Is Mumbai consulate scheduling interviews for IR5 (Parent of a U.S. citizen)

[AlienKanpur]

NNSidhu,
Can you clarify more on medicals at Max for your father.Why so long,too many tests or too long waiting time.Did he go fasting.

Dear Sect8, for senior citizens there are hardly any tests. X-ray is the major test. No fasting is required. There will be height and weight measurement and vision test.Then you will meet a doctor who will do some visual examination and talk to you about your vaccinations and medical history. Then some vaccinations will be prescribed. You will be asked to buy these shots from a pharmacy inside. Basically you spend more time waiting for your turn.

[bbg1982]

Dear All,
We, me and wife had our VISA interview today. We had booked a room in the Trident hotel. We were dropped of at the consulate at 7.50. We went inside straight away. Only the appointment letter(email) and the original passport was checked. Walked to a large hall, which had 17 counters. What all happened is given below:
1. Went to window 1 and got a token number (one token for both parents) around 8.20 am.We opted to be interviewed in Hindi.
2. We sat down and waited for token number to be flashed on the TV screens.
3. Our number was flashed around 9 am. We went to the counter, some Desi guy was sitting there. We were asked to submit only the marriage certificate and our birth certificates. Along with the old and new passports.
4. some simple questions were asked like who has sponsored you. Is the petitioner married and how many children does she have. How old is your grand child. My wife was asked about her mother’s name. What countries have you been to and for how long. Did your stay exceed one year in any country. We were then told to sit back in the same room and wait for number to flash again.
5. In about 35 minutes our number flashed again. This time there was an White American along with a translator. Again some simple questions like who has sponsored you. How many times have you been to USA. What was the longest duration that you stayed in USA. Have you ever stayed beyond six months. Then the officer says your VISA is approved and your previous B1/B2 visa is being cancelled. You will receive the passports in 5 working days from the pick-up agency selected by you.
That is all. We were out of the hall by 9.45 am.
some tips to the people going for interview:
1. There is mobile etc deposit facility. They charge Rs. 50 for each item that you deposit. Even smart watches have to be taken off. My wife was wearing a Fitbit, that too was not allowed. My walking stick had a small torch attached. I had to dismantle the torch. I finally paid 200 rupees. May be just carry a mobile.
2. Water bottles are allowed, but no eatables.
We had carried with us the original photographs, pay stubs of our daughter and son in law, their appointment verification as well as their w2 and tax returns for 2019, 2020 and 2021. These were uploaded also. They did not see anything.
That’s all forum members. I will continue to watch the activities of the forum and contribute whatever I can. Best wishes.

Congratulations!! Well deserved - you do good god gives you back - you definitely have done that many times in this group!!

[AlienKanpur]

Question for the folks who received visa appointment or went through IR5 interview (I did ask India embassy support team via email but didn't get clear answer) - did you receive visa appointment letter via mail(post) at Indian applicant mailing address? if not what did you or your parents bring it with them for visa appointment letter?

Dear bbg1982, IR5 interview letters are sent exclusively by email. This email goes out to the petitioner, the beneficiary and the attorney (if any). NO hard copies are sent. This email will be required for your medical, your biometrics and the visa interview. You can make multiple copies of this mail. Best wishes.

[AlienKanpur]

Congratulations!! Well deserved - you do good god gives you back - you definitely have done that many times in this group!!

Thanks bbg1982 for the very nice words. Best wishes.

[sumanbehl]

Congratulations to AlienKanpur.
You are really very helpful to all the members who are waiting for the interview and visa. Can you explain in detail your stay at Trident especially buffet breakfast timing. Also are there any good restaurants nearby for lunch/dinner?

[AlienKanpur]

Congratulations to AlienKanpur.
You are really very helpful to all the members who are waiting for the interview and visa. Can you explain in detail your stay at Trident especially buffet breakfast timing. Also are there any good restaurants nearby for lunch/dinner?

Dear sumanbehl,
Thanks for the congratulations and your kind words.
Trident is indeed a very good hotel. The entire staff is excellent and very helpful. The breakfast is a real feast both for vegetarians as well as non vegetarians. The breakfast starts at 6.30 and goes on until 10.30. Since we had our interview at 8.30 am, we came for breakfast at 7 am, ate some bread, fruits and cereal. We told them that we will come back after the interview. So we went in again at 9.50 and had a hearty breakfast.
There are several joints within walking distance, Kailash Sarovar is one. Also you can order food through Zomato. One day we ordered dinner through Zomato from shubh sagar. Very nice food at a reasonable price. Trident food is very expensive. Best wishes.

[Sect8]

NNSidhu

Dear Sect8, for senior citizens there are hardly any tests. X-ray is the major test. No fasting is required. There will be height and weight measurement and vision test.Then you will meet a doctor who will do some visual examination and talk to you about your vaccinations and medical history. Then some vaccinations will be prescribed. You will be asked to buy these shots from a pharmacy inside. Basically you spend more time waiting for your turn.
[/QUOTE]
Thanks dear.Was worried about fasting and then long wait.All the best for USA.

[Lobby57]

Dear members of the forum,
Our visa just got approved. It was a very crowded day. We went in around 8 am and we’re out by 9.45. I will share the details of my experience once we are back in Kanpur by later in the day today.
thanks members of the forum. Made a lot of acquaintances, specially Tush, who became known to me personally and also GeoMac. I will continue to be looking into the forum on and off.
I will soon, after we enter United States, share my identity to you all so that, if any one feels a need I may be contacted on email.
best wishes to all in waiting,

Very much pleased to know that you got the visa. Congratulations????????. We were also there almost at the same time. Our visa was also approved. Very sorry to say that we could not meet personally. I wished we could have met. Anyway congratulations once again.

[asg1957]

I along with my wife completed our GC (green card) interview successfully today (01 Jun 22) at Mumbai. We had an appointment for 8:30am and reached the place (Dhirubhai Amabani Square opposite to the US Consulate, Mumbai) one hour in advance. Appointment holders for the day are called out based on the time slot to form a queue at the entrance where a preliminary check (passport and IL) is done before an entry in to the consulate premises is permitted. At 8 am, there was an announcement for all candidates (all visa categories IR5/F1/L1 etc) having interview slots for 8:00/8:10/8:20/8:30AM to form the queue for preliminary document check at the entrance of the consulate. So, in my view it is better to reach at least 45 minutes in advance contrary to 15 mins indicated on the website. As bags/mobiles/smart watches/electronic devices are not allowed, there is a locker facility right at the entrance of the premises accessible only after preliminary checks. Record of items being stowed (cell phones, smart watches, deodorant /perfume bottles, USB drives etc.) is made and you are charged a fee of Rs 50 per item. Therefore, it is better to bring only documents and a phone only, else you may end up paying extra for stowage of other items. After entering the consulate premises, security check (X-ray) is done. Thereafter, GC candidates are allowed to enter the second premises while other candidates (for F1 and other visa categories) are separated to form queue as there numbers are too large compared to GC candidates. In the second premises, you have to take a token (single token for family) and await for a your turn for detailed document check/submission. We entered the second premises at around 8:30AM and had to await for detailed document check until 9:45AM.This lasted for about 10 minutes, our original documents PCC/birth/marriage certificates were taken by the attendant along with current & old passports and we were asked to wait again for the final interview by the consular staff. After waiting for about 40 minutes, we were called for the interview which started with an oath. This part of the interview lasted only about five minutes with 4/ 5 questions pertaining to - (a) who is sponsoring your visa? (b) Where is the sponsor living? (c) Have ever overstayed in USA during your previous visits? (d) When did you visit your sponsor last? etc. At the end of the interview, the interviewer informs the final outcome. In our case, we were told that the GC is approved and our current visitor visa stamped on the passport was cancelled right in front of us and we were given an instruction sheet for further steps. Now we will have to collect our passports after 3-5 days. Thanks a lot to this forum, as we could get a wealth of information from here. I have tried to give details, so that one knows what kind of events are likely to happen when you come for the interview. Wishing all the GC aspirants all the best.

Sir,
An excellent narrative. Thank you for the time taken by you to let us all know your full experience in the Consulate. Wish you and your family a safe flight.

[asg1957]

Dear All
Just checked the status for my parents GC processing. Documentary Qualified (DQ) date is June 7 , 2022. What is the expected date for Interview from Mumbai consulate ? Any reply appreciated.
Thank you

Presently, interviews of DQ April/May 2021 are in progress. Your turn will come as per the waitlist. Best wishes.

[sapnaanagol]

Dear All,
We, me and wife had our VISA interview today. We had booked a room in the Trident hotel. We were dropped of at the consulate at 7.50. We went inside straight away. Only the appointment letter(email) and the original passport was checked. Walked to a large hall, which had 17 counters. What all happened is given below:
1. Went to window 1 and got a token number (one token for both parents) around 8.20 am.We opted to be interviewed in Hindi.
2. We sat down and waited for token number to be flashed on the TV screens.
3. Our number was flashed around 9 am. We went to the counter, some Desi guy was sitting there. We were asked to submit only the marriage certificate and our birth certificates. Along with the old and new passports.
4. some simple questions were asked like who has sponsored you. Is the petitioner married and how many children does she have. How old is your grand child. My wife was asked about her mother’s name. What countries have you been to and for how long. Did your stay exceed one year in any country. We were then told to sit back in the same room and wait for number to flash again.
5. In about 35 minutes our number flashed again. This time there was an White American along with a translator. Again some simple questions like who has sponsored you. How many times have you been to USA. What was the longest duration that you stayed in USA. Have you ever stayed beyond six months. Then the officer says your VISA is approved and your previous B1/B2 visa is being cancelled. You will receive the passports in 5 working days from the pick-up agency selected by you.
That is all. We were out of the hall by 9.45 am.
some tips to the people going for interview:
1. There is mobile etc deposit facility. They charge Rs. 50 for each item that you deposit. Even smart watches have to be taken off. My wife was wearing a Fitbit, that too was not allowed. My walking stick had a small torch attached. I had to dismantle the torch. I finally paid 200 rupees. May be just carry a mobile.
2. Water bottles are allowed, but no eatables.
We had carried with us the original photographs, pay stubs of our daughter and son in law, their appointment verification as well as their w2 and tax returns for 2019, 2020 and 2021. These were uploaded also. They did not see anything.
That’s all forum members. I will continue to watch the activities of the forum and contribute whatever I can. Best wishes.

Thank you for the detail dear AlienKanpur.
What documents did you take for your birth Certificate?

[asg1957]

Dear All,
We, me and wife had our VISA interview today. We had booked a room in the Trident hotel. We were dropped of at the consulate at 7.50. We went inside straight away. Only the appointment letter(email) and the original passport was checked. Walked to a large hall, which had 17 counters. What all happened is given below:
1. Went to window 1 and got a token number (one token for both parents) around 8.20 am.We opted to be interviewed in Hindi.
2. We sat down and waited for token number to be flashed on the TV screens.
3. Our number was flashed around 9 am. We went to the counter, some Desi guy was sitting there. We were asked to submit only the marriage certificate and our birth certificates. Along with the old and new passports.
4. some simple questions were asked like who has sponsored you. Is the petitioner married and how many children does she have. How old is your grand child. My wife was asked about her mother’s name. What countries have you been to and for how long. Did your stay exceed one year in any country. We were then told to sit back in the same room and wait for number to flash again.
5. In about 35 minutes our number flashed again. This time there was an White American along with a translator. Again some simple questions like who has sponsored you. How many times have you been to USA. What was the longest duration that you stayed in USA. Have you ever stayed beyond six months. Then the officer says your VISA is approved and your previous B1/B2 visa is being cancelled. You will receive the passports in 5 working days from the pick-up agency selected by you.
That is all. We were out of the hall by 9.45 am.
some tips to the people going for interview:
1. There is mobile etc deposit facility. They charge Rs. 50 for each item that you deposit. Even smart watches have to be taken off. My wife was wearing a Fitbit, that too was not allowed. My walking stick had a small torch attached. I had to dismantle the torch. I finally paid 200 rupees. May be just carry a mobile.
2. Water bottles are allowed, but no eatables.
We had carried with us the original photographs, pay stubs of our daughter and son in law, their appointment verification as well as their w2 and tax returns for 2019, 2020 and 2021. These were uploaded also. They did not see anything.
That’s all forum members. I will continue to watch the activities of the forum and contribute whatever I can. Best wishes.

Dear Sir,
Congratulations and God bless you both.
Excellent feedback for all of us waiting for our turns.
Your helpful attitude has cleared many doubts in this forum. Please keep in touch with us.
Best wishes for your future and wish you and your wife a safe flight.
Happy landings!!

[AlienKanpur]

Thank you for the detail dear AlienKanpur.
What documents did you take for your birth Certificate?

Dear sapnanagol,
You need to carry the originals of the documents that you would have submitted with the 1-130 petition. In our case I had three documents each for me and my wife: A non-availability certificate and two affidavits from your relatives, elder to you by atleast 10 years. This would have already been done by you. Just the originals and nothing more. Best wishes

[AlienKanpur]

Very much pleased to know that you got the visa. Congratulations????????. We were also there almost at the same time. Our visa was also approved. Very sorry to say that we could not meet personally. I wished we could have met. Anyway congratulations once again.

We missed you Lobby57. My token number was 245. What was yours? I was with a walking stick with my right knee in a big brace. And because of this knee brace I was wearing a half pant and a t-shirt. Write about yourself. Heartiest congratulations for the approval.

[AlienKanpur]

Dear Sir,
Congratulations and God bless you both.
Excellent feedback for all of us waiting for our turns.
Your helpful attitude has cleared many doubts in this forum. Please keep in touch with us.
Best wishes for your future and wish you and your wife a safe flight.
Happy landings!!

Thanks a lot asg1957 for the congratulations and the very nice words, I will try to maintain touch with the forum even after I have reached USA. Best wishes to you all.