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A bit of background:
I was on H4 ( dependent VISA) in the US
i had my H1 approval notice w/o the I-94 stub since it was applied
while i was in India
I had to get my H1 VISA stamped outside the US
Where I stayed:
The Towne hotel - except for the state-of-the-art bathroom- ) ,
everything else was perfect
the location in partcilar was supeb, walkign distance of pretty much
anything that matters
plus Free bfast & free internet
Taxi fare:
I paid 22 dollars each way for taxi & confirmed the fare before I got
in
I think u can book a round trip bus transfer for 26 bucks with majestic
tours - i don't have the details
My interview was at 9:00 M
I reached the consulate at 8:30 AM and there was a pretty long queue
this usually doens't happen , but it seems the previous day because the
systems were down, people were asked to come back the next day
The queue is formed OUTSIDE the embassy buliding & people are taken in
3 or 4 at a time, since there is limited space inside
While in the queue an official checked the DS 157 and the photograph to
make sure everything was in order
I noticed:
1. they don't accept hand filled forms
2. they send you back if you're too early for your appointment , a guy
had a 10:30 appointment was asked to leave & come back at 10:15
3. No sharp items & no cameras are allowed inside, including camera
phones - best to leave them in your hotel or with someone
Mac Donald's security next door may hold them for you
4. there's all kinds of people derssed in various ways :-) , but if
u're going for a work Visa , best wear something smart / business casual
5. Photographs must be white background and as per specs - Mr. Photo is
located on a "galli" somewhere near the intersection of Market street &
Bay street - you can ask anyone
it's walking distance from the embassy. 8 dollars for 2 photos & 13
dollars for 4 and you'll get them in 2 mins i was told :-)
So finally, after passing the time chatting with various people ( Do
talk to people while in the bahamas, i found it to be the best part of my
trip!),
My turn came at around 10 AM after 1 1/2 hours in the queue - realize
that is an exception rather then the norm
Here is the sequence of events following:
1. security personnel will check all bags/folders for cameras, sharp
instruments - i took off my watch too
2. walk through the detector , collect your belongings
3. walk out of this building into the next separate building which is
the embassy where the interviews are taken
4. Next security check - more sensitive metal detector, even though i'd
taken off my watch , my boots went "TTTRRRRR" coz of the buckles on
them
5. body scan by security personnel with hand held device
6. the same security person will instruct you to hold your passport and
"necessary" docs out in your hand and stand in this queue
7. I got out my passport, DS 157 , I-797, company letter to consulate
8. Cute smily american girl (CSAG) at the counter : are you applying
for H1
me : yes
CSAG: can you open your passport to the last H1
me : <did that>
CSAG: <puts a sticky on the page to mark it, checks that form's
filled out completely,hands everythign back to me> put your money in the
passport & go over to the cash counter which is the last one in this row
me: Tanks ( that's how Bahamians say Thanks w/o the "h")
9. I remove myself from counter 1 , go to cash counter ( there are
total of 6 counters i think)
10. I stand in short queue for cash counter - hand over passport, DS
157 , I-797, company letter to consulate plus 100 dollars in US currency
to nice bahamian girl
she types smthng on her computer, then tells me to have a seat
my name will be called - No receipt or token was given which made me a
little nervous
11. I sit - about 25 chairs i think . small place
12. there were 2 VISA officers conducting interviews - a guy & a lady -
they call out names - there is no intercom
They call out your name, if u haven't heard they call it once
more
Also it may not be in the order in which you arrived at the
previous counter - best to pay attention
13. The nice American guy (NAG) called my last name - i jumped up :-)
That was about 10:30 AM
NAG: Good morning How are you?
Moi: Good thanks, how are you?
NAG: Good . Here is your receipt < gives me the receipt for the
100 dollars>
< Then we go the fingerprint thignie - left index , right index
- most people don'tthink about it - but make sure you don't have cuts
or anything on your index fingers - it'll be a real bummer!)
NAG: is this an H1 renewal ? <that coz of the sticky the CSAG
had put>
Moi: No, it is a new H1
NAG : <flips thru my passport, sees my H4> your hubby works for
X company, is he still with X company?
Moi: Yes , he is with X
NAG: <looks at letter from company> how many employees does this
company have
Moi: X number
NAG: Did you study in a US univ
Moi: No, I studied in India
NAG: looks like you had an L1 too
Moi: Yes I have had 2 L1s
NAG: when are you leaving for the US
Moi : Tommorrow, afternoon flight, but i have to get to the airport 3
hours in advance
NAG: we have backlog from yesterday, but we will try to get it doen
today , worst case we'll make aarangements for you to pick it up in the
morning
come back today between 2:30 and 3:30 with this token <gives
me a pink piece of paper that i guard with my life!>
Moi: <wow what a nice guy!!> Awesome. Thanks very much
I leave go around have fun in teh Bahamas come back at 1:30 - even
then the queue is long! darn! there go my snorkeling plans
we stood in queue , it rained a lil - the queue broke and got all
confused ! some people took and cut the line - i hate them!
they started taking people in at 2:45 - no security check or anything
, unless for some reason you are called into the embassy
some people went in and came back & stood in another queue for the
next batch coz their passport was not ready
luckily when my turn came , my passport was ready !
they said go outside , check the VISA - if anything looks incorrect,
come back in
I did that and was all set!! whew!
Good luck to you!
PS: US Immigration & customs hapen at the Bahamas airport at departure
not in the US
I was on H4 ( dependent VISA) in the US
i had my H1 approval notice w/o the I-94 stub since it was applied
while i was in India
I had to get my H1 VISA stamped outside the US
Where I stayed:
The Towne hotel - except for the state-of-the-art bathroom- ) ,
everything else was perfect
the location in partcilar was supeb, walkign distance of pretty much
anything that matters
plus Free bfast & free internet
Taxi fare:
I paid 22 dollars each way for taxi & confirmed the fare before I got
in
I think u can book a round trip bus transfer for 26 bucks with majestic
tours - i don't have the details
My interview was at 9:00 M
I reached the consulate at 8:30 AM and there was a pretty long queue
this usually doens't happen , but it seems the previous day because the
systems were down, people were asked to come back the next day
The queue is formed OUTSIDE the embassy buliding & people are taken in
3 or 4 at a time, since there is limited space inside
While in the queue an official checked the DS 157 and the photograph to
make sure everything was in order
I noticed:
1. they don't accept hand filled forms
2. they send you back if you're too early for your appointment , a guy
had a 10:30 appointment was asked to leave & come back at 10:15
3. No sharp items & no cameras are allowed inside, including camera
phones - best to leave them in your hotel or with someone
Mac Donald's security next door may hold them for you
4. there's all kinds of people derssed in various ways :-) , but if
u're going for a work Visa , best wear something smart / business casual
5. Photographs must be white background and as per specs - Mr. Photo is
located on a "galli" somewhere near the intersection of Market street &
Bay street - you can ask anyone
it's walking distance from the embassy. 8 dollars for 2 photos & 13
dollars for 4 and you'll get them in 2 mins i was told :-)
So finally, after passing the time chatting with various people ( Do
talk to people while in the bahamas, i found it to be the best part of my
trip!),
My turn came at around 10 AM after 1 1/2 hours in the queue - realize
that is an exception rather then the norm
Here is the sequence of events following:
1. security personnel will check all bags/folders for cameras, sharp
instruments - i took off my watch too
2. walk through the detector , collect your belongings
3. walk out of this building into the next separate building which is
the embassy where the interviews are taken
4. Next security check - more sensitive metal detector, even though i'd
taken off my watch , my boots went "TTTRRRRR" coz of the buckles on
them
5. body scan by security personnel with hand held device
6. the same security person will instruct you to hold your passport and
"necessary" docs out in your hand and stand in this queue
7. I got out my passport, DS 157 , I-797, company letter to consulate
8. Cute smily american girl (CSAG) at the counter : are you applying
for H1
me : yes
CSAG: can you open your passport to the last H1
me : <did that>
CSAG: <puts a sticky on the page to mark it, checks that form's
filled out completely,hands everythign back to me> put your money in the
passport & go over to the cash counter which is the last one in this row
me: Tanks ( that's how Bahamians say Thanks w/o the "h")
9. I remove myself from counter 1 , go to cash counter ( there are
total of 6 counters i think)
10. I stand in short queue for cash counter - hand over passport, DS
157 , I-797, company letter to consulate plus 100 dollars in US currency
to nice bahamian girl
she types smthng on her computer, then tells me to have a seat
my name will be called - No receipt or token was given which made me a
little nervous
11. I sit - about 25 chairs i think . small place
12. there were 2 VISA officers conducting interviews - a guy & a lady -
they call out names - there is no intercom
They call out your name, if u haven't heard they call it once
more
Also it may not be in the order in which you arrived at the
previous counter - best to pay attention
13. The nice American guy (NAG) called my last name - i jumped up :-)
That was about 10:30 AM
NAG: Good morning How are you?
Moi: Good thanks, how are you?
NAG: Good . Here is your receipt < gives me the receipt for the
100 dollars>
< Then we go the fingerprint thignie - left index , right index
- most people don'tthink about it - but make sure you don't have cuts
or anything on your index fingers - it'll be a real bummer!)
NAG: is this an H1 renewal ? <that coz of the sticky the CSAG
had put>
Moi: No, it is a new H1
NAG : <flips thru my passport, sees my H4> your hubby works for
X company, is he still with X company?
Moi: Yes , he is with X
NAG: <looks at letter from company> how many employees does this
company have
Moi: X number
NAG: Did you study in a US univ
Moi: No, I studied in India
NAG: looks like you had an L1 too
Moi: Yes I have had 2 L1s
NAG: when are you leaving for the US
Moi : Tommorrow, afternoon flight, but i have to get to the airport 3
hours in advance
NAG: we have backlog from yesterday, but we will try to get it doen
today , worst case we'll make aarangements for you to pick it up in the
morning
come back today between 2:30 and 3:30 with this token <gives
me a pink piece of paper that i guard with my life!>
Moi: <wow what a nice guy!!> Awesome. Thanks very much
I leave go around have fun in teh Bahamas come back at 1:30 - even
then the queue is long! darn! there go my snorkeling plans
we stood in queue , it rained a lil - the queue broke and got all
confused ! some people took and cut the line - i hate them!
they started taking people in at 2:45 - no security check or anything
, unless for some reason you are called into the embassy
some people went in and came back & stood in another queue for the
next batch coz their passport was not ready
luckily when my turn came , my passport was ready !
they said go outside , check the VISA - if anything looks incorrect,
come back in
I did that and was all set!! whew!
Good luck to you!
PS: US Immigration & customs hapen at the Bahamas airport at departure
not in the US
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