Flew in to Mumbai on Oct 17. Medicals at Lilavati on Oct 21. Interview on Oct 28. I will break up the story into MEDICALS and INTERVIEW
MEDICALS
Arrived at Lilavati at 7:20am. Lilavati is terrific. Centrally airconditioned. Very clean. The visa section is off by itself in the OPD (Out Patient Department). The guy in charge is named Manish. Very very organized gentleman. Thoroughly professional. Very courteous. 21 people for the immigration medicals. 5 employment based cases and the rest family based.
Take your PASSPORTS AND ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT LETTER they have to stamp the original letter so you HAVE TO TAKE IT.
1. Fill out Lilavati forms - 15 minutes (my wife and I together).
2. Waiver of all injections and x-ray for my wife (pregnant). Also we had taken all innoculations in the US last year.
3. Nurse took blood pressure.
4. Everyone else was hoarded in one after the other to take their shots (since they were from India, they all would need the vaccinations anyway).
5. After a 2 hour wait, taken in to see Dr. Milan Sangha (lady). Very nice lady, asked a lot of questions regarding the immigration process and why we in the US came to India to process.
6. Recommended that I take the tetanus injection since I'd last taken one in '96 (over 5 years ago).
7. went back to Manish, he got a nurse to give me the tetanus shot.
8. bye bye and came back at 4 to pick up the reports (which they gave us at 5!). Luckily, thanks to the airconditioning, we weren't uncomfortable, just tired as hell.
Cost/medical Rs.745 blood work, Rs.220-xray and Rs.195 med exam. Didn't charge my wife for the X-ray since she didn't have one. Paid for the above with my credit card. Paid for the tetanus with cash (they don't accept credit cards for vaccines).
INTERVIEW
On Oct 23, went to My own studio which is more or less opposite the consulate. Got the rush order deal for Rs.400 for the pics. 4 for my wife and 4 for me.
Oct 28
Appointment time at 8:15. Got there at 7:30. They let us in after checking the appointment letter. Security is like some max security prison. Several checks, etc. Got into the consulate at 7:45. Went straight to window 1 and paid $335/head (AC140, hadn't paid the $260 in the US). Then went to window 10. Windows 9, 10, 11 and 12 deal with Immigrant visa cases. 10, 11 and 12 take the papers for verification and 9 has the american who does the interviews. They laid out from left to right 9-10-11-12 and are at the far right of the consulate. The lady at Window 10 asked us to be seated and we would be called. She also struck off our name on her list so she knew that we showed up. About 2 hours later around 10:30, the gentleman at window 12 called us in for doc verification.
Made me sign a letter saying that I was going back to work for the same employer. The letter looked rather weird. Typewritten on bad paper.
My lawyer had given us form OF230-I instead of DS230-I. Luckily we had DS230-II. The guy was very nice, he said, this form is old, Don't worry though, i'll give you the right form and you can fill it up right now and come back to give it to me. In the meanwhile, let me take your other documents. Very very nice gentleman. Checked everything. Only asked for the papers that were requested in the appointment letter.
Same for my wife. Asked us to sign across one of the photographs.
We left counter 12 and went to fill out DS230-I. About 10 mins later went back and handed them to him. About 45 mins later we were called to Counter 9. There was an Indian lady and an American lady there. American asked "Do you speak English", we said "Yes". "Raise your right hand, take the oath -- everything in your app is correct to the best of your knowledge. I am cancelling your nonimmigrant visas, your immigrant visas are approved, congratulations (big smile). Now take this receipt (fee receipt) and DON'T LOSE IT, come back at 3 to pick up your paperwork." Total interview time around 15 seconds.
Left, went to colaba, had lunch at Delhi Darbar (we were dying to eat Mughlai). and then chilled out for a few hours. Went back at 2:30. They made us wait till 4:30 to give the papers. Sooo irritating. But who cares. All done. Flying back on friday night (nov 2 morning). Excellent trip. Mumbai has been a little hot, but has cooled down significantly in the past 3 days.
Good luck all, I will be happy to answer questions.
regards.
PTTX01.
MEDICALS
Arrived at Lilavati at 7:20am. Lilavati is terrific. Centrally airconditioned. Very clean. The visa section is off by itself in the OPD (Out Patient Department). The guy in charge is named Manish. Very very organized gentleman. Thoroughly professional. Very courteous. 21 people for the immigration medicals. 5 employment based cases and the rest family based.
Take your PASSPORTS AND ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT LETTER they have to stamp the original letter so you HAVE TO TAKE IT.
1. Fill out Lilavati forms - 15 minutes (my wife and I together).
2. Waiver of all injections and x-ray for my wife (pregnant). Also we had taken all innoculations in the US last year.
3. Nurse took blood pressure.
4. Everyone else was hoarded in one after the other to take their shots (since they were from India, they all would need the vaccinations anyway).
5. After a 2 hour wait, taken in to see Dr. Milan Sangha (lady). Very nice lady, asked a lot of questions regarding the immigration process and why we in the US came to India to process.
6. Recommended that I take the tetanus injection since I'd last taken one in '96 (over 5 years ago).
7. went back to Manish, he got a nurse to give me the tetanus shot.
8. bye bye and came back at 4 to pick up the reports (which they gave us at 5!). Luckily, thanks to the airconditioning, we weren't uncomfortable, just tired as hell.
Cost/medical Rs.745 blood work, Rs.220-xray and Rs.195 med exam. Didn't charge my wife for the X-ray since she didn't have one. Paid for the above with my credit card. Paid for the tetanus with cash (they don't accept credit cards for vaccines).
INTERVIEW
On Oct 23, went to My own studio which is more or less opposite the consulate. Got the rush order deal for Rs.400 for the pics. 4 for my wife and 4 for me.
Oct 28
Appointment time at 8:15. Got there at 7:30. They let us in after checking the appointment letter. Security is like some max security prison. Several checks, etc. Got into the consulate at 7:45. Went straight to window 1 and paid $335/head (AC140, hadn't paid the $260 in the US). Then went to window 10. Windows 9, 10, 11 and 12 deal with Immigrant visa cases. 10, 11 and 12 take the papers for verification and 9 has the american who does the interviews. They laid out from left to right 9-10-11-12 and are at the far right of the consulate. The lady at Window 10 asked us to be seated and we would be called. She also struck off our name on her list so she knew that we showed up. About 2 hours later around 10:30, the gentleman at window 12 called us in for doc verification.
Made me sign a letter saying that I was going back to work for the same employer. The letter looked rather weird. Typewritten on bad paper.
My lawyer had given us form OF230-I instead of DS230-I. Luckily we had DS230-II. The guy was very nice, he said, this form is old, Don't worry though, i'll give you the right form and you can fill it up right now and come back to give it to me. In the meanwhile, let me take your other documents. Very very nice gentleman. Checked everything. Only asked for the papers that were requested in the appointment letter.
Same for my wife. Asked us to sign across one of the photographs.
We left counter 12 and went to fill out DS230-I. About 10 mins later went back and handed them to him. About 45 mins later we were called to Counter 9. There was an Indian lady and an American lady there. American asked "Do you speak English", we said "Yes". "Raise your right hand, take the oath -- everything in your app is correct to the best of your knowledge. I am cancelling your nonimmigrant visas, your immigrant visas are approved, congratulations (big smile). Now take this receipt (fee receipt) and DON'T LOSE IT, come back at 3 to pick up your paperwork." Total interview time around 15 seconds.
Left, went to colaba, had lunch at Delhi Darbar (we were dying to eat Mughlai). and then chilled out for a few hours. Went back at 2:30. They made us wait till 4:30 to give the papers. Sooo irritating. But who cares. All done. Flying back on friday night (nov 2 morning). Excellent trip. Mumbai has been a little hot, but has cooled down significantly in the past 3 days.
Good luck all, I will be happy to answer questions.
regards.
PTTX01.