Back as PR. Came to US 2 days ago. POE was a breeze at Chicago O’Hare airport. The immigration officer asked me what I did and whether I went to school here.
The following is my interview experience in Chennai under EX 1:
Medical exam: reached India a week before the interview. To get the jet lag etc. went to lister labs at 6:45 am on the 5th. Lab exams was done by 8:30 am. Asked us to come back by 4 pm the same evening. Had taken appointment with dr.vijaylakshmi for the 6th [since I was not sure if I could make it to her clinic by 5:30]. But did get the results by 4 pm. Called the physician and asked if she could see me the same day and she agreed. Everything went well with exams except that she gave me MMR [rs 350] and chicken pox vaccine [Rs 1200/]. But she is definitely good and the whole process did not take more than 30 mins.
Interview day [12th dec]: my interview was scheduled at 8 am. Reached the consulate at 7:30. Stood in the line for the IV. The security started sending people in after checking the appointment letter. Now here is my complete anti climax. I had not recd my packet 4 prior to the departure. Had come to know of my interview only on 16th nov and had to leave to India on the 1st dec. so I had called the IV unit in Chennai and explained to them that I had not recd the packet as yet. They advised me to print out the general appointment letter and the rest of the packet 4 papers from their website and it is acceptable [both at the consulate/lab/physician offices]. So I did print out the complete packet 4 forms from the website. filled out the DS 230 part I again before going to the interview. Do not take photocopies of them [ in case u have not recd the packet 4 before leaving the US]. So when I reached the window, the guy asked me for the letter. When I handed him the letter [ from the website], he said this is not acceptable and I need to give him the yellow letter. I told him abt me leaving the US before I recd the papers etc..but he would not listen. He asked me stand aside and let everyone else go inside. I tried calling the embassy, but there is nobody at IV unit until 8:30 am. So had to wait till almost 8:45. Went again to the window and asked him to take my passport and check my appointment schedule. He kept asking me to wait. Bu this time, I was getting too worried. Finally he took my passport. Waited for almost 30 mins [seemed like a lifetime] . He later handed me the yellow letter with passport and let me in. when I reached the actual IV unit, they asked me to take out all the papers off the transparent sheets and put them together [nothing had started even though I came in only at 9:45]. My advise is not to put any paper in protector sheets when going for the interview. The lady started calling the name as per interview schedule, checked all the papers and gave me a token number. Waited for another hr and half efore my number was called. The consular officer said “all your papers are in order. We will go ahead and issue the visa. Have a safe trip back”. the whole process [with all the trouble I had to go through to get inside the building] was over in 3 hours.
This forum has been great and the members are really responsive and helpful. All along I had been a silent reader of the forum, but it prepared me a lot by giving me a lot of information right from the starting of the process to the end. Good luck to all those waiting and great work to all those members who participate in the forum and reply to the queries. This forum is great. thanks!
PD: feb 2005
I-140 AD: march 28, 2005
Packet 3 recd: sept 2, 2005
Sent to Chennai from NVC: sept 27, 2007
Interview: 12th dec, 2005
POE: jan 2, 2006
The following is my interview experience in Chennai under EX 1:
Medical exam: reached India a week before the interview. To get the jet lag etc. went to lister labs at 6:45 am on the 5th. Lab exams was done by 8:30 am. Asked us to come back by 4 pm the same evening. Had taken appointment with dr.vijaylakshmi for the 6th [since I was not sure if I could make it to her clinic by 5:30]. But did get the results by 4 pm. Called the physician and asked if she could see me the same day and she agreed. Everything went well with exams except that she gave me MMR [rs 350] and chicken pox vaccine [Rs 1200/]. But she is definitely good and the whole process did not take more than 30 mins.
Interview day [12th dec]: my interview was scheduled at 8 am. Reached the consulate at 7:30. Stood in the line for the IV. The security started sending people in after checking the appointment letter. Now here is my complete anti climax. I had not recd my packet 4 prior to the departure. Had come to know of my interview only on 16th nov and had to leave to India on the 1st dec. so I had called the IV unit in Chennai and explained to them that I had not recd the packet as yet. They advised me to print out the general appointment letter and the rest of the packet 4 papers from their website and it is acceptable [both at the consulate/lab/physician offices]. So I did print out the complete packet 4 forms from the website. filled out the DS 230 part I again before going to the interview. Do not take photocopies of them [ in case u have not recd the packet 4 before leaving the US]. So when I reached the window, the guy asked me for the letter. When I handed him the letter [ from the website], he said this is not acceptable and I need to give him the yellow letter. I told him abt me leaving the US before I recd the papers etc..but he would not listen. He asked me stand aside and let everyone else go inside. I tried calling the embassy, but there is nobody at IV unit until 8:30 am. So had to wait till almost 8:45. Went again to the window and asked him to take my passport and check my appointment schedule. He kept asking me to wait. Bu this time, I was getting too worried. Finally he took my passport. Waited for almost 30 mins [seemed like a lifetime] . He later handed me the yellow letter with passport and let me in. when I reached the actual IV unit, they asked me to take out all the papers off the transparent sheets and put them together [nothing had started even though I came in only at 9:45]. My advise is not to put any paper in protector sheets when going for the interview. The lady started calling the name as per interview schedule, checked all the papers and gave me a token number. Waited for another hr and half efore my number was called. The consular officer said “all your papers are in order. We will go ahead and issue the visa. Have a safe trip back”. the whole process [with all the trouble I had to go through to get inside the building] was over in 3 hours.
This forum has been great and the members are really responsive and helpful. All along I had been a silent reader of the forum, but it prepared me a lot by giving me a lot of information right from the starting of the process to the end. Good luck to all those waiting and great work to all those members who participate in the forum and reply to the queries. This forum is great. thanks!
PD: feb 2005
I-140 AD: march 28, 2005
Packet 3 recd: sept 2, 2005
Sent to Chennai from NVC: sept 27, 2007
Interview: 12th dec, 2005
POE: jan 2, 2006