j1confusion
Registered Users (C)
People,
i finally got my USCIS approval (My DOS waiver hasnt arrived yet!but I know it is in transit)
anyhoo... here is what my case was like . i am putting down the minutest detail possible so that u ppl can compare...becoz seems like th etime DOS can take depends pretty much on the complexity of the case...i guess mostly related to funding issues.
I am a medical graduate from india and was doing research at a university on J1. My visa was a short term scholar visa (6 mo only). [Imp point here for medicos...if u want to start residency soon its better to go for a short term scholar j1 because if u are unable to get a waiver in time or unable to get it at all...u can go ahead or j1 for residency. A research j1 longer than 6 mo means u need DOS approval prior to change of categries to clinical J1...which can a painful lengthy procedure. plz spare urself the pain)
So...nov 2007 i entered US and my term started Dec 2007. like all ppl I had a hard time finding the complete info needed. While I was doing my research for j1 way before I decided I shld go ahead for it...I realized that the research i was into was not subject to the skills list. And i was not going to be paid..so Ideally I shldnt hve the stamp. But as most of u might be already knowing...when u come from a so called 'retrogressed' country...they end up stamping the clause to one and all.
So like all , i got the 2 yr clause stamped on my DS and visa....and i came to US.
Nov 2007: i was pretty much confused at this juncure thinking wheter u shdl aply for advisory opoinion or for waiver. I wanted to do both together...but didnt get a satisfactory reply anywhere as to whether i can do it or not....
Finally I know today that u can. u can apply for an advisory opinion adn apply for a waiver too. However a word of caution...I feel that this might end up delaying both...and as we care about getting our waivrs on time...people who are short of time shldnt waste their time on advisory opinion sbut shdl go ahead and apply for a waiver.
So it was jan before i got some good amt of info as to how i shdl proceed. I send notarized documents to India to my parents jan 16, they reached jan 21.
I needed to send more documnets...so it was only in 1st week of feb that m parents cld send the documents to the respective 3 offices for clearance.[medicos plz note....in delhi our applications go to Ministry of health and not MHRD)
local passpost office was an easy job as it is local...my dad pursued it and he got it in just 4 days. he kept a copy with himself. apparently they mailed copies to the SF conuslate and to me too @ my US address...but i never recd and i dont know if the consulate recd it either. I am glad they gave me a copy and i had my own copies for all 3 NORI
I am from Maharashtra and the state govt one was tuff. I got it only after 1 and 1/2 month (17 march) after my cousin bro who lives in mumbai really really pursued it vigorously.
the 3rd one- from ministry of health in my case (MHRD for non medicos) man those people are SADISTS. they gave me the NORI 1st week april along with a circular passed by teh Min of health way back in 2001 saying that Min of health will give nORI to ALL medicos who wanna pursue higher eductaion in US and hence consulates are instrcuted NOT to wait till they get MOH NORI and just proceed with the 2 other docs.
I was furious when I read that becoz i wasted my 3 weeks for nuthing. I was surprised that no one at the SF consulate or in delhi told that to us before hand. I will try to scan and postthat letter for everone's reference. If i cant...ppl plz see the NY consulate website. That is the only one which mentions this fact. rest of teh consulates are probably least bothered.
Any hoo...so i got all my 3 NORI in US On 8 april. So i went to SF consulate with thonse on 8 april and i sent my docs and fees to DOS on 8 april itself. i got my case no onlne so that was good.
I got the final waiver from SF consulate on 10 april, however it seems liek they mailed it to Indian embassy only on 11th april.
Indian embassy sent the letter to DOS on 21rd april or that is what it says on the letter, which i myslef recd on 25 april.
so here the procedure from Indian govt ends and all we can do it wait.
So now i posting my DOS timeline
8 april:
i mailed docs to DOS with fees.
case online on : April 16...but they said they recd all docs on april 14 (exxcept letter from Indian embassy)
On may 2or 3rd they updated that they recd my letter from indian embassy on 1 may
after that i waited and waited...no change. I finally called DOS On 14 may and they told me they sent out my reco on 13 may itself.
My return envelope was express mail overnight so i shdl have recd the waiber on 14 maximum 15...but i didnt. i was worried.
I called DOS on 20 may asking for it...they asaid it can take time to come.
Finally I found ot thay for some reason they mailed it on 20 may and i dont know why they mailed it so late to me. t is still with the post office now and i have to go and pick it up
however, surprisingly they mailed to USCIS soon it seems. because i just got the final approal letter from USCIS todat (22 may 2008) which states the recd teh letter from DOS on MAy 15 .. and itsays USCIS mailed my final waiver approal notice on may 16..which was pretty fast for me and i am happy abt it.
I recd my USCIS waiver 22 may 2008.
So DOS actually didnt take much time. However my case was simple since i had no funding from anywhere. all funds were personal . So i think that takes care f many issues i guess.
That is my story. I have to go and pick up my DOS waiver from post office tomm. But I dont care anymore....i got my USCIS letter
i finally got my USCIS approval (My DOS waiver hasnt arrived yet!but I know it is in transit)
anyhoo... here is what my case was like . i am putting down the minutest detail possible so that u ppl can compare...becoz seems like th etime DOS can take depends pretty much on the complexity of the case...i guess mostly related to funding issues.
I am a medical graduate from india and was doing research at a university on J1. My visa was a short term scholar visa (6 mo only). [Imp point here for medicos...if u want to start residency soon its better to go for a short term scholar j1 because if u are unable to get a waiver in time or unable to get it at all...u can go ahead or j1 for residency. A research j1 longer than 6 mo means u need DOS approval prior to change of categries to clinical J1...which can a painful lengthy procedure. plz spare urself the pain)
So...nov 2007 i entered US and my term started Dec 2007. like all ppl I had a hard time finding the complete info needed. While I was doing my research for j1 way before I decided I shld go ahead for it...I realized that the research i was into was not subject to the skills list. And i was not going to be paid..so Ideally I shldnt hve the stamp. But as most of u might be already knowing...when u come from a so called 'retrogressed' country...they end up stamping the clause to one and all.
So like all , i got the 2 yr clause stamped on my DS and visa....and i came to US.
Nov 2007: i was pretty much confused at this juncure thinking wheter u shdl aply for advisory opoinion or for waiver. I wanted to do both together...but didnt get a satisfactory reply anywhere as to whether i can do it or not....
Finally I know today that u can. u can apply for an advisory opinion adn apply for a waiver too. However a word of caution...I feel that this might end up delaying both...and as we care about getting our waivrs on time...people who are short of time shldnt waste their time on advisory opinion sbut shdl go ahead and apply for a waiver.
So it was jan before i got some good amt of info as to how i shdl proceed. I send notarized documents to India to my parents jan 16, they reached jan 21.
I needed to send more documnets...so it was only in 1st week of feb that m parents cld send the documents to the respective 3 offices for clearance.[medicos plz note....in delhi our applications go to Ministry of health and not MHRD)
local passpost office was an easy job as it is local...my dad pursued it and he got it in just 4 days. he kept a copy with himself. apparently they mailed copies to the SF conuslate and to me too @ my US address...but i never recd and i dont know if the consulate recd it either. I am glad they gave me a copy and i had my own copies for all 3 NORI
I am from Maharashtra and the state govt one was tuff. I got it only after 1 and 1/2 month (17 march) after my cousin bro who lives in mumbai really really pursued it vigorously.
the 3rd one- from ministry of health in my case (MHRD for non medicos) man those people are SADISTS. they gave me the NORI 1st week april along with a circular passed by teh Min of health way back in 2001 saying that Min of health will give nORI to ALL medicos who wanna pursue higher eductaion in US and hence consulates are instrcuted NOT to wait till they get MOH NORI and just proceed with the 2 other docs.
I was furious when I read that becoz i wasted my 3 weeks for nuthing. I was surprised that no one at the SF consulate or in delhi told that to us before hand. I will try to scan and postthat letter for everone's reference. If i cant...ppl plz see the NY consulate website. That is the only one which mentions this fact. rest of teh consulates are probably least bothered.
Any hoo...so i got all my 3 NORI in US On 8 april. So i went to SF consulate with thonse on 8 april and i sent my docs and fees to DOS on 8 april itself. i got my case no onlne so that was good.
I got the final waiver from SF consulate on 10 april, however it seems liek they mailed it to Indian embassy only on 11th april.
Indian embassy sent the letter to DOS on 21rd april or that is what it says on the letter, which i myslef recd on 25 april.
so here the procedure from Indian govt ends and all we can do it wait.
So now i posting my DOS timeline
8 april:
i mailed docs to DOS with fees.
case online on : April 16...but they said they recd all docs on april 14 (exxcept letter from Indian embassy)
On may 2or 3rd they updated that they recd my letter from indian embassy on 1 may
after that i waited and waited...no change. I finally called DOS On 14 may and they told me they sent out my reco on 13 may itself.
My return envelope was express mail overnight so i shdl have recd the waiber on 14 maximum 15...but i didnt. i was worried.
I called DOS on 20 may asking for it...they asaid it can take time to come.
Finally I found ot thay for some reason they mailed it on 20 may and i dont know why they mailed it so late to me. t is still with the post office now and i have to go and pick it up
however, surprisingly they mailed to USCIS soon it seems. because i just got the final approal letter from USCIS todat (22 may 2008) which states the recd teh letter from DOS on MAy 15 .. and itsays USCIS mailed my final waiver approal notice on may 16..which was pretty fast for me and i am happy abt it.
I recd my USCIS waiver 22 may 2008.
So DOS actually didnt take much time. However my case was simple since i had no funding from anywhere. all funds were personal . So i think that takes care f many issues i guess.
That is my story. I have to go and pick up my DOS waiver from post office tomm. But I dont care anymore....i got my USCIS letter