Details...
Details straight from my husband...
Hey All,
Here's a small note on my experience at the Chennai Consulate.
My appointment at the consulate was scheduled at 0800hrs. I reached the consulate at around 0740hrs. There wasn't too much of a crowd; there were about 10-15 people already waiting in queue. Luckily, the weather was very pleasant as it had rained the previous night (pretty unusual at Chennai during this time of the year). So, once I got on line, I found out that there were actually 2 Queues - one set of people were present there for the Immigrant Visa interview & had their "Yellow/Blue" letters and the other set were there for the Non-Immigrant Visas, had their web appointments. Here, I'd like to mention that unlike Delhi, there's no clear demarcated lines to state who goes where. However, you need not panic. The Security guards are very helpful, and courteous. Also, a couple of the guards at the gate are multi-lingual. I heard them speak Enlgish, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, & Hindi.
Also, you may find that the guards at the gate allowing all the Non-Immigrant Visa (henceforth NIV) applicants ahead of the Immigrant Visa (henceforth IV) applicants, even though your appointment may be a little ahead of theirs. However, there is no reason to panic. The reasons are manifold : 1. the NIV applicants have their documents checked right after their entry and are lead into another queue, and this takes time. 2. The no. of NIV applicants far out-number the IV applicants.
Ok, now, Let me get back to the gate. At the gate, you're asked to produce your appointment letter and your passport. The guard checks the date & time of appointment & verifies your name in passport against that in appointment. (Here, my personal advise is that you keep your yellow appointment letter & passport seperate from other documents for ease) I found quite a number of applicants fumbling with their folder when asked to produce this. Once the guard is happy with your passport & appointment letter, he pushes the button to let you in. Now you enter the actual Security check.
A quick guideline on what you're NOT allowed to carry.
1. cell phones.
2. cosmetic stuff. (lip-stick, make-up powders, perfume bottles etc.)
3. Brief-cases / huge bags are a big NO.
4. Mints/chewing gums
5. Cigarettes / lighters / matches etc.
6. No electronic Media - includes floppies, CDs, Video Cases.
7. WATER - Unless medically required (Plenty of Mineral water is available inside, so don't bother carrying)
Please be aware, that the consulate DOES NOT provide any facility to hold such articles for you until you're done with your interview. They ask you to leave it behind and come back, and if you don't have folks outside, this poses more concern & only adds to tension. It also delays your entry into the consulate. Also, this only encourages the touts outside the consulate to free off major cash from such unfortunate folks.
So, For a hassle free entry, I'd suggest the you carry one good folder with all your documents (See attachment for checklist), and if needed, carry your album devoid of any bags. (My suggestion, is to print some loose photographs from your wedding and attach it with your documents, which relieves you from carrying the album)
At the secuity check check your bag and scan them for banned articles (listed above) . You're then asked to walk through a metal detector and then another guard frisks you to make sure you're clean.
Once this is done, you're led through another gate where you find people standing in a queue against 5 different counters. These are the NIV applicants who just walked in before you. You will be directly led to the visa office and you get to sit in an air conditioned enclosure. Here you'd be instructed to write your NAME and CASE NUMBER behind each DD that you've made. Please do so, and then you will be given a address sticker, to fill in your address. This is the courier sticker and this the address to which your visa will be shipped. Then you wait your turn for your name to be called out.
Once your name is called out, proceed to the counter. The person at the counter will take all documents from you and verify if you have all the documents. He/she will check your drafts to make sure you wrote and will also ask you questions about your case, just to check authenticity of the documents, I guess. Anyways, Here's a list of questions that I was asked:
1) When did you get married?
2) When / Where / How did you meet her? (At different junctures)
3) How long have you known her?
4) Is it a Love Marriage?
5) How long has your wife been in the US?
6) Where is she in the US?
7) In what language would you be comfortable speaking to the Visa Officer?
However, this person is not the Visa officer. While they fire questions at you, they also arrange your documents in order that the Visa officer would scan through it. They ask you to sign the DS-230-Part2 in their presence. They detatch the original Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate, wedding pictures etc., and place it out separately such that the Visa officer can verify it & return the originals to you. Then you'll be asked to go and pay both your Visa Issuance Fee & Surcharge Fee drafts at Counter 1 & hand them the receipt. Once he/she is OK with the set of documents that you've produced they send you back to wait & send your papers to the Visa officer. If you don't have sufficient documentation, you'd be given a Blue letter, listing out the required documents to be procured and made available. Then you're back to your seat, to wait for your name to be called out by the Visa officer.
Once the Visa officer calls your name out, you'd be directed to the counter. The American officer was totally cool. It never felt like an interview.
Questions that he asked me.
1) So you got married!
When did you get married?
2) Is it a Love marriage?
3) How did you guys fall in Love?
4) Were your Parents OK with this marriage?
5) What does your wife do in the US? What is her role at her job?
6) Where do you plan to work when you go to the US?
7) Last but not the least - Are you sure whatever you stated to me now is TRUE??
So then he signs the document, returns you your originals and documents, and hands you the receipt of the Visa fee. He then asks you to go home & lets you know when the visa will come home to you. (He said it generally takes 2-3 days for the visa to arrive)
And that's about it!
Me and ratrat have come up with a checklist document for the CR1 interview. After my experience at the consulate, I have also marked the mandatory & optional data on it. Hope it helps!!
All the best !!
Cheers,
Kat-Kat!!
