I and my wife successfully got thru our CP interviews.
The only issue on which I could have got delayed, did cause a temporary scare during the interview. I was once arrested for a minor misdemeanor three yrs back. I\'d opted for the CP after checking the rules and discussing w/ my immigration attorney that CP won\'t be risky given the crime did not constitute a case of moral turpitude. I declared the arrest in DS230 part II, and took the court release papers and a copy of the statute under which I was charged to demonstrate that the maximum penalty (one week in my case) did not exceed one year - the limit above which the GC can potentially be denied.
However, during the interview the guy rejected my visa. He said they need to take my fingerprints, and I\'ll have to come back once the fingerprints were cleared from DC. I was told that this could take up to four weeks. I could make out that the guy was not very sure of the rules. He was not even sure whether my wife could come back to the US to her job during this interim period. I, of course, would have had to wait out in India because they cancel primary applicant\'s all current visas during these checks.
I insisted that he talk to his supervisor/Consulate officer to verify this because I was pretty sure that my crime did not warrant fingerprint clearance. I explained him of my case, and what my immigration attorney had told me. He seemed impressed by my employer\'s law firm representing me - the largest immigration firm in the US. After the lunch hr, he called me back to give us the good news - no need for DC clearance. His superiors confirmed that my crime did not constitute a case of moral turpitude. He also confirmed that the only FBI hit they had got during my prior FBI clearance (while getting the visa #) matched the time frame when I was arrested. They refunded me the fingerprinting fees ($25) that I had deposited in the meantime, and gave us our packets.
POE (JFK ) was smooth w/ no questions asked.
Some other suggestions:
Lilavati for medical could not have been better. They\'re rejecting old forms, so please fill new DS forms. Don\'t waste money on getting new pictures beforehand, becaue they were rejecting almost everyone\'s pics. Picture taking facility inside the consulate is a money making racket - charging more than four times of what it cost us outside. I would take some old pics for the name sake. If possible, avoid the cranky old hag who collects your papers and sorts them for the interviewer. (window 13 on 12/27)
Good luck guys! Keep up the good work on this message board which has been of tremendous help to us.
The only issue on which I could have got delayed, did cause a temporary scare during the interview. I was once arrested for a minor misdemeanor three yrs back. I\'d opted for the CP after checking the rules and discussing w/ my immigration attorney that CP won\'t be risky given the crime did not constitute a case of moral turpitude. I declared the arrest in DS230 part II, and took the court release papers and a copy of the statute under which I was charged to demonstrate that the maximum penalty (one week in my case) did not exceed one year - the limit above which the GC can potentially be denied.
However, during the interview the guy rejected my visa. He said they need to take my fingerprints, and I\'ll have to come back once the fingerprints were cleared from DC. I was told that this could take up to four weeks. I could make out that the guy was not very sure of the rules. He was not even sure whether my wife could come back to the US to her job during this interim period. I, of course, would have had to wait out in India because they cancel primary applicant\'s all current visas during these checks.
I insisted that he talk to his supervisor/Consulate officer to verify this because I was pretty sure that my crime did not warrant fingerprint clearance. I explained him of my case, and what my immigration attorney had told me. He seemed impressed by my employer\'s law firm representing me - the largest immigration firm in the US. After the lunch hr, he called me back to give us the good news - no need for DC clearance. His superiors confirmed that my crime did not constitute a case of moral turpitude. He also confirmed that the only FBI hit they had got during my prior FBI clearance (while getting the visa #) matched the time frame when I was arrested. They refunded me the fingerprinting fees ($25) that I had deposited in the meantime, and gave us our packets.
POE (JFK ) was smooth w/ no questions asked.
Some other suggestions:
Lilavati for medical could not have been better. They\'re rejecting old forms, so please fill new DS forms. Don\'t waste money on getting new pictures beforehand, becaue they were rejecting almost everyone\'s pics. Picture taking facility inside the consulate is a money making racket - charging more than four times of what it cost us outside. I would take some old pics for the name sake. If possible, avoid the cranky old hag who collects your papers and sorts them for the interviewer. (window 13 on 12/27)
Good luck guys! Keep up the good work on this message board which has been of tremendous help to us.