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

[AlienKanpur]

Hello Everyone, Need an advise. my wife has filed GC for her mother with counselor processing in Feb 2021. We recd letter from NVC in sept 2021 and submitted the documents including PCC in Dec 2021. We are waiting for DQ currently. Considering the long queue at Mumbai consulate,

1. is it possible she can travel this summer on her tourist visa (valid till 2029) and stay for 4-5 months with us and return to India. If yes, what is the process or any documentation needed.
2. Will there be any challenge at the port of entry since her GC is in process.
Anyone has gone through this process any feedback suggestions are most welcome.
Thanks in anticipation.

Dear Mr. Gupta, there is one response to your enquiry. I do not agree to the same. I and my wife were documentary qualified in March 2021. we travelled to USA on B1/B2 on May 1, 2021 and stayed in the US for almost six months. My pointwise answers are: (the entire matter was discussed with our immigration lawyer in USA).
1. Yes you can travel to USA. You will need to carry documentation to prove your intent to return, in the form of a return ticket, property papers, job letter if possible.
2. technically B1/B2 is a visitors visa and you have shown your intent to migrate and so the officer at the port of entry can refuse entry. You may need to convince the officer that the visit is necessary and that you will return back.
One should be ready to get deported. However nothing of this kind happened in our case and the officer did not ask any questions and allowed us to stay for six months.
Let me also tell you that the busier bigger airports are a little difficult to maneuver. Our lawyer had suggested to land at Dulles, Washington.
Best wishes

[gharya54]

Dear Mr. Gupta, there is one response to your enquiry. I do not agree to the same. I and my wife were documentary qualified in March 2021. we travelled to USA on B1/B2 on May 1, 2021 and stayed in the US for almost six months. My pointwise answers are: (the entire matter was discussed with our immigration lawyer in USA).
1. Yes you can travel to USA. You will need to carry documentation to prove your intent to return, in the form of a return ticket, property papers, job letter if possible.
2. technically B1/B2 is a visitors visa and you have shown your intent to migrate and so the officer at the port of entry can refuse entry. You may need to convince the officer that the visit is necessary and that you will return back.
One should be ready to get deported. However nothing of this kind happened in our case and the officer did not ask any questions and allowed us to stay for six months.
Let me also tell you that the busier bigger airports are a little difficult to maneuver. Our lawyer had suggested to land at Dulles, Washington.
Best wishes

To, agupta2k :- AlienKanpur has given you a perfect answer. His point number 2, where he has highlighted in red is something to deeply think about.
In our case our age and our health was a factor whereby we could not muster up the courage to take a chance to travel and then be refused an entry by the " Immigration Officer " at the airport who is the final authority.
Plus, our lawyer from New York strictly told us not to do so. And so did the Mumbai Consulate. Very honestly, we were too worried after that and decided to wait.
AlienKanpur and his lawyer is also correct in advising that the big scale airports in the US have bigger issues and hence landing at smaller airports is a better bet in getting things your way.
Having said this, we wish you good luck in whatever decision you take.
The bottom line for all of us is to be united with our children and grandchildren at the earliest.
I do not wish to contest anything that AlienKanpur has so correctly written, but we were told categorically and I have this in writing that the entire Green Card process stands cancelled out if we travel on B1/B2.
With regards.

[YOKA]

Hello Everyone, Need an advise. my wife has filed GC for her mother with counselor processing in Feb 2021. We recd letter from NVC in sept 2021 and submitted the documents including PCC in Dec 2021. We are waiting for DQ currently. Considering the long queue at Mumbai consulate,

1. is it possible she can travel this summer on her tourist visa (valid till 2029) and stay for 4-5 months with us and return to India. If yes, what is the process or any documentation needed.
2. Will there be any challenge at the port of entry since her GC is in process.
Anyone has gone through this process any feedback suggestions are most welcome.
Thanks in anticipation.

Our DQ date is 5th May, 2021. We will be travelling February last week. Will let you know our experience. However, I don’t see any issues as green card process is to be completed in India & in no way it can be completed in USA.

[AlienKanpur]

To, agupta2k :- AlienKanpur has given you a perfect answer. His point number 2, where he has highlighted in red is something to deeply think about.
In our case our age and our health was a factor whereby we could not muster up the courage to take a chance to travel and then be refused an entry by the " Immigration Officer " at the airport who is the final authority.
Plus, our lawyer from New York strictly told us not to do so. And so did the Mumbai Consulate. Very honestly, we were too worried after that and decided to wait.
AlienKanpur and his lawyer is also correct in advising that the big scale airports in the US have bigger issues and hence landing at smaller airports is a better bet in getting things your way.
Having said this, we wish you good luck in whatever decision you take.
The bottom line for all of us is to be united with our children and grandchildren at the earliest.
I do not wish to contest anything that AlienKanpur has so correctly written, but we were told categorically and I have this in writing that the entire Green Card process stands cancelled out if we travel on B1/B2.
With regards.

Dear Gharya ji, i totally respect and honor whatever you have written. But if you visit official site of the US Immigration and search or do a google search, you will find that travel on B1/B2 is allowed but it can face severe scrutiny at the port of entry and can even be denied. We took a risk when we travelled last summer. It was a massive risk given that I am 70 year old and getting deported would have been a big big disaster. But they cannot cancel the GC process.



Clearly it is a big big risk.

[L2022]

Thank you all who responded to the number of IR5 visa issue counts. Hope they keep the same pace like December and clear the backlog. We have been waiting too long to get our aged parents to live with us.

[gharya54]

Dear Gharya ji, i totally respect and honor whatever you have written. But if you visit official site of the US Immigration and search or do a google search, you will find that travel on B1/B2 is allowed but it can face severe scrutiny at the port of entry and can even be denied. We took a risk when we travelled last summer. It was a massive risk given that I am 70 year old and getting deported would have been a big big disaster. But they cannot cancel the GC process.



Clearly it is a big big risk.

To, AlienKanpur :- I am truly happy the risk worked for you. Glad that you were lucky to get time with your family. We were not as courageous due to my wife's ill health.
At this late stage of life, it's nice to be at peace with what we have in hand, so we just kept quiet.
Thank you for sharing the moments of your life. We hope and pray that things ease out and work for all of us in the near future.
Sir, accept my good wishes.
Take care. With warm regards.

[agupta2k]

Thanks Alienkanpur, Gharya and Yoka ji for your insight and guidance. Truly appreciate it! We are still deciding whether to take this risk. Though one point. She has been visiting USA since 2007 ( 5-6 times) and never ever overstayed beyond visa which was granted. I hope the accessing officer may consider that. Will book her return ticket as well.
Dear Yoka jee, Please share your experience during your visit in Feb. Thanks!

[GeoMac]

Deporting is a big thing. If you are not allowed to enter the US because your immigration visa process is pending, they may ask you to return back to your country and not “deport”. If you can convince the immigration officer at the port of entry with the reasons of your visit and have a return booking, the officer won’t object.

[AlienKanpur]

Deporting is a big thing. If you are not allowed to enter the US because your immigration visa process is pending, they may ask you to return back to your country and not “deport”. If you can convince the immigration officer at the port of entry with the reasons of your .visit and have a return booking, the officer won’t object.

Agreed GeoMac

[MOMO216]

To All Members on the Forum,
Any news of the August 2020 DQ starting ? Please be kind enough to share. Would be deeply obliged.
Warm regards to All.

Still waiting to hear from someone with DQ of August 2020.
My Mother DQ is December 2020.

[GeoMac]

Open National Visa Center (NVC) immigrant visa backlog report.
Scroll down
1.you will see 26605 IV cases completed in one month of Jan 2022 and pending439373 at NVC.
Scroll down
click on “Previous backlog Reports” you will see monthwise backlogs from April 2021 to Dec 2021.
sumup the monthly completed cases, something like 250000.
you will see how many pending before you if you count from the month of your DQ date.
2. Scroll up and click on “visa statistics”
you will see “monthly immigrant visa issuance statistics”
click on “Dec 2021 IV issuance by FSC or place of birth and visa class”
scroll down and see how many IR5 visa issued in Dec 2021.
Similarly you can find out how many IR5 visa issued in India after your DQ date.

ENJOY Calculating

[SG2020]

Still waiting to hear from someone with DQ of August 2020.
My Mother DQ is December 2020.

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So far no new ILs for IR-5s ? There are many new ILs for IR1s today. It seems that they have ignored IR-5s totally . This change of trend is disturbing.

[lvisagc]

Hello Everyone, Need an advise. my wife has filed GC for her mother with counselor processing in Feb 2021. We recd letter from NVC in sept 2021 and submitted the documents including PCC in Dec 2021. We are waiting for DQ currently. Considering the long queue at Mumbai consulate,

1. is it possible she can travel this summer on her tourist visa (valid till 2029) and stay for 4-5 months with us and return to India. If yes, what is the process or any documentation needed.
2. Will there be any challenge at the port of entry since her GC is in process.
Anyone has gone through this process any feedback suggestions are most welcome.
Thanks in anticipation.

Wanted to share that my parents came to the US in November, 2021 while waiting for their consular processing interview with DQ date of December, 2020. Even we were very worried and looked for information every where and were prepared to answer questions about reasons for their visit. They did not take any extra documentation. There were no challenges at the port of entry - just standard questions and nothing about consular processing.
Hope this provides some encouragement to you. But please note that it is totally upto the immigration officer and they could raise concerns.

[gharya54]

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So far no new ILs for IR-5s ? There are many new ILs for IR1s today. It seems that they have ignored IR-5s totally . This change of trend is disturbing.

To, SG2020:- Sir, no idea how you are saying that, there are many letter's for IR1 today. I shall give you the statistics for comparison between IR1 and IR5 from July 2021 to December 2021.

July 2021 :- IR1 :- 168.---------- IR5 :- 426
August 2021. :- IR1 :- 107.-----------IR5 :- 377
September 2021 :-IR1 :- 81.----------- IR5 :- 345
October 2021 :-IR1 :- 111.---------- IR5 :- 342
November 2021. :- IR1:- 114.----------IR5 :- 264
December 2021. :- IR1 :- 133.-----------IR5 :-622.

Sir, as you will notice from the statistics above I don't feel that IR5 are being ignored.
But, your point is correct. Not one member getting an interview letter, the past 10 days is indeed alarming.
One of our members had pointed out a week ago that August list should start coming out from last Monday or Tuesday.
Unfortunately such a thing has not happened so far. However, February has started today. Maybe the beginning of the new calendar month may
bring in some good news and new Interview letters.

No harm in staying positive and optimistic.
With regards to All.

[GeoMac]

Hello Everyone, Need an advise. my wife has filed GC for her mother with counselor processing in Feb 2021. We recd letter from NVC in sept 2021 and submitted the documents including PCC in Dec 2021. We are waiting for DQ currently. Considering the long queue at Mumbai consulate,

1. is it possible she can travel this summer on her tourist visa (valid till 2029) and stay for 4-5 months with us and return to India. If yes, what is the process or any documentation needed.
2. Will there be any challenge at the port of entry since her GC is in process.
Anyone has gone through this process any feedback suggestions are most welcome.
Thanks in anticipation.

A few people have mentioned in this forum itself that they / their relatives did travel on B1B2 while their immigration file is pending.
You wrote you are waiting for DQ. I say check your account for any new messages. If all your documents are submitted and are found to be in order, DQ will not take so long time.
Further, if your relative decides to travel, make sure that DQ is done while she is in India.