Unanswered questions for the new visa procedure in India

[immihelp]

We have made a lot of updates to this web site regarding the new visa procedures in India effective September 26, 2012. Please start with https://www.immihelp.com/how-to-appl...sa-from-india/ and follow the steps. There is a lot of information. Please read patiently section by section, screen by screen, line by line.

If anyone still notices anything outdated or not clear, please write down here and we will do our best.

Meanwhile, there are still many questions unanswered. If anyone finds out the answers, could you please post here?

1. VFS Mumbai had Stars & Stripes Lounge. With the new system, is it still going to be there?
2. Other than document drop off and OFC, what will be VFS role, if any?
3. Are there any VFS service charges any more for anything?
4. If we cancel the appointment twice, it says that the visa fee receipt is no longer usable and you need to purchase the new one for scheduling the appointment after that. However, 'Provide Feedback' section has 'Un-lock Receipt' feature. What is that for? Why would Receipt get locked? When can it be unlocked and under what circumstances?
5. It seems that old HDFC receipts that are still valid can be used to schedule an appointment in the new system. If it has worked for anyone, please report.
immihelp 09/27/2012 >> It works. FAQ added at https://www.immihelp.com/usa-visa-fees-faq-in-india/
6. Emergency visa appointment procedures are inconsistent and contradictory. If anyone has actually tried this, please post the process.
7. Earlier, there were several allowed reasons for emergency appointments such as court appearance, returning H/L worker, marriage ceremony. Those are no longer listed.
8. What state of residence returning H/L workers (who live in US going to India for stamping) put? Can they put their last residence?
9. What is the no show procedure?
10. If anyone goes through the visa interview waiver or drop box procedures, please post their detailed experience and exact documents they submitted.
11. Step by step procedure for scheduling visa appointment are listed at https://www.immihelp.com/usa-visa-appointment-in-india/ Is there is anything different or additional for work visa? Those who are scheduling work visa appointments, please report.
12. We have to upload digital photograph at the time of filling Form DS-160. Why do we have to take the paper photograph to OFC appointment again? What about at the time of interview, do we still have to take paper photograph once more over there? If yes, why?
13. Can anyone forward us the sample of Citibank visa fee receipt? We guarantee to remove any personal identifying information before displaying it here.
14. The letter for returning 221(g) documents says Immigrant Visa Documentation. If anyone has received anything else, please provide that here. (Again, complete privacy is guaranteed.)
15. Anything else that others can think of?

[prat_agl]

Consular appointment Vs OFC appointement

In the new scheduling we are required to take two dates. What for?
What is the difference between these two interview dates--Consular appointment and OFC appointment?

Please clarify.

[enkpro]

Thanks for the updated information.
The below section scheduling appointment together looks not right

https://www.immihelp.com/schedule-consular-appointment-for-us-visa-in-india/

I called the customer service and they told that we need to schedule appointment for each person seperately
Suppose if you want to apply visa for Mom and Dad they need to take 2 individual appointments. This sounds wrong to me but I asked the question to CS few times and she replied the same. looks like they made the process so complicated.

And I checked regarding the HDFC fee that already paid, They said it is valid and we can book the appointment with the same reciept

[immihelp]

prat_agl
OFC appointment is for collecting your fingerprint and photograph. Details at https://www.immihelp.com/us-visa-app...ters-in-india/
Consular appointment is your rest of the interview at the consulate.

enkpro
We scheduled an appointment online. It asks to add all the dependents before the screen where you enter the visa fee information. After that, the appointment is screen is shown only once for everyone. It makes sense if this appointment is for everyone applying together. In the old VFS system, you had to go through a lot of steps twice, but that does not seem the case here. If someone goes through scheduling an appointment for two people online, please confirm that what we have written is still true.

[immihelp]

enkpro

Did you call VFS call center or Stanley call center?

Stanley call center is supposed to open only from Sep 26, 2012. May be it is the same call center, or may be the employees are telling the old procedure or not trained yet properly.

Hard to say at this time.

[enkpro]

I tried to call VFS call center but the number is not working. Then I called Stanley call center.
She verified my HDFC reciept and she said it is active. Regarding the combined appointment i asked her several time saying are you sure? she replied yes first time and then took some time to check with their team and said same thing yes. I am sure these guys are not well trained.

[immihelp]

From the steps I have seen so far, I don't see how people have to schedule separately now.

I suggest you try to schedule it yourself and find out for your sure. Once you do that, please post here for the benefit of everyone.