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Hi,
When I was waiting for CP, I got benefited a lot by the messages posted here. I thought I will return the favor by posting my experience here. I have tried to capture all things I have remembered. Sorry, I will not have time to answer specific questions.
Here is our experience during the green card process at Chennai.
Case Details:
EB2 Category, Country of birth India, Country of citizenship Singapore
Labor Cert Application : Apr 23, 1998
I-140 Filed on: Mar 30, 1999
I-140 Approval Date : April 1st, 2000
Packet 3 Sent to Chennai: June 15th, 2000
Interview Date: August 23, 2000
The interview date was announced on Chennai web site around July 18th.
The actual letter from embassy informing us about the appointment
reached us in US on August 2nd. We called up Surima Medical from USA
and fixed an appointment for August 9th morning. They asked us if we
have appointment letter.
Medical Checkup
-----------------------
Went to Surima medical at 9 AM. The whole process took about 2.5 hours.
The shots that we had taken US were considered invalid by the doctor
(Suresh rao). So we had to take the shots again. My wife got a lady
doctor to do the physical check up. X-Rays were taken as well.
It takes 3 working days for the report to come. We asked
our uncle in Madras to collect them and returned to Bangalore. The
total cost for I and my wife was Rs. 7200.
Immigration Interview
-----------------------------
Went there by 7.30 AM even though our appointment was at 8 AM. Since we
had appointment letter, there is no need to wait in line. The
security guards there act very smart. Initially they refused to allow
us in because we had Singapore passport. When we reminded him again
about our appointment letter where embassy had invited us, security
guys could not say much. Then one of them moved on to our baby's diaper
bag. He said we can not carry the diaper bag inside. He said we can
keep the bag with tea shop fellow nearby. When we repeatedly explained
why a baby would need diapers and milk for the 4 hours we stay there,
he finally relented and let us in with the diaper bag.
Do not carry any bags at all. Put all your documents in plastic covers
(One that you get in india when you buy sarees for example). They do
not seem to have any problem with such plastic covers.
Many other guards along the way will see your appointment letter and
passport and finally direct you to sit inside the office. All
immigration visa seekers were asked to sit on the left most column in a
3 column of chairs. The final lady who did security check asked me to
switch on my organizer and off just to make sure. It was about 7.50
when sat there in the office.
At 8.30 AM, folks were called to submit the documents one by one. An
Indian guy collects the documents. As long as you have all docs
mentioned in their letter you are OK. He asks you to pay the
immigration visa fee at counter 1. He also gives you a token number.
This token number will decide how soon will you get out of the embassy
that morning. The guy was real nice. He even asked my wife go back
immediately after signing because she was carrying the baby.
At 9.30 AM, all the names are called and people are collected and taken
outside the building. We all wait for about 10 minutes. A white lady
shows up, briefly explains the procedure and asks us to take a oath
that all things that we say are true.
At 10 AM, people are called one by one in random order. We were called
at 11.00 AM. Another Indian lady asked more questions about our papers.
The company name change was an issue and she asked me to show some
documentation about the name change.
At 12 AM, folks are called based on token number and advised to pay
issuance fee. We were asked to come back in the afternoon to collect
the passports. The job was done!
While you are waiting in the room, you can see some drinks, food, water
etc. but there is no body to vend them to you. The only lady vendor
they have is busy serving non immigrant folks outside the building. So
if you need any thing, you must go outside the building (still inside
the consulate premise) and get the food. They charge Rs 15 for water.
Rs 30 for coke etc.
At 4 PM, enter the embassy through same security gate as in the
morning. In our case, we were made to wait till 5.05 PM. It is not
necessary for all in the family to go. Only one is sufficient. Make
sure to take your receipt for visa issuance fee. They give your
passports back with your non immigrant visa cancelled. They also give
you sealed brown envelope that you are supposed to take with you to US
immigration.
Arrival in USA
--------------------
Come through "New Immigrants" line. There will be hardly anybody in
that line. They take your brown envelope, open it up, take your thumb
print. They also take your passport somewhere else to do some checks.
Finally, they will put a 551 stamp on your passport which is valid for
1 year. The guy was very nice to us. He said that real green card will
arrive in 2 to 3 months. He also asked us to visit social security
department. He asked us how long the whole process took us and told
that Consular processing is really the way to go and tell my friends to
do the same as that is much faster.
When I was waiting for CP, I got benefited a lot by the messages posted here. I thought I will return the favor by posting my experience here. I have tried to capture all things I have remembered. Sorry, I will not have time to answer specific questions.
Here is our experience during the green card process at Chennai.
Case Details:
EB2 Category, Country of birth India, Country of citizenship Singapore
Labor Cert Application : Apr 23, 1998
I-140 Filed on: Mar 30, 1999
I-140 Approval Date : April 1st, 2000
Packet 3 Sent to Chennai: June 15th, 2000
Interview Date: August 23, 2000
The interview date was announced on Chennai web site around July 18th.
The actual letter from embassy informing us about the appointment
reached us in US on August 2nd. We called up Surima Medical from USA
and fixed an appointment for August 9th morning. They asked us if we
have appointment letter.
Medical Checkup
-----------------------
Went to Surima medical at 9 AM. The whole process took about 2.5 hours.
The shots that we had taken US were considered invalid by the doctor
(Suresh rao). So we had to take the shots again. My wife got a lady
doctor to do the physical check up. X-Rays were taken as well.
It takes 3 working days for the report to come. We asked
our uncle in Madras to collect them and returned to Bangalore. The
total cost for I and my wife was Rs. 7200.
Immigration Interview
-----------------------------
Went there by 7.30 AM even though our appointment was at 8 AM. Since we
had appointment letter, there is no need to wait in line. The
security guards there act very smart. Initially they refused to allow
us in because we had Singapore passport. When we reminded him again
about our appointment letter where embassy had invited us, security
guys could not say much. Then one of them moved on to our baby's diaper
bag. He said we can not carry the diaper bag inside. He said we can
keep the bag with tea shop fellow nearby. When we repeatedly explained
why a baby would need diapers and milk for the 4 hours we stay there,
he finally relented and let us in with the diaper bag.
Do not carry any bags at all. Put all your documents in plastic covers
(One that you get in india when you buy sarees for example). They do
not seem to have any problem with such plastic covers.
Many other guards along the way will see your appointment letter and
passport and finally direct you to sit inside the office. All
immigration visa seekers were asked to sit on the left most column in a
3 column of chairs. The final lady who did security check asked me to
switch on my organizer and off just to make sure. It was about 7.50
when sat there in the office.
At 8.30 AM, folks were called to submit the documents one by one. An
Indian guy collects the documents. As long as you have all docs
mentioned in their letter you are OK. He asks you to pay the
immigration visa fee at counter 1. He also gives you a token number.
This token number will decide how soon will you get out of the embassy
that morning. The guy was real nice. He even asked my wife go back
immediately after signing because she was carrying the baby.
At 9.30 AM, all the names are called and people are collected and taken
outside the building. We all wait for about 10 minutes. A white lady
shows up, briefly explains the procedure and asks us to take a oath
that all things that we say are true.
At 10 AM, people are called one by one in random order. We were called
at 11.00 AM. Another Indian lady asked more questions about our papers.
The company name change was an issue and she asked me to show some
documentation about the name change.
At 12 AM, folks are called based on token number and advised to pay
issuance fee. We were asked to come back in the afternoon to collect
the passports. The job was done!
While you are waiting in the room, you can see some drinks, food, water
etc. but there is no body to vend them to you. The only lady vendor
they have is busy serving non immigrant folks outside the building. So
if you need any thing, you must go outside the building (still inside
the consulate premise) and get the food. They charge Rs 15 for water.
Rs 30 for coke etc.
At 4 PM, enter the embassy through same security gate as in the
morning. In our case, we were made to wait till 5.05 PM. It is not
necessary for all in the family to go. Only one is sufficient. Make
sure to take your receipt for visa issuance fee. They give your
passports back with your non immigrant visa cancelled. They also give
you sealed brown envelope that you are supposed to take with you to US
immigration.
Arrival in USA
--------------------
Come through "New Immigrants" line. There will be hardly anybody in
that line. They take your brown envelope, open it up, take your thumb
print. They also take your passport somewhere else to do some checks.
Finally, they will put a 551 stamp on your passport which is valid for
1 year. The guy was very nice to us. He said that real green card will
arrive in 2 to 3 months. He also asked us to visit social security
department. He asked us how long the whole process took us and told
that Consular processing is really the way to go and tell my friends to
do the same as that is much faster.
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