Parent's Visit Visa Approved - Details Inside

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atlantabhopali

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Parent's Visit Visa Approved - Details

Hi All,

My parents' visit visa was approved on Oct 22nd. We were a little apprehensive as my father's visa application was rejected twice in 2001. But by grace of God, both of them got a 5 yr visa this time.

For the benefit of other applicants, I am including the prep outline below.

Documents Sent to Consulate Before the Interview
Scheduled interview online at http://www.visa-services.com/tourist-B1B2.html. It is best to send as many docs as possible along with the application. This reduces the chances of follow-up questions during the interview and hence any unexpected request. We sent following docs:
- Visa Schedule Confirmation: 2 copies
- 1 Demand Draft for Rs. 10120 (one draft for both)
- 2 Demand Drafts for Rs. 2300 each
- 2 completed DS-156 forms (my father is 45+ and hence did not require DS-157)
- 2 Notarized Affidavits from me, addressed to consulate, stating that i wish for them to visit me here and I would pay for their expenses
- 2 Form I-134's from me, notarized
- Letter from my employer, with current date, salary, title, employed since date
- 2 recent pay stubs
- 2 most recent bank statements (from investment bank showing $$ available for paying their expenses). Should have bank account open date, change in $ value since last month/year. If ur statement does not has this info, get a letter from the bank.
- Proof of my status (h1 visa copy, I-94 copy, 140 approval copy, 485/EAD/AP/FP receipt, EAD/AP approval, copy of EAD card, copy of driver's license).
- My ORIGINAL birth certificate (yes, they need the original - if you dont want to send the original, ask ur parents to get a 'duplicate' copy from ur local municipal office)
- Copy of my passport

Documents carried along with on Visa interview day
It is important to categorize all docs for ease and speed to retrieve them during the interview. All docs were categorized by my mother in financial/status/reasons to come back groups. Each group was held together by paper clips. Here is the list of docs:
- Notarized affidavits from my parents, stating they would come back as (a) their parents depend on them (b) have property in india and (c) have business in india
- Pictures with my grandparents and other relatives, to prove family ties in india
- Medical certificate from family doctor, stating that my grandparents depend on my parents for medical help
- Parent's Property papers
- Parent's Business Tax returns, news articles on their business
- A formal letter of invitation from me
- Copy of all docs sent to consulate earlier
- Copy of my 12 months pay stubs
- Copy of my tax returns for 2001/2002
- Copy of my sister's passport and her original birth certificate (my sister also lives in US)
- Copy of my wife's and my sister's husband's passport

Interview day
- Made sure that my parent's understood each and every doc sent by me (485/140/ead/ap/fin support etc) and categorized them for ease of retrieval. The consulate officers are impatient. If the interviewee cannot retrieve a doc quickly, it can lead to rejection.
- Prepared answers for possible questions. U can find most of the questions on this website: http://www.immihelp.com/visas/visitor/interview.html
- Dress formal

Getting the visa is nonetheless a luck factor. However, as thomas jefferson once said "i am a strong believer of luck, and the harder i work, the luckier i get".. So best to over prepare than under prepare.

Goodluck!

-ab
 
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Hi atlantabhopali,

Congratulations on getting visa for your parents. What did you /your parents write in the DS-156 form for the question 27 "What is the purpose of your Trip? " I am bringing my mother on toursit visa. Shall i have to write "going to visit my son" ?

thanks in advance...
 
Thanks for your wishes. They wrote "tourism and meet our son". Also, in letters and affidavits mentioned in my list in the post above, we mentioned some of the tourist spots they would visit while they are here.

goodluck!

-ab
 
birth certificate needed ?

Thanks for your reply. I am applying firsttime at Chennai Consulate. Do I need to submit my original/duplicate birth certificate ? Currently, I do not have birth certificate and I have to apply for it. I am applying thru drop box as she is 73 years old. I was looking at the chennai consulate site and they did not mention anything about this document.

Thanks in advance....
 
As far as I know, only Bombay consulate needs Birth cert. They insist on original.

U may want to email/call chennai consulate to further confirm their requirements abt it.
 
how to send documents before

Hi,

To apply B2 visa. Do we have to send the documents first beofore the interview or do we have to take all the documents along with us on interview day.

Thanks,
Krishna
 
Every consulate works differently - check their website or call them.

Mumbai (and other consulates in india) require u to first schedule an interview online, then send the first set of docs i mentioned in my post above, and finally come for the interview with the other set i mentioned.

checkout http://www.immihelp.com/visas/visitor/ for step by step details.

goodluck

-ab
 
bhopal

Hi Bhopali,

My mother-in-law doesnt qualify for drop-box, and she is going to apply at chennai.

I took appointment at TTS for Dec9th.

I once we get all documents we just take all documents with us on interview day. But you mentioned that you sent documents first and took some documents with your mother.

Do you think i shoud do the same way. Also do we have to mention about appointment and enything else?

Please help in this. please send me mail at psjs31@hotmail.com

Thanks,
Krishna
 
Krishna,

After taking the appointment, u have to send the basic documents thru courier 10 days or so before the interview. This is MANDATORY process in Mumbai Consulate.

I was checking Chennai consulate website, and it their process is not very clear, though they do talk about "sending documents".

Checkout: http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/wwwhnivtourvisa.html#sugdoc

Would suggest you call Chennai consulate at Telephone: 91-44-2811 2000 and confirm with them.

goodluck!

-ab
 
Regarding orignal birth certificate

Hi Bhopali,

Just read your posting while I was searching for this exact information about Birth certificate.

It appears from your email, is a must in Bombay Consulate [My parents would apply here too].
Now, I am in a precarious position. I am waiting for my I-485 possible interview where they may require the same certificate and I don't want to take any chances with this Document in case it is misplaced etc at the consulate in Bombay.

Is it possible to carry this document only at the time of interview?
or is a *must* this be submitted to the consulate with other Documents prior to the interview.

Also, if you submit the original for the application of one of your parents, what do you do with the application of other? [I assume tat you have to prepare two separate applications for each of your parent to sponsor the visitor visa ..]

I know it has been quite some time since your original post, but you response is eagerly awaited and any help will be highly appreciated.
 
Coolraj,

U can ask ur parents to go to the concerned municipal office and get a duplicate copy of the original birth certificate. If they know anyone there or are willing to spend some "bakhshish", they should be able to get it pretty quickly. This duplicate "original" (means not a photocopy) should be sent along with the packet, else the consulate may cancel the interview date due to incomplete documents.

U only need to send one original BC for both ur parents if they are applying together. Include it in the packet of the primary applicant (first name on visa interview schedule confirmation receipt)

goodluck

-ab
 
Thanks!, Another question

Bhopali,

Thanksa lot for the answer. That should take away some of my worry.

Here is another quick question for you, and this time it is about I-134. [support affidavit]. The point number 7 wants to know the comany I work for and the location I work from. The Company headquarter and salary paycheck is generated from a different location from where I work at. now, which would be a more appropriate location I should give in this declaration at this point ?

Actual physical location or the copany headquarter location which is used for all corrospondence by the company ?

Any insight will be highly appreciated.


-CoolRaj_03
 
Visa time period

To maximise the chances of getting a visitor visa for the first time, is it advisable/safe to request the maximum allowed i.e. 6 months, or request for lesser period say 3-4 months?
 
It is not a science so it is hard to say... The couple of times my parents applied - we always wrote down 6 months in the application and when asked by the interviewer said something like "We would prefer to have a 6 months visa to visit all the tourist spots that we have planned, but if you want to give a shorter duration that is absolutely fine as well".

goodluck!

-ab
 
Documents to be sent in advance

Bhopali,

Thanks for the reply and all your postings - they are really informative and helpful. Are there any documents to be sent in advance to the Chennai consulate for a visitor visa? Or should all the forms and documents - both sponsor's and visitor's - be carried in person to the consulate on the day of the interview? The interview appointment confirmation did not specify any documents to be sent in advance.

Thanks!
 
av,

as i said in my earlier post, i am not sure about the chennai requirements. u can call them and confirm at Telephone: 91-44-2811 2000. Also, another user Krishna had asked similar issue few months ago - u can email him at psjs31@hotmail.com.

Let the board know what u found so that others can benefit from it as well.

-ab
 
Visitor visa for sister approved

My elder sister obtained visitor visa at Chennai consulate this week after a personal interview. No documents needed to be sent in advance to the consulate.

As Atlanta Bhopali had suggested, she went prepared with all possible documents that she could gather. From my side, I had sent the following papers to her:

1. Invitation letter with proposed travel itinerary
2. Affidavit of support with supporting documents such as employment letter, bank statements, latest pay stubs, last 2 years tax returns
3. Copy of my birth certificate and my birth affidavits from my parents (to prove relationship between me and my sister)
4. Copies of my naturalization certificate and U.S. passport. It had the exit and entry stamps to and from India that was evidence that I had not visited my family and sister for about 2 years.

She had gathered several other documents from her side:

1. Completed application form DS 156 and 2 photographs
2. Appointment confirmation
3. Three demand drafts as listed in the appointment confirmation
4. Notarized birth affidavits for her from my parents (primarily to establish relationship between me and my sister)
5. Copies of voter registration cards as evidence that my parents are staying with her
6. Notarized personal affidavit from my sister stating that she will return back to India to take care of my parents
7. Bank statements, property document
8. Medical certificate from my mother's doctor stating that my sister is needed there to take care of my mom at home

When she went for the interview, they only took the passport, personal invitation letter, application form, demand drafts, and affadavit of support after being checked at the TTS counter. The interview lasted less than 5 minutes, though she waited for nearly 2 hours for the interview. The questions asked:

Q1. What do you do?
Q2: What does your brother in the US do? How long has he been employed with the curent employer?
Q3: When did he immigrate to the US?
Q4: What other relatives of yours are in the US?
Q5: So, in all these years, no one filed an immigration petition on your bahalf? Why?
Q6: Who is living with you in India?
Q7: Who will take care of your elderly parents during your visit?
Q8: Show me evidence that your brother visited India more than 2 years ago and that you two have not for 2 years. She showed copies of my passport pages with visa entry/exit stamps.

After this she was told that the visa is granted and that the passport would be sent to home address by courier. The officer did not ask to see any other documents. The original affidavit of support was given back to her. The next day, she received the stamped passport by courier.

Atlanta Bhopali, thanks a lot for your advice! Your postings and messages have been very helpful for us to be well prepared. I am sure many others feel the same way.

Also, the tips and Q & A from immihelp.com were very helpful. As stated in that site, the consulate's primary concerns seem to be: what is the purpose of the visit, who is paying for the visit, will the applicant return back after the visit.

(http://www.immihelp.com/visas/)
 
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av,

Congrats on getting ur sis' visa approved.

Btw, if you don't mind sharing some info for the board, is she married or single? Mostly, the consulate does not grants visit visas to single young siblings fearing that they would go to US and get married with a citizen here.... I know, it is not a welcoming thought but unfortunately that is way the consulate thinks.....

Hope you have some good family time!

-ab
 
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