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Parent's visitor visa experience (including interview Q&A)
As was promised by me in an earlier post last week, here are the details of my parent's recent visitor visa experience (including interview Q&A) at Delhi consulate.
Time of appointment was between 2:00 - 2.15 PM. They arrived at 1 PM. They had to stand in a queue outside embassy gate to deposit their docs at a counter which was also outside the gate. Their turn to deposit the docs came around 2 PM. Though the instructions say that do not arrive more than 15 minutes early from appointment time, they felt that one must get into the queue at least one hour before to make an entry at the appointed time.
Only following docs were being accepted at the counter:
The counter clerk after a brief checking fed some of the data into a computer including scanning the photo. Thereafter she returned all the documents except the DD for Rs. 4400/- for which she gave a receipt in duplicate stapled to DS156. She also returned the DD of Rs. 2200/- after pinning the same on the passport.
They then went inside the gate & immediately had to undergo security check. Thereafter fingerprints were taken at a counter inside. Then DD for Rs. 441/- had to be deposited at TT services counter after which they stood in a queue for the interview. Actually they never realized that they were standing in the interview queue but all the time thought that it was the queue for depositing rest of the docs!
Once inside the hall, hardly 20 minutes were taken but they felt things could definitely have been organized in a more professional way with proper sign posting to inform visitors what to do next.
At the interview counter, the same set of docs (as earlier) were taken from then & one copy of receipt for Rs. 4400/- was also taken. They felt that maybe they should have submitted rest of the required docs there without being asked but before they could understand anything, questions started getting shot at them.
Here is the gist of the interview session (conducted by an American lady). The questions were not directed specifically at either my father or mother, but were mostly answered by my father. My mother chipped in occasionally.
Q1. Why do you want to visit USA?
A1. For tourism purpose & to meet our son.
Q2. How many sons do you have?
A2. Two. One is working in USA & the other is in Delhi with XYZ Company.
Q3. With which company is your son working in USA?
A3. Name of my company.
Q4. For how much period do you want to visit USA?
A4. Six months.
Q5. Why six months?
A5. Because USA is such a big country & it will take that much time to visit various places. Moreover at our age we cannot do things in a hurry.
Q6. Have you been to any other country before?
A6. I have been to OtherCountryName once in 2001-02 & she has been twice in 2000 & 2001-02.
Q7. What do you do?
A7. I am a retired PlaceFromWhereRetired officer & also work with CurrentOrganization organization.
Q8. What is this organization?
A8. It is a social & charitable organization which provides health care to the needy free of cost.
Q9. Does she also work there?
A9. Yes.
Q10. Who will look after your assets while you are away?
A10. My brother.
Q11. How much expense do you think will be incurred on this trip?
A11. I don't really know as my son will take care of all the expenses.
At this stage the Q&A session ended and the VO said: Ok, I am giving you the visa but don't overstay as it is illegal. Wish you an enjoyable stay in USA. They answered with a "Yes we will not overstay. Thank You."
None of the supporting documents were seen. Not even the I-134. Their passports were retained at the interview counter. DD for Rs. 2200/- was also taken at this counter but no receipt was given for this (not sure if this was OK?). Now they were given two slips bearing some no & asked to go back to TT services counter. There the slips were pasted on an envelope & they were asked to write their address on the same for courier delivery. They were informed that passport will be delivered within a week, though they received their passports by Saturday itself. The visas were for one year multiple entries.
Summary: A successful interview needs lots of preparation (can't emphasize this enough). Think and prepare a list of all possible Qs and decide before hand what should be their appropriate answers. Allow both yourself and your parents (or whomsoever you are sponsoring) sufficient time for preparation before the interview date. I assume almost all of you out there have access to a computer. Prepare a tracking file (e.g. in Excel) and track every little thing in it. This will help you be more organized what with all that volume of paperwork and information flow that comes during preparation. Make sure you are not pressurizing your parents. In the end the key is Preparation, Confidence, Poise, and Quick Thinking (no stumbling for answers), and of course a little dose of help from lady luck!
All the best to those of you still working on the preparation. Hope the above account helps you in your preparation.
Only following docs were being accepted at the counter:
- DS156, DS157 (both compulsory) & DS158 (if applicable; not applicable for them).
- Passports.
- DDs for Rs. 4400/- & Rs. 2200/-
- Photo, which they had pasted on DS156.
The counter clerk after a brief checking fed some of the data into a computer including scanning the photo. Thereafter she returned all the documents except the DD for Rs. 4400/- for which she gave a receipt in duplicate stapled to DS156. She also returned the DD of Rs. 2200/- after pinning the same on the passport.
They then went inside the gate & immediately had to undergo security check. Thereafter fingerprints were taken at a counter inside. Then DD for Rs. 441/- had to be deposited at TT services counter after which they stood in a queue for the interview. Actually they never realized that they were standing in the interview queue but all the time thought that it was the queue for depositing rest of the docs!
Once inside the hall, hardly 20 minutes were taken but they felt things could definitely have been organized in a more professional way with proper sign posting to inform visitors what to do next.
At the interview counter, the same set of docs (as earlier) were taken from then & one copy of receipt for Rs. 4400/- was also taken. They felt that maybe they should have submitted rest of the required docs there without being asked but before they could understand anything, questions started getting shot at them.
Here is the gist of the interview session (conducted by an American lady). The questions were not directed specifically at either my father or mother, but were mostly answered by my father. My mother chipped in occasionally.
Q1. Why do you want to visit USA?
A1. For tourism purpose & to meet our son.
Q2. How many sons do you have?
A2. Two. One is working in USA & the other is in Delhi with XYZ Company.
Q3. With which company is your son working in USA?
A3. Name of my company.
Q4. For how much period do you want to visit USA?
A4. Six months.
Q5. Why six months?
A5. Because USA is such a big country & it will take that much time to visit various places. Moreover at our age we cannot do things in a hurry.
Q6. Have you been to any other country before?
A6. I have been to OtherCountryName once in 2001-02 & she has been twice in 2000 & 2001-02.
Q7. What do you do?
A7. I am a retired PlaceFromWhereRetired officer & also work with CurrentOrganization organization.
Q8. What is this organization?
A8. It is a social & charitable organization which provides health care to the needy free of cost.
Q9. Does she also work there?
A9. Yes.
Q10. Who will look after your assets while you are away?
A10. My brother.
Q11. How much expense do you think will be incurred on this trip?
A11. I don't really know as my son will take care of all the expenses.
At this stage the Q&A session ended and the VO said: Ok, I am giving you the visa but don't overstay as it is illegal. Wish you an enjoyable stay in USA. They answered with a "Yes we will not overstay. Thank You."
None of the supporting documents were seen. Not even the I-134. Their passports were retained at the interview counter. DD for Rs. 2200/- was also taken at this counter but no receipt was given for this (not sure if this was OK?). Now they were given two slips bearing some no & asked to go back to TT services counter. There the slips were pasted on an envelope & they were asked to write their address on the same for courier delivery. They were informed that passport will be delivered within a week, though they received their passports by Saturday itself. The visas were for one year multiple entries.
Summary: A successful interview needs lots of preparation (can't emphasize this enough). Think and prepare a list of all possible Qs and decide before hand what should be their appropriate answers. Allow both yourself and your parents (or whomsoever you are sponsoring) sufficient time for preparation before the interview date. I assume almost all of you out there have access to a computer. Prepare a tracking file (e.g. in Excel) and track every little thing in it. This will help you be more organized what with all that volume of paperwork and information flow that comes during preparation. Make sure you are not pressurizing your parents. In the end the key is Preparation, Confidence, Poise, and Quick Thinking (no stumbling for answers), and of course a little dose of help from lady luck!
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