Urgent: Interview Date for Stamping not available

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desimba

New Member
Please help me guys. I got my H1 visa starting from October, 2004 and before that I was on student visa. I am leaving for Mumbai on 29th December and I didn't know that I have to schedule a interview to get the stamp on my passport. I was checking it online and realized that there are no dates available until 15th February. I can't afford to stay in India for 1.5 months because I have to report back to work in 3 weeks. Is there any way I can still get an appointment date in January? What are the other alternatives. I don't want to cancel my trip to India, so please suggest something, if possible. thanks for your help
peace
 
As far as I know, the only way to get a visa stamped is through an appointment. Now, people with their contact address in mumbai can also appy for visa to Delhi and Calcutta consulates. however, at this hour, to get a Jan 05 appointment date even at Delhi would be difficult. (delhi is already booked till Feb 22, I havent checked calcutta though). Now your only chance - if you get lucky - is every now and then some already booked slot becomes available if someone re-schedules his appointment. but even if that happens, it is taken up within hours (i have seen atleast 3 of them in last 48 hrs). so you may wanna keep checking the availability like 10 times a day and hope someone vacates a slot.

To make sure that you dont miss out on a date while you go about filing up the forms, I'd suggest you fill out the forms and get an appointment for a date thats available and wait for some slot the be vacated during your visit time and reschedule the date. This way you save time on filling out the forms since re-scheduling is much faster. (you can always cancel/modify your appointment).

Good Luck!

Disclaimer: This is just a suggestion. I have no legal authority to advice you!
 
desimba,

Try calling the visa-services center in India? They will let you know if you come in person to their center, when would you get your appt? Also when you go in person, if you are lucky, you get open slots which can be a couple of days later or a week later. Good luck! Explorer.
 
Don't go by the online dates for Mumbai Consulate. Those are not accurate dates. This is based on our experience. Here is what you need to do -
As soon as you land in Mumbai go personally to visa services office with the following documents -
1. Passport copies.
2. Filled out visa forms.
3. I-797 document.
4. Offer letter copy.

Give it to the appointment desk. Normally the appointment date would be within 2 - 3 weeks from the date you go to the visa services office. Our consultant went on November 7th 2004 to visa services office and got appointment date for November 24th 2004. The online dates is a big joke. Just don't go by those dates.....
 
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