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But, I'm not complaining - they could very well have been denied a visa.
So, here's the story: Sought an appointment in mid-October for Chennai. The appt. was scheduled for Dec 30th.
At the interview, the only document they looked at was my parents' application (DS-156). Not one of the tons of documents that I had painstakingly gathered, photo-copied and Global Priority-mailed to them.
Here's the questions & answers:
Q: Why do you want to travel to the US?
A: To see my son and his family who we haven't seen in about 3 yrs. Also we’d like to see America while we’re still in relatively good health.
Q: Are you working or retired? If retired, do you have a pension?
A: Retired. No, I do not have a pension.
Q: What's your source of income and how much do you make a month?
A: I get Rs. _____ a month from investments and rental income. I have saved up my lump-sum retirement amount in savings accounts.
Q: Who lives with you at home?
A: Our younger son and his wife.
That was it. They were asked to remit the visa fees and to expect the stamped passport in a few days. The visa was for 2 years, mutiple-entry.
My dad said that there were a lot of folks with similar situations that were denied visas. No apparent reason. It’s a roll of the dice.
I should mention that they used the services of an agency that came well recommended. They helped my parents prepare and review the documents, coached them on the interview and arranged their travel and stay in Chennai. Whether or not the coaching helped them, it certainly helped with their confidence level. The reason we had used the agency was because they had assisted a few of my relatives in similar situations. So, if you must use one, please make sure they are the real deal.
So, here's the story: Sought an appointment in mid-October for Chennai. The appt. was scheduled for Dec 30th.
At the interview, the only document they looked at was my parents' application (DS-156). Not one of the tons of documents that I had painstakingly gathered, photo-copied and Global Priority-mailed to them.
Here's the questions & answers:
Q: Why do you want to travel to the US?
A: To see my son and his family who we haven't seen in about 3 yrs. Also we’d like to see America while we’re still in relatively good health.
Q: Are you working or retired? If retired, do you have a pension?
A: Retired. No, I do not have a pension.
Q: What's your source of income and how much do you make a month?
A: I get Rs. _____ a month from investments and rental income. I have saved up my lump-sum retirement amount in savings accounts.
Q: Who lives with you at home?
A: Our younger son and his wife.
That was it. They were asked to remit the visa fees and to expect the stamped passport in a few days. The visa was for 2 years, mutiple-entry.
My dad said that there were a lot of folks with similar situations that were denied visas. No apparent reason. It’s a roll of the dice.
I should mention that they used the services of an agency that came well recommended. They helped my parents prepare and review the documents, coached them on the interview and arranged their travel and stay in Chennai. Whether or not the coaching helped them, it certainly helped with their confidence level. The reason we had used the agency was because they had assisted a few of my relatives in similar situations. So, if you must use one, please make sure they are the real deal.
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