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I got the immigrant visa from Mumbai consulate. I will enter USA next month. Thanks to immihelp for the very useful information and others who made this forum very informative. Here are my comments:
Medicals
We did our medicals at Hinduja. True to our expectations the experience could not have been better. We took our immunization records from USA and hence avoided all the shots. The drawing of blood and x-ray tests were over by 10:30am and was asked to come at 1:45pm for the physical exam and subsequently to collect our reports.
The hospital staff were extermely courteous and professional. We were out of the hospital by 2:30pm.
Comments:
Try to reach to Hinduja before 7am irrespective of the time given to you while scheduling the appointment. Although the counters will be closed, fill up the registration form that is available at the enter desk and submit as soon as the counters open. This way you will ensure that you will be among the first ones to complete the whole process.
Consular Interview
Similar experience as others. My appointment was at 8:15am. We reached the consulate by 7:30am. They let us in at that time. We were called to submit the documents at 8:30am which took 10 minutes. The Indian lady made us sign a document that stated that I will be joining the employer after returning to USA, if not, I will have to inform the INS. We were called for the interview at 9:45am. There was an issue with my wife's birth certificate. Her BC was issued by the nursing home. They needed one from the municipality. They looked at her school leaving certificate. Since I was not from Bombay they did not insist on getting one from the municipality and gave a waiver instead. All future CPers, please take note
of this.
Comments:
1) Try to reach as early as possible. They did not even bother to check my appointment letter. There was another EB applicant who showed up later and was called for the interview after 1pm.
2) I used the photographs taken in USA and was not a problem. Some people used the photo facility inside the consulate.
3) Mine was a successor-in-interest case. They did not bother to ask any questions about it. I had the H1-B and approved I-140 petition with the old company name. Make the employer letter very clear with S-I-I details, if applicable.
4) Regarding fees, the receipt mentions the amount in Indian rupees as well as in US dollars. To those getting sponsorship in the CP process, my advice would be to prepare bank drafts in Indian rupees and later prepare claim for reimbursement.
5) Although they asked us to come at 3pm to collect the visas we were the last ones to get the visas. Going there early did not help. Be prepared to stand in the scorching heat for a long time.
Good luck to all future CPers. I will visit this board again at the end of October.
Medicals
We did our medicals at Hinduja. True to our expectations the experience could not have been better. We took our immunization records from USA and hence avoided all the shots. The drawing of blood and x-ray tests were over by 10:30am and was asked to come at 1:45pm for the physical exam and subsequently to collect our reports.
The hospital staff were extermely courteous and professional. We were out of the hospital by 2:30pm.
Comments:
Try to reach to Hinduja before 7am irrespective of the time given to you while scheduling the appointment. Although the counters will be closed, fill up the registration form that is available at the enter desk and submit as soon as the counters open. This way you will ensure that you will be among the first ones to complete the whole process.
Consular Interview
Similar experience as others. My appointment was at 8:15am. We reached the consulate by 7:30am. They let us in at that time. We were called to submit the documents at 8:30am which took 10 minutes. The Indian lady made us sign a document that stated that I will be joining the employer after returning to USA, if not, I will have to inform the INS. We were called for the interview at 9:45am. There was an issue with my wife's birth certificate. Her BC was issued by the nursing home. They needed one from the municipality. They looked at her school leaving certificate. Since I was not from Bombay they did not insist on getting one from the municipality and gave a waiver instead. All future CPers, please take note
of this.
Comments:
1) Try to reach as early as possible. They did not even bother to check my appointment letter. There was another EB applicant who showed up later and was called for the interview after 1pm.
2) I used the photographs taken in USA and was not a problem. Some people used the photo facility inside the consulate.
3) Mine was a successor-in-interest case. They did not bother to ask any questions about it. I had the H1-B and approved I-140 petition with the old company name. Make the employer letter very clear with S-I-I details, if applicable.
4) Regarding fees, the receipt mentions the amount in Indian rupees as well as in US dollars. To those getting sponsorship in the CP process, my advice would be to prepare bank drafts in Indian rupees and later prepare claim for reimbursement.
5) Although they asked us to come at 3pm to collect the visas we were the last ones to get the visas. Going there early did not help. Be prepared to stand in the scorching heat for a long time.
Good luck to all future CPers. I will visit this board again at the end of October.
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