not so clean carpet. Also, we hade requested for an extra mattress and pillow - The sheets were clean, the mattresses and pillow left a lot to be desired. Although the room was a/c, we still had to deal with a few mosquitoes! The Shalimar appeared to be a lot better, but since we had made our reservations, we decided to stay on at Kemps Corner.
If you have a baby/child, use an AC cab to get to the hotel from the Airport. It will cost you about 375 bucks.
However, we found mosquitoes even in this a/c cab!
Interview: This was painless. I 134 for spouse, pay-stubs, copies of tax returns were NOT asked for. I do not know if this was an oversight, or if it is just not required. Take the stuff along, nevertheless. PCC from CGNY was asked for.
Everybody was generally polite and nice, except for a rude security female. B*&^%!.
No real questions were asked. The desi interviewer jokingly asked if my company was still in business. Very funny!
My photographs, which I had gotten at AAA with exceeding care were rejected. Although the size, pose, background were correct, apparently, there was a faint shadow under my chin. I had to get these redone at the consulate photographer for 500 bucks.
They tell you to come at 3 to pick up the passport, but the counter opened at 4 p.m. Make sure you stand in the right line.
Also, there were no mosquitoes in the consulate!
Departing India: I had heard stories about IV holders being grilled for tax cleareance at the airport. We had no such problems. Apart from an unending line to get our baggage cleared through security, everything was smooth.
POE: Fingerprinting took about 5 minutes at Philly. INS did not want the Xrays - wonder why they ask us to carry it along(???)
Felt sorry for a desi dude (appeared to be a first timer H1) who was being questioned with apparent hostility by another INS chap. Glad this stuff is over.