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My case details
PD: 12/96 (EB2)
I-140 approved: March 2000
My attorney that time did not want to do CP.
Changed my attorney around June
Packet 3 sent to New Delhi in first week of August.
Received packet 4 in end of September for interview on November 15th.
Reached New Delhi on November 8th. Did Medicals at Dr. K.P. Jain's office in South Extension part -II on 10th. Got the report in a day. Doctor was kind enough to tell me that everything was OK. Got my pictures taken at Kumar studio in South Ex. just two blocks from Dr Jain's clinic. Spent next couple of days in obtaining date of birth non-availability certificate and preparing affidavits for date of birth. Called embassy on 13th November and got the latest dollar to rupee conversion rate ( 1$ = 47 Rs.)
Reached New Delhi consulate at 7:30 AM on November 15th. There were separate lines for immigrant as well as non-immigrant visa. I was about 15th in the line of immigrant visas. Most of the cases were family based cases. They opened the gate at about 8:15 AM. Security guard will verify the interview letter before letting you in. First thing after entering is scanning everything you carry through an X-ray machine. You find yourself in a big hall with lot of chairs to sit a TV that was set to play some music. Just have a seat. Once all the chairs are occupied, they first call all the first time immigrant visa applicants to window 8. A young Indian lady asked for the appointment letter and issued a slip which indicated to pay visa application and issuance fees. Cashier’s window was not open yet. All the candidates started queuing up by the cashier’s window. The window opened around 9:00 AM. Lot of candidates did not have either the right amount on the DD or the back of the DD did not have their name address and the phone number. They had to fix it which took lot of time for them. Having done it, I came back to my seat. Within no time the lady at window 8 was came out in the hall, and asked all IV applicants to take out their OF230 – II and form a queue. A white American lady came out and asked all of us to raise our right hand and take the oath that all the information on OF-230 was correct. We were then asked to sign OF 230-II followed by signature from the American lady. We all came back to our seats. Within no time they started calling your names. There were three windows 6,7, and 8 for IV interviews. Within 45 minutes, my name was called at window 6. One Mr. Thakral at that window asked for my OF-230 I and II, Medicals, Birth and Marriage certificates, Notarized employment letter and pictures. I presented pictures taken at Kumar studio and he did not like them. I also had pictures taken in USA and he gladly accepted those. He asked me why my wife was not accompanying me and I replied that she was in the school and her Ph.D dissertation has to be finished by December. Nothing else was asked. He cancelled my non- Immigrant Visa in front of me. I asked him if I could go out and come back in the evening to collect the Visa or do I need to wait. He asked me to wait in the Hall. Later on I realized that only 1 or 2 out of the 3 windows have people who are authorized to do document verification. If you get called by them they will not ask you to wait for a second call. Mr. Swamy is one of the persons who does document verification. Anyways my name was called again in about 45 minutes and this time it was Mr. Swamy who I was talking to. All he told me that everything looks OK and come around 4:30 to collect the Visa. Went back around 4:30 but it took them until 5:30PM before they doled out the VISAs. It is a sealed packet with full page Visa stapled on the top. There were lot of rejections for family based cases due to inadequate documentation.
At Port of Entry in Chicago: Don’t know about other airports, but Chicago has special counters ( #33 and 34) for new immigrants. You need not stand in any other line, go directly there, they will open the packet, stamp your passport and write an A #. Took my finger print at two places and told me that this visa in the passport is valid for one year and you should receive your green card before this expires.
My father had been sick while I was in India. When I left India on November 27, 2000, he was still sick. He died a couple of days back. Though getting the stamp was good but this family tragedy has put the excitement in shadow. Well, this is life.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
PD: 12/96 (EB2)
I-140 approved: March 2000
My attorney that time did not want to do CP.
Changed my attorney around June
Packet 3 sent to New Delhi in first week of August.
Received packet 4 in end of September for interview on November 15th.
Reached New Delhi on November 8th. Did Medicals at Dr. K.P. Jain's office in South Extension part -II on 10th. Got the report in a day. Doctor was kind enough to tell me that everything was OK. Got my pictures taken at Kumar studio in South Ex. just two blocks from Dr Jain's clinic. Spent next couple of days in obtaining date of birth non-availability certificate and preparing affidavits for date of birth. Called embassy on 13th November and got the latest dollar to rupee conversion rate ( 1$ = 47 Rs.)
Reached New Delhi consulate at 7:30 AM on November 15th. There were separate lines for immigrant as well as non-immigrant visa. I was about 15th in the line of immigrant visas. Most of the cases were family based cases. They opened the gate at about 8:15 AM. Security guard will verify the interview letter before letting you in. First thing after entering is scanning everything you carry through an X-ray machine. You find yourself in a big hall with lot of chairs to sit a TV that was set to play some music. Just have a seat. Once all the chairs are occupied, they first call all the first time immigrant visa applicants to window 8. A young Indian lady asked for the appointment letter and issued a slip which indicated to pay visa application and issuance fees. Cashier’s window was not open yet. All the candidates started queuing up by the cashier’s window. The window opened around 9:00 AM. Lot of candidates did not have either the right amount on the DD or the back of the DD did not have their name address and the phone number. They had to fix it which took lot of time for them. Having done it, I came back to my seat. Within no time the lady at window 8 was came out in the hall, and asked all IV applicants to take out their OF230 – II and form a queue. A white American lady came out and asked all of us to raise our right hand and take the oath that all the information on OF-230 was correct. We were then asked to sign OF 230-II followed by signature from the American lady. We all came back to our seats. Within no time they started calling your names. There were three windows 6,7, and 8 for IV interviews. Within 45 minutes, my name was called at window 6. One Mr. Thakral at that window asked for my OF-230 I and II, Medicals, Birth and Marriage certificates, Notarized employment letter and pictures. I presented pictures taken at Kumar studio and he did not like them. I also had pictures taken in USA and he gladly accepted those. He asked me why my wife was not accompanying me and I replied that she was in the school and her Ph.D dissertation has to be finished by December. Nothing else was asked. He cancelled my non- Immigrant Visa in front of me. I asked him if I could go out and come back in the evening to collect the Visa or do I need to wait. He asked me to wait in the Hall. Later on I realized that only 1 or 2 out of the 3 windows have people who are authorized to do document verification. If you get called by them they will not ask you to wait for a second call. Mr. Swamy is one of the persons who does document verification. Anyways my name was called again in about 45 minutes and this time it was Mr. Swamy who I was talking to. All he told me that everything looks OK and come around 4:30 to collect the Visa. Went back around 4:30 but it took them until 5:30PM before they doled out the VISAs. It is a sealed packet with full page Visa stapled on the top. There were lot of rejections for family based cases due to inadequate documentation.
At Port of Entry in Chicago: Don’t know about other airports, but Chicago has special counters ( #33 and 34) for new immigrants. You need not stand in any other line, go directly there, they will open the packet, stamp your passport and write an A #. Took my finger print at two places and told me that this visa in the passport is valid for one year and you should receive your green card before this expires.
My father had been sick while I was in India. When I left India on November 27, 2000, he was still sick. He died a couple of days back. Though getting the stamp was good but this family tragedy has put the excitement in shadow. Well, this is life.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
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