Successfull CP experience in Mubai- April16th 2008

[ranGC]

April 2nd - Reached Mumbai US consulate at 7 AM for the invitation letter ( didn’t reach us by the time we started for India) . The security guards informed that the information counter opens at 9.30 AM and there is line for it after 8 AM. Stood in the line after 8.30 and by 9.30 the line had quite a few ppl (luckily I was the first person in the line) .
After collecting the letter went to the VFS office which had a long line too. They were letting only one person enter with the doc, my wife had to wait in the car. Inside the office there was only one counter for immigrant visa applicants.When my turn came submitted the docs ( without the medical report) and everything was accepted by the VFS clerk and after taking my communication address in India ( required for courier service) etc. she gave me the recipient. I had also purchased the VFS Star & Stripe lounge facility for the day of the interview.
On the way back to the hotel I found that address of communication in India mentioned .in the receipt was wrong. I called up VFS from a PCO booth and they stated that I need to come back to the office to fix this error (although it was their fault), which I did.

April 4th – We went for the medical exam at Apollo Hospital ,Kolkata. The X-Ray and physical examination was pretty easy. Between the X-ray and medical examination we were administered the vaccinations. We got the reports in a couple of days.

April 16th - Arrived at the VFS office at 6.30 AM. They allowed the 7.30 AM appointment candidates to enter the VFS Lounge and luggage storage facility at around 7AM..The bus took us to the US consulate around 7.15 AM. and we entered the consulate at 7.30 AM .Firstly, we were asked to stand in line for the biographic finger printing. After this we waited for a while until my name was called to submit my documents. The Indian officer took everything( including the medical reports) but didn’t accept my photograph .I was luckily carrying another set of photograph’s which were accepted.
After about 2 hrs of wait we were called for the interview. Following were the list of questions that we were asked

Q1- Who is the your petitioner
Ans : My company’s name .

Q2- How long have I been working of the petitioner ?

Q3.- How Long have I been living in US ?

Q4- Did I visit any other country besides US ?

Q5- Why did I choose to come to India to adjust my status ?



Made us take the oath and signatures on DS230.

Q6-(for my wife) Who is petitioning for her adjustment of status?

Q7 – (for my wife) What was the address in US where we live and is it a house / Apartment?

We were told to wait outside after this .We were called back in after about 5 mins and the IO stated that our visa has been approved and we will receive it in the mail in a few days.
Went to the VFS office the same day around 4.30 and there was huge line. At around 5PM the candidates for Immigrant visa were allowed to go inside the office. Collected the package and checked the passports for any name errors etc. Everything was fine.

Our POE was Newark. After a long delayed at the DHS office and subsequently missing the connecting flight,the DHS officer finally opened our packets and went through the documents. Then he took our fingerprints and made us sign a document and stated politely "welcome to USA".
We received our welcome letters in about 2 weeks and our green cards in about 30 - 40 days .Finally the test of patience and ordeal is over. Best of luck to all of you in the GC queue!!

 

[ranGC]

Congratulations! Thanks for the detailed post. Assuming you had not submitted any photographs before, how many did you have to submit on the day of your interview? or did you submit it with VFS?

I had submitted my photographs to VFS, it was accepted by them and it was submitted to the consulate by vfs. But the consulate rejected the photograph on interview date, they found the background offwhite in color, they wanted a stark white background photo. I had a spare set, which they accepted. But funny thing was my wife's photo had an off white background too, in fact the background was of darker shade than mine, but that was accepted with no objections..

 

[Sandhya Bagchi]

Mumbai CP Interview

Hello Members,

Finally, the time has come for me, to make my post on my immigration interview in Mumbai.

My case is an employment based immigration (EB2 India with a 2004 August priority date). After a long wait for visa numbers, this August when numbers were available for my category, the US Consulate in Mumbai scheduled my immigration interview for August 21st.

On August 5th, my relatives in Mumbai submitted the documents to VFS.
- 2 immigration photographs
- Rs. 365 (courier fees)
- DS 230 (I - signed & II – unsigned, to be signed during the interview)
- Birth Certificate, Affidavit from relatives, + photocopy
- PCC from Indian Consulate, Chicago + photocopy
- Photocopy of all pages of the passport (since original passport was not present for verification)

August 9th, I left for Mumbai and reached there on the night of August 10th.

On August 11th, I had my medicals in Lilavati. There are so professional and prompt in their service. I would recommend them to everyone. My appointment was at 9.00 a.m. and I was out by 11.30 a.m. Reports were released at 3.00 p.m. same day. If I remember correctly, the VISA unit administrator at Leelavati, Sylvia, directed applicants, from point to point and helped conduct all the tests smoothly.

On August 21st, I reached the consulate at 6.30 a.m. for a 7.30 a.m. appointment. There was already a line and some people hanged around the area. At 7.15 a.m. a consulate representative came out and started a line for 7.30 a.m. applicants. You were asked to show the appointment letter only.

After you enter the consulate, they form two lines for men and women separately, to collect biometric fingerprints. Next, an Indian officer in the consulate called my name to collect some additional paper work which was not submitted earlier at VFS – job offer letter, medical reports (they don’t need the X-rays) and passport. The Indian officer mentioned that my case was a legitimate one and all paperwork was duly submitted as requested. Hence, I should not have any issues and should just wait for my interview.

After a 3 hour wait, around 11.30 a.m., my name was called and an American officer greeted me and asked me to take an oath that all information was correct. Then I was asked to sign the DS 230 part II. He then asked me the following questions.
- What is the job/position?
- How long have you been working for this company?
- What does this company do (as in business)?
- Since our company had a recent name change for branding/marketing purposes, he asked me if they were the same entities. I explained the name change and also provided the name change certificate issued by the secretary of state and a certificate of good standing. Additionally, I provided the articles of amendment of name change. He seemed satisfied with the documentation and then mentioned “Please collect your immigrant visa this evening or you it can be couriered to your home”.

Next, he gave me a slip of paper which said, I had 6 months to enter the US and if the job for which I am immigrating, would no longer exist before I leave for the US, I should inform the consulate.

At 4.00 p.m. on the same day, I visited the VFS. There was a line forming. But at 5.00 p.m., the VFS guards asked immigrant visa applicants to come forward and form a separate line. The immigrant visa applicants were then asked to enter VFS and were called individually to collect the passport and a yellow envelope to be handed over at the port of entry (unopened).

POE – Newark. No need to fill out the I-94 (White) form on the flight. I stood at the US Citizens and Permanent Residents line. When I approached the immigration officer, I declared myself as a “New Immigrant”. He asked me if I had my green card and then soon realized that I am a New Immigrant and not a current green card holder. He then asked me for my packet and walked me downstairs to a holding room where several people were waiting for different purposes. Later an officer called my name and asked me to sign on a card (I-551) and then stamped my passport and said that I would get the physical card in the mail.

 

[korman]

Congratulations Ms Bagchi. Your good experience should lessen tensions for those who are awaiting their turn. As for PCC, unlike you who had to produce only one (from the Indian Consulate), we in India have to provide BOTH from Passport Office and Police Commissioner.