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

[sapnaanagol]

For my mom



No sputum testing. He was medically cleared

My mom has a 221g. But all it says is to upload passport and drop off at nearest VAC. This seems like a technical way to hold her application. Even though she said she would take with my father, do you think we can go ahead with the steps, upload and drop off the passport at the VAC. I agree she should have said there itself, but we cant change that.

For my dad it simply says administrative processing and requires nothing from his end to do, simply that they will contact when administrative processing is complete. I suspect its just going to take a little more time because of his application not having my sisters tac returns at the time she filed for my father. So maybe it will take a little more processing. But ideally we dont want to delay for my mother.

The attached file says refused,Its little difficult for us Indians to understand....it means that it will take time.For all Sputum cases too till the end,the status was showing refused.my husband
told me that you will not get your visa!I explained to him that they have refused at this point of time.They have not rejected.So, please have patience, you will get the visa for your parents.
Keep checking status & submit all papers that they ask for!
If all members read on the net, the visa is approved or rejected
If its refused,it will take time till they get convinced
Hope its clear.

[sapnaanagol]

If anyone has insights, please share about 221g process for situations like above if anyone knows.

I think this situation is new to the Forum.You can however put on search here & find out.
Another method to find out is on net.
Best is to get all the requirements the Consulate officer has suggested, it will be done.
Getting all documents from the treating doctor at your place..Varanasi? It will be helpful.
All the best!

[maneeshsah]

I think this situation is new to the Forum.You can however put on search here & find out.
Another method to find out is on net.
Best is to get all the requirements the Consulate officer has suggested, it will be done.
Getting all documents from the treating doctor at your place..Varanasi? It will be helpful.
All the best!

I have all the prescriptions from the Varanasi doctor which is what I showed to the Max Med center physician who did the medical evaluation. I am meeting with him tomorrow again to understand what the process looks like. I will search the internet as well. Thank you for taking time to respond; little desperate right now as interview happened after 18 months of waiting and then this!

[GeoMac]

Hello,
My mother had her interview today, Sept 27th. They refused the visa with 221g additional medical information required. On checking with Max hospital where we got the medical check done, it seems that they want psychiatric consultation. Does anyone have gone through this? If so, what the outcome was? We are from varanasi so we will have to travel to delhi again + if they want her to meet another doctor, we might need to stay in Delhi for extended period. Any thing I can get from the doctor she sees regularly which might help? Also, I am assuming, I need to take all the docs I carried for the original appointment again.

Thanks in advance,

Dear maneeshsah
Do not get confused and worried. Just concentrate on what the consular officer has instructed through 221g notice. (You could put the main content of the notice in this forum) Do whatever has to be done and send the report etc. to tthe consulate through VAC. Thats all.
See post No. 2734 of abhishekhawat. He was too frustrated but I told him to do what Consular Officer advised through 221g. Post 2659 on page 178. He did it and in no time his mom got passport with visa stamp. Let us not get confused and bang in the dark while we have clear cut instructions from the consular officer.

[RO845]

Dear Aviask2,
Many of us have travelled to US after getting DQ. I got DQ in March 2021. I was in USA from May 2, 2021 to October 17, 2021. There is no need to update the DS 260 form. As a matter of fact you will not be allowed to modify the form. During the interview you can be asked about your most recent visit to USA. This is not a matter of any concern at all.
Best wishes.

Hi AlienKanpur,

We are in the process of moving my parents to USA and have suffered lengthy delays due to COVID. At this point, their applications are DQ (Aug 2022) but I foresee at least a year before they get their interview letters (Mumbai consulate). You mentioned that you have traveled with a pending interview - we were guided that entering US while an immigration application is pending is a high risk since border control can deem intent to overstay by default. What has your experience been? Any tips will be helpful so we can meet our parents in the time being.

Thank you 🙏

[satya_gc]

Hi AlienKanpur,

We are in the process of moving my parents to USA and have suffered lengthy delays due to COVID. At this point, their applications are DQ (Aug 2022) but I foresee at least a year before they get their interview letters (Mumbai consulate). You mentioned that you have traveled with a pending interview - we were guided that entering US while an immigration application is pending is a high risk since border control can deem intent to overstay by default. What has your experience been? Any tips will be helpful so we can meet our parents in the time being.

Thank you 🙏

Hi RO845,

We went to US and came back with our B1/B2 in May 2022 while we were waiting for our DQ for our two applications. We got our DQ dates confirmed after our visit. So in my experience US visit doesn't impact our application process.

I also read about this "high risk entering US while immigration application is in progress", If you have a reason and return ticket I dont think you will have an issue at entry if they ask.

[sumanbehl]

Hi AlienKanpur,

We are in the process of moving my parents to USA and have suffered lengthy delays due to COVID. At this point, their applications are DQ (Aug 2022) but I foresee at least a year before they get their interview letters (Mumbai consulate). You mentioned that you have traveled with a pending interview - we were guided that entering US while an immigration application is pending is a high risk since border control can deem intent to overstay by default. What has your experience been? Any tips will be helpful so we can meet our parents in the time being.

Thank you 🙏

I do not think it’s going to take one year. The way things are going on you may get IL in 5-6 months time. NVC is issuing IL every month covering almost 2-3 months of DQ. IL have been issued for those DQ Mar and April 22, skipping those mid Sep 21 to Feb 22

[AlienKanpur]

Hi AlienKanpur,

We are in the process of moving my parents to USA and have suffered lengthy delays due to COVID. At this point, their applications are DQ (Aug 2022) but I foresee at least a year before they get their interview letters (Mumbai consulate). You mentioned that you have traveled with a pending interview - we were guided that entering US while an immigration application is pending is a high risk since border control can deem intent to overstay by default. What has your experience been? Any tips will be helpful so we can meet our parents in the time being.

Thank you 🙏

Dear RO845,
Please see the response of sumanbehl. The calculations about the IL have all gone haywire. There is no longer any pattern. Like he mentioned, NVC has skipped several DQ dates from September 21 to Feb 22 and issued letters for DQ dates in March / April 22. If one were optimistic, then your parents may have their interviews sometime in February/ March 23. Just recently there was a post in the forum, in September itself, that the parents along with the petitioner had to rush to Mumbai for the Interview etc.
You have been rightly guided, that entering US when your immigration petition is pending is high risk. Border control can refuse entry on the ground that your parents are entering on a visitor visa, whereas they have shown their intent to migrate. The experience of several members of the forum has been different. At the port of entry POE, the usual questions are asked. I am sure that your parents have travelled to US several times earlier. They can simply say that they are on a routine visit to meet their children and that they will return in less than six months. They do not have to volunteer to reveal that an Immigration petition is pending. But if the officer asks specifically about the intent to migrate, then they have to be ready with answers. They must carry a return ticket, evidence of having property in India or any other evidence which would prove the intent to return. In spite of all this there is an element of risk. Many of us took the risk and the entry in all cases was effortless. One more point is to try avoiding big airports like JFK, EWR, ORD, LAX etc. we entered through Dulles. Best wishes.

[Aviask2]

Dear Aviask2,
One addition to the above. As a matter of fact, the Police dept. does not expect or does not call the Senior Citizens to their office personally but the concern staff of the dept. calls on phone and informs in advance and makes a visit and does verification. Better is to go to the Police Station with your house papers or Ele Bill and Aadhar Card and a PP photo. Also one witness. After verification the report will go to the city / district head quarter of the police and they will forward it to the RPO. RPO issues PCC which is the only valid PCC for USA visa.

Thank You Geomac for this very useful information. We shall keep it in mind when my mother does PCC next year.

[tooolong]

Update: My mom got her visa approved on Monday September 26 and today the passport status says ready for pickup (she wanted to pick up from Delhi VAC). I will write details of our experience in detail this coming weekend.

[tooolong]

Hi AlienKanpur,

We are in the process of moving my parents to USA and have suffered lengthy delays due to COVID. At this point, their applications are DQ (Aug 2022) but I foresee at least a year before they get their interview letters (Mumbai consulate). You mentioned that you have traveled with a pending interview - we were guided that entering US while an immigration application is pending is a high risk since border control can deem intent to overstay by default. What has your experience been? Any tips will be helpful so we can meet our parents in the time being.

Thank you 🙏

My mom's visited us twice while she was in the process and awaiting appointment from Mumbai Consulate. In faavect she had planned to stay here longer for her current visit but had to leave early as she got her visa appointment scheduled. I have heard the same as you so I won't deny that we also had similar anxiety the first time she was traveling after her application was filed.

[tooolong]

If anyone has insights, please share about 221g process for situations like above if anyone knows.

This is very unique. I have never heard or read anywhere about psychiatric evaluation being a requirement. It this is really what they are looking for , I wonder what caused them to triggered that? Somerthing happened during the interview ??

We are from Delhi and my Mom also got her test and follow up sputum test at Max Delhi.

[tooolong]

Dear tooolong,
Heartiest Congratulations for the approval of the immigrant visa and then the issue. All is well that ends well. You went through a long arduous journey. Your inputs will certainly help the members of this forum who are sust till waiting.
After the issue of visa, the passport will be delivered within a week. I recall that I had posted the links of two websites, one which shows the issue part, other one tracks the passport. I do not remember the links now. I am sure that you can search my posts in the forum.
Within the next three to four days you will receive a mail informing the tracking details.
Pay the $220 fee on the website mentioned on the approval paper given by the Consulate, a few days before the departure from India.
Best wishes

Thanks AlienKanpur.
I used CGIFederal website and also found that one can send an email to [email protected] with just passport number writte in subject line and/or email body and you instantly get a reply with passport status.

She is planning to pick up the passport today from Delhi VAC.

[tooolong]

Dear RO845,
Please see the response of sumanbehl. The calculations about the IL have all gone haywire. There is no longer any pattern. Like he mentioned, NVC has skipped several DQ dates from September 21 to Feb 22 and issued letters for DQ dates in March / April 22. If one were optimistic, then your parents may have their interviews sometime in February/ March 23. Just recently there was a post in the forum, in September itself, that the parents along with the petitioner had to rush to Mumbai for the Interview etc.
You have been rightly guided, that entering US when your immigration petition is pending is high risk. Border control can refuse entry on the ground that your parents are entering on a visitor visa, whereas they have shown their intent to migrate. The experience of several members of the forum has been different. At the port of entry POE, the usual questions are asked. I am sure that your parents have travelled to US several times earlier. They can simply say that they are on a routine visit to meet their children and that they will return in less than six months. They do not have to volunteer to reveal that an Immigration petition is pending. But if the officer asks specifically about the intent to migrate, then they have to be ready with answers. They must carry a return ticket, evidence of having property in India or any other evidence which would prove the intent to return. In spite of all this there is an element of risk. Many of us took the risk and the entry in all cases was effortless. One more point is to try avoiding big airports like JFK, EWR, ORD, LAX etc. we entered through Dulles. Best wishes.

I concur with AlienKanpur on the choice of airports as an added safety measure. I also chose IAD as entry for my mom all these times. Although she has used IAD before, I typically check EWR, JFK, PHL and IAD based on price and convenience but during these times we chose to stay away from EWR and JFK. Although these choices are only applicable if you are in this area of the country.

[AS45]

Hi AlienKanpur,

We are in the process of moving my parents to USA and have suffered lengthy delays due to COVID. At this point, their applications are DQ (Aug 2022) but I foresee at least a year before they get their interview letters (Mumbai consulate). You mentioned that you have traveled with a pending interview - we were guided that entering US while an immigration application is pending is a high risk since border control can deem intent to overstay by default. What has your experience been? Any tips will be helpful so we can meet our parents in the time being.

Thank you 🙏

Hi RO845

We were DQed in August 2021 and visited SFO in October 2021 after having a stopover at Dubai for 15 days as direct entry from India to USA was banned at that time due to Covid. It was almost as smooth entry as earlier visit. The officer neither raised pending green card application nor we volunteered. After returning to India in April 22, we again visited LAX in June 22. That time also it was a normal entry without any reference to pending green card application. Both the time, we had return ticket and actual intention to return. We knew the perceived risk, but my experience tells it is more a perception and if you do not intend for Status of Adjustment after entering, you should not have any problem. I had to cut short my second visit to attend interview on September 26. We got our green card visa without any issue. Best wishes to your parents.