My wife and I finally finished our CP on March 25th at the American Consulate in Chennai. We had prepared our documents based on the lists Cpers have posted here, the lists are comprehensive and good.
Pre-Interview
Couple of pointers- the guy @ the photo studio will try and tell you to remove yr glasses for the immigration style pics- take no notice. I took his advice and took pics with and without my glasses, but the consulate had no hassles with the pictures in which I had my glasses on. So I spent an additional 100 Rs bolstering the Indian economy. So if you are advised to take yr glasses off, and you want them on, you know what to do!! 3 pics were what were required, we handed 4 and the consulate returned one picture stapled to our passports.
Interview:
In addition to the documents that have been listed in numerous posts here, we took emails of our correspondence with the consulate that informed us that the local PCC and IRS 9003 were not required at the interview. We arrived for our 8.00 0’clock interview a few minutes late. The line outside the consulate was short and quickly grew longer as we waited for our turn to be admitted inside. Security at the gate examined our papers (appointment letter), after which we went through a thorough screening- no cell phones were permitted inside. Contrary to our beliefs and the prevalent notion that no bags are allowed inside, the security folks allowed handbags and paper bags inside subject of course to a fairly intense search.
We then entered a seating area and waited in some degree of nervous tension for our names to be called.
A little more info about the waiting area: it is pretty bare bones. Period. No telephone, restrooms have no paper towels- (remember to carry your handkerchief), also advisable to carry a bottle of water. There was someone selling water/pop etc though in one corner of this waiting area.
While we waited, we filled in some preliminary paperwork requiring us to submit an address to which the immigrant visas would be couriered to. The interviews started around 10.30 am. Our names were called and most of the questions were primarily directed to me; details about my educational background, work, employer, and my intended place of residence in the US etc. During the interview the consular officer asked us to submit our local police clearance certificate. We did not have this and he was shaking his head and letting us know that it was necessary when I produced the all-important copy of the email from the American consulate (addressed to me) that this local certificate was not necessary!! After this, the interview was short and brief-it lasted overall for about 15 minutes. We paid for the courier service by cash- note cash was accepted for the courier service, do not sweat if you have forgotten to get the demand draft to be paid to blue dart couriers. The whole thing was pretty straightforward, almost an anti-climax, except of course for the consular officer not following his script when he asked for the local PCC!!
That was that, we then walked out @ 11 am letting the experience and the immense relief sink in! No further excitement @ either Bombay on our way back or at the POE. Thank heavens...
Hope this helps. Best of luck in your immigrant interview process.
Pre-Interview
Couple of pointers- the guy @ the photo studio will try and tell you to remove yr glasses for the immigration style pics- take no notice. I took his advice and took pics with and without my glasses, but the consulate had no hassles with the pictures in which I had my glasses on. So I spent an additional 100 Rs bolstering the Indian economy. So if you are advised to take yr glasses off, and you want them on, you know what to do!! 3 pics were what were required, we handed 4 and the consulate returned one picture stapled to our passports.
Interview:
In addition to the documents that have been listed in numerous posts here, we took emails of our correspondence with the consulate that informed us that the local PCC and IRS 9003 were not required at the interview. We arrived for our 8.00 0’clock interview a few minutes late. The line outside the consulate was short and quickly grew longer as we waited for our turn to be admitted inside. Security at the gate examined our papers (appointment letter), after which we went through a thorough screening- no cell phones were permitted inside. Contrary to our beliefs and the prevalent notion that no bags are allowed inside, the security folks allowed handbags and paper bags inside subject of course to a fairly intense search.
We then entered a seating area and waited in some degree of nervous tension for our names to be called.
A little more info about the waiting area: it is pretty bare bones. Period. No telephone, restrooms have no paper towels- (remember to carry your handkerchief), also advisable to carry a bottle of water. There was someone selling water/pop etc though in one corner of this waiting area.
While we waited, we filled in some preliminary paperwork requiring us to submit an address to which the immigrant visas would be couriered to. The interviews started around 10.30 am. Our names were called and most of the questions were primarily directed to me; details about my educational background, work, employer, and my intended place of residence in the US etc. During the interview the consular officer asked us to submit our local police clearance certificate. We did not have this and he was shaking his head and letting us know that it was necessary when I produced the all-important copy of the email from the American consulate (addressed to me) that this local certificate was not necessary!! After this, the interview was short and brief-it lasted overall for about 15 minutes. We paid for the courier service by cash- note cash was accepted for the courier service, do not sweat if you have forgotten to get the demand draft to be paid to blue dart couriers. The whole thing was pretty straightforward, almost an anti-climax, except of course for the consular officer not following his script when he asked for the local PCC!!
That was that, we then walked out @ 11 am letting the experience and the immense relief sink in! No further excitement @ either Bombay on our way back or at the POE. Thank heavens...
Hope this helps. Best of luck in your immigrant interview process.