H1B Stamping/Revalidation DONE In The Bahamas

G

greatgc

Registered Users (C)
First of all,

I got the idea to go to The Bahamas for my second H1-B revalidation/stamping since Canada is full for next 8 weeks and I never wanted to go to Mexico.

I have successfully completed my h1B stamping on Nassau, Bahamas on 12/21. Below are the details:

1. Around 12/12 or so from this web site got the idea that H1B stamping might be possible in Bahamas. Found out the US consulate web site in Bahamas, and bought a scratch card.

2. I called up using scratch card on 12/14 and the earliest appointment was available for 12/15/06! I asked for 12/21 and got it at my time of convinence at 9:00 AM

3. Between 12/15 and 12/20 , got Bahamas visiotor's visa from Bahama consulate in NY.

4. Booked flight from EWR to NAS and hotel etc. Wanted to have Christamas in Bahamas so stayed their for 5 nights and 6 days.

5. Reached at 8:45AM on 12/21 to the gate. Did not see any Indians like I had seen before in Toronto and Ottawa ( This was my third H1 stamping).
All Local African people - very easy going and nice.

6. Gave application and fees + passport + job letter on one window near the entrance.

7. Waited in sitting area for about 10 minutes till my name was called. Finally one young lady called my name. She said my every thing is in order, so no problem with extension. Not even single question was asked except for when was I planning to leave Bahamas. I had answered after Christmas.

So she said, OK - please come tomorrow morning to pick up your passport instead of today itself in the afternoon. She wished me that hopefully this will be my last extension and I will get my GC soon and won't need any further extensions!!!

Next day I got my passport with new stamping.

7. Over all fabulous experience to visit Bahamas and see blue/green/ light green ocean.

In fact a very short dutration flight of around 2.5 hrs, from EWR to NAS. No wait game, not many Indians so chances for rejections are minimal. Got done with this stuff so no need to do paper work for AP/EAD renewals. I already I had AP/EAD in hands so wasn't worried in case Bahamas would have said NO.

So, Thanks ALL for giving me the idea to go to the Bahamas!
 
Most Important

Hi folks,

Forgot to mention that in Nassau, Bahamas,

NEW H1 stamping CAN NOT be done. BUT h1-B extension/revalidation stamping is permitted.

Another words, for the first H1 of your life you can NOT go to Bahamas, BUT for second or more than that h1-b revalidation, the embassy permits that.

Thought it will be useful....

Good Luck.
 
can one get H1b transfer stamping also done in bahamas, have got extension done till 2009 with old employer , changing jobs
 
phone number for getting the scratch card

can u give the phone number for the scratch card , could not get it from web site
 
greatgc said:
First of all,

I got the idea to go to The Bahamas for my second H1-B revalidation/stamping since Canada is full for next 8 weeks and I never wanted to go to Mexico.

I have successfully completed my h1B stamping on Nassau, Bahamas on 12/21. Below are the details:

1. Around 12/12 or so from this web site got the idea that H1B stamping might be possible in Bahamas. Found out the US consulate web site in Bahamas, and bought a scratch card.

2. I called up using scratch card on 12/14 and the earliest appointment was available for 12/15/06! I asked for 12/21 and got it at my time of convinence at 9:00 AM

3. Between 12/15 and 12/20 , got Bahamas visiotor's visa from Bahama consulate in NY.

4. Booked flight from EWR to NAS and hotel etc. Wanted to have Christamas in Bahamas so stayed their for 5 nights and 6 days.

5. Reached at 8:45AM on 12/21 to the gate. Did not see any Indians like I had seen before in Toronto and Ottawa ( This was my third H1 stamping).
All Local African people - very easy going and nice.

6. Gave application and fees + passport + job letter on one window near the entrance.

7. Waited in sitting area for about 10 minutes till my name was called. Finally one young lady called my name. She said my every thing is in order, so no problem with extension. Not even single question was asked except for when was I planning to leave Bahamas. I had answered after Christmas.

So she said, OK - please come tomorrow morning to pick up your passport instead of today itself in the afternoon. She wished me that hopefully this will be my last extension and I will get my GC soon and won't need any further extensions!!!

Next day I got my passport with new stamping.

7. Over all fabulous experience to visit Bahamas and see blue/green/ light green ocean.

In fact a very short dutration flight of around 2.5 hrs, from EWR to NAS. No wait game, not many Indians so chances for rejections are minimal. Got done with this stuff so no need to do paper work for AP/EAD renewals. I already I had AP/EAD in hands so wasn't worried in case Bahamas would have said NO.

So, Thanks ALL for giving me the idea to go to the Bahamas!
Click to expand...
Congratulations greatgc. I am planning to follow the same direction you did.
1)I was filling out the Visa form for Bahamas. It uis asking for my curent visa details. My current Visa is expired last year. So what should I fill here
2) Any recommendation for nearby hotels to the consulate?
3) I have my I-140 cleared and in 8th year. What additional documents do I need to carry / what docuemnts did you carry?
4) For the Visa processing fee, can we use $100 bankers check?

Your suggestions may help me a lot.
Thanks
 
Hi greatgc,
I have a similar case like you , 8th year extension after I 140 Approval.
Can you please let me know the web site and other details like whether they accept US$ Cash for application fee. Also i have Degree done from india but
got the certificate evaluation done. What is the procedure to get Bahamas Visa ( Do i need to do this after booking appointment).


Thanks!
 
green_sk_card and jraghavan,

I am in the same situation as y'all. In my 8th year H1B extension with a I-140 approved. Was curious to know how your experiences were to date? Any issues that you might have found, etc... Thanks for sharing.
 
Im not trying to be pessimistic, but i heard there is no flight back to India ,if one need to go back. Need to find a way from Cuba.But GreatGc experience is very much assuring.
 
i have heard the same thing, people suggest if your H1b extension is simple with no complications then only go to bahamas otherwise canda is better
 
greatgc, thanks for this info.
is bahamas visa required? where does one go to get it? in person or by mail?
and are you in LC, I-140 or I-485 stage?
 
Bahamis embassy in US

For non US citizens and for those who are not
US green card holders, Bahamis visitor's visa are REQUIRED.

Search on google for Bahama's embassy in US. There are at multiple locations.
I went to their NY location.

I Am in 485 approval waiting stage.





*********

gcwhenever said:
greatgc, thanks for this info.
is bahamas visa required? where does one go to get it? in person or by mail?
and are you in LC, I-140 or I-485 stage?
Click to expand...
 
India flight

I went from US to Bahama and came back.

I did not try to look for Indian flight from Bahamas as I was not planning to go to India.

BTW- before going for the revalidation, I had my new EAD card and AP approved with me. So in case Bahamas had not worked , I'd have re-entered using my EAD/AP.

To save myself from EAD/AP renewal headache every year, I went for 3 yrs peace of mind of H1 revalidation.

Hope this helps! I feel people should not be asking very easy questions and try to find out about embassy location etc. from the Internet.
















******
jraghavan said:
Im not trying to be pessimistic, but i heard there is no flight back to India ,if one need to go back. Need to find a way from Cuba.But GreatGc experience is very much assuring.
Click to expand...
 
Not to sound as if I am nit picking, but the term Carribean (and not African) is more appropriate :)

greatgc said:
First of all, All Local African people - very easy going and nice.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have read this forum and found both +ve and riskier scenarios. I had many questions before going to Bahamas and I hope this will help you guys.

Here is what my status was
H1b holder with I-140 approved. I have been in US since 2000. My original H1 was issued in 1998. My current H1 Visa was expired in 2005 . For Bahama Visa I filled in i-797 status.. MY appointment was at 8.00 am.

Stamping in Bahamas is really faster. I have also seen first time Visa stamping done for Students with F1 Visa and H1 petition.

Step I followed.
You would need a PIN to schedule an appointment.
1) Call 1-800-763-6812 and get a pin for $14. (http://www.usvisascratchcards.info/)
2) Schedule an appointment with the operator. He/s he will also tell you what documents to carry. I found out that early scheduling helps in getting passports faster.
3) Link to Bahamas Embassy (http://nassau.usembassy.gov/how_to_apply.html)
4) Reserved airline from US to Bahamas via Miami. ( Make sure you budget 2 days stay in Bahamas, since you may not get passport the same day)
5) Reserved 2 night stay at Nassau Palm Resort. This is very close to Embassy (5 minutes walk). Internet booking is a lot cheaper than you walk in and reserve. (http://www.nassau-hotel.com/)
6) Went to Miami and got Bahamas Visa stamped in Passport. The embassy opens at 9.00 am and for visa services closes at 1.00 PM. (http://www.bahamas.com/bahamas/about/entryrequirements.aspx?sectionid=58944&level=2&toplevel=59196). People from NY and all can go to the nearest Bahamas embassy and get Visa stamped. Miami also offers the facility visa services over postal services.
7) Collected Passport @ 2.00 PM from Bahamas Embassy. This embassy will give you Bahamas Visa, even if US visa is expired, provided you have a valid approval form.
8) Flew to Bahamas in the evening from Miami. ( From Miami to Bahamas there is flight every hour)
9) The taxi service from Airport to Hotel costs $22.
10) Had dinner at a nearby Indian restaurant.
11) Was in embassy line by 7.30 am and by then there were already 20 people.
12) Security checks are high in Embassy, so carry the least you can. Mobile phone is not allowed. Opposite to embassy, there is an internet center. I kept my mobile phone and other not allowed items with them.
13) Couples of questions like, how long I have been here and whom I work for. That is it.
14) Collected Passport next day. Make sure you check your visa for correctness. In my case the dates were wrong, so I got it fixed there itself.

Documents they looking for
1) Passport
2) DS-156 & 157 (for male)
3) Passport size Picture ( make sure the picture is according to US passport / Visa standard). I have seen people going out to get new Pictures
4) $100 Cash or Bankers Check addressed to US embassy
5) Valid H1 approval form (I-797)
6) Company supporting letter

Good Luck.
 
H1B Stamping possible in Costa Rica as well!!

FYI, The US Embassy in Costa Rica also issues H1B to foreign nationals. The good thing abt this is that Indian nationals do not need a VISA to visit Costa Rica. One less thing to worry about :)
 
Please be advised that the website you provided, its information is not up to date. I am an indian citizen and just returned from Costa Rica 2 months ago. I am in the US on an H1B, and dont have a green card. I called the CR Consulate in New York and enquired before I left and they said Indian citizens dont require a VISA for upto 30 days!! So, I made it to and back from Costa Rica with no issues. This is my first hand experience, and I dont know what else is better than that.
 
Totally agree with you, nothing beats first hand experience :)
This is good news for H-1B holders then. Not only can they get visas from Costa Rica, they can also visit an exotic country in the process. Well more "exotic" than Canada and Mexico :)
 
green_sk_card said:
I have read this forum and found both +ve and riskier scenarios. I had many questions before going to Bahamas and I hope this will help you guys.

Here is what my status was
H1b holder with I-140 approved. I have been in US since 2000. My original H1 was issued in 1998. My current H1 Visa was expired in 2005 . For Bahama Visa I filled in i-797 status.. MY appointment was at 8.00 am.

Stamping in Bahamas is really faster. I have also seen first time Visa stamping done for Students with F1 Visa and H1 petition.

Step I followed.
You would need a PIN to schedule an appointment.
1) Call 1-800-763-6812 and get a pin for $14. (http://www.usvisascratchcards.info/)
2) Schedule an appointment with the operator. He/s he will also tell you what documents to carry. I found out that early scheduling helps in getting passports faster.
3) Link to Bahamas Embassy (http://nassau.usembassy.gov/how_to_apply.html)
4) Reserved airline from US to Bahamas via Miami. ( Make sure you budget 2 days stay in Bahamas, since you may not get passport the same day)
5) Reserved 2 night stay at Nassau Palm Resort. This is very close to Embassy (5 minutes walk). Internet booking is a lot cheaper than you walk in and reserve. (http://www.nassau-hotel.com/)
6) Went to Miami and got Bahamas Visa stamped in Passport. The embassy opens at 9.00 am and for visa services closes at 1.00 PM. (http://www.bahamas.com/bahamas/about/entryrequirements.aspx?sectionid=58944&level=2&toplevel=59196). People from NY and all can go to the nearest Bahamas embassy and get Visa stamped. Miami also offers the facility visa services over postal services.
7) Collected Passport @ 2.00 PM from Bahamas Embassy. This embassy will give you Bahamas Visa, even if US visa is expired, provided you have a valid approval form.
8) Flew to Bahamas in the evening from Miami. ( From Miami to Bahamas there is flight every hour)
9) The taxi service from Airport to Hotel costs $22.
10) Had dinner at a nearby Indian restaurant.
11) Was in embassy line by 7.30 am and by then there were already 20 people.
12) Security checks are high in Embassy, so carry the least you can. Mobile phone is not allowed. Opposite to embassy, there is an internet center. I kept my mobile phone and other not allowed items with them.
13) Couples of questions like, how long I have been here and whom I work for. That is it.
14) Collected Passport next day. Make sure you check your visa for correctness. In my case the dates were wrong, so I got it fixed there itself.

Documents they looking for
1) Passport
2) DS-156 & 157 (for male)
3) Passport size Picture ( make sure the picture is according to US passport / Visa standard). I have seen people going out to get new Pictures
4) $100 Cash or Bankers Check addressed to US embassy
5) Valid H1 approval form (I-797)
6) Company supporting letter

Good Luck.
Click to expand...
thanks for all the great info! including all websites!

I am still in LC stage, going for 8th year extension (got 7th year in Canada, but expired in Dec 2005). Any idea if this will be a problem?

Your experience has helped me decide to go to the Bahamas for visa revalidation.

thx again!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dude_Cool said:
Please be advised that the website you provided, its information is not up to date. I am an indian citizen and just returned from Costa Rica 2 months ago. I am in the US on an H1B, and dont have a green card. I called the CR Consulate in New York and enquired before I left and they said Indian citizens dont require a VISA for upto 30 days!! So, I made it to and back from Costa Rica with no issues. This is my first hand experience, and I dont know what else is better than that.
Click to expand...
hey dude, that's great news!
Costa rica!
Can you tell us if there were any problems?
Also how safe is it for a couple of women to travel alone in CR? Can you let me know the name of the hotel, who you booked thru, etc (in a PM, if you prefer)
thanks!
 
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