samarsingh1    •   03/30/2020 04:37 AM

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Do we have any clue if the routine immigrant and non immigrant services will resume by mid or end of April ?

I know many people are eagerly waiting for the embassy to resume its councillor services so that they can go for their various follow up apportionments document submission, biometrics etc. I was wondering if we can have a whatsapp group for discussing the same ?

reachadrian    •   03/24/2020 13:19 PM

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Attended interview at Chennai

First i will explain my issues.
1. Laid off and found another job after 90 days ( overstayed in US without valid status)
2. Had a misdemeanour ( Reduced from felony to misdemeanour)

 Interview Date 02/25/2020

VO: Your Passport ( DIdn't ask for any other doc at this point)
Me: Handed over saying Good Morning

VO: XXX is your employer ?
Me: Yes, i work for YY through XXX

VO: Is this your first time interview ? ( Because that is a renewal passport so no stampings on it)
Me: No this is my second interview

VO: What is your Salary ?
Me: I gave the number per month ( officer: so, it is around xxx per year)

VO: How Many months you're with this employer ?
Me: 2 months

VO: Why did you switch from previous ?
Me: Got a better opportunity

Vo: So, you where arrested in 20** year ?
Me: Yes, And i repeated same words I mentioned in the DS-160

VO: can i see something related to this?
Me: I gave court disposition letter

VO; aha I need more information than this
Me; I said, I have register of actions (office: yes, that works)

VO: After going through all she asked Did you have any issues at POE
Me: this is first time I'm travelling after this issue

VO: give me few minutes, She went inside I don't know what happened I'm not person to take wild guess.
VO: Came Back, I see you have Canadian visa ( I didn't mention anything about it and I have that visa on my world passport, which she never asked for)
Me: Yes, I do have but i never traveled to Canada

VO: took few more minutes and mentioned I'm approving your visa and please wait for few minutes I need to make Copies of your documents
Me: Sure, thank you

After 10 mins she gave me back originals and said you're all set

I got my passport back in 3 business days.

The person who gave before me got 221g and person after me got rejection.

At port of entry they took me for second screening and after asking some questions they let me go without any issues.

My advice: Please go to interview at same consulate which is mentioned on I-129. reason is USCIS sends your documents to same consulate if you go to another location they will definitely ask for more docs. And if you have a arrest record I suggest not to present Police record or police report to consulate ( It always say you did wrong)

Good luck guys hope this helps.

singh009    •   03/23/2020 02:25 AM

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Hello team I went for my interview on 13th Feb and the interview went for 1 minute and the result was" Your VISA is approved". My case is in ADMINISTRATION PROCESSING. I called multiple time the consulate support and email but the replies are the generic.
On 19th March I got an email that you passport is returned and ready for pick up. Whereas my VISA status is still in processing status. Do anyone have experienced this. Please provide a insight.
Thanks

pravinarr    •   03/22/2020 15:02 PM

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Hello,

My status was f1-opt-h1b

Had my biometrics on mar 5 @ Chennai . Went without any issues.

My interview was on mar 6 7:30am batch @chennai

Interview went as follows

Vo: good morning sir, can you pass me your passport
Me: gm sir.. (passed my pp)

Vo: which company do you work for ?
Me: replied

Vo: product or service company ?
Me: product

Vo: salary?
Me: replied

Vo: Role ?
Me: replied

Vo: (since I work in fintech start up. ) Asked questions regarding funding and bank rates etc
Me: replied

Vo: everything looks good . But there is an record in my Sevis which need to be cleared before approval and said he would like to retain my pp. he gave me 221g blue form with no docs req check and admin processing needed . He also mentioned that it’s not your problem it’s with our system . So don’t worry. You can expect to get a resolution in a week.
Me: thank you and left

Timeline of my application
Mar 6 : refused
Mar 9 : admin processing
Mar 10: issued
Mar 12 : got email to pickup
Mar 13: collected my pp

For anyone who was in the same boat f1-opt-h1b, if you got the same response don’t worry. This happened with me and also to my friend. This will be resolved by themselves . You just have to wait .

Hope this is useful

Thanks

anotherelsa    •   03/22/2020 09:23 AM

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I have perm filed 365 days before h1b 6-year deadline and was approved recently.
I will file i-140 this year but my h1b will expire in jan 2021. Now pp is suspended by uscis, so I guess getting i-140 approval is with low possibility.

Assuming I got 7th year extension for 1 year with the pending 140 and then i-140 is approved in the 7th year, for the next extension starting in the 8th year, will it still be a one-year extension or it could be a 3-year extension?

Thanks!

dishantpatel    •   03/20/2020 11:45 AM

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Hi I am currently in United States want to visit Canada to for my H1b visa interview. I applied for the visa and got a response as below for rejection:

• I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay as a temporary resident, as stipulated in paragraph 179(b) of the IRPR, based on your immigration status.
• I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay as a temporary resident, as stipulated in paragraph 179(b) of the IRPR, based on the purpose of your visit.

I selected the purpose for visit as "meet friends or family". I see there is an option "Other", but no section to mention what that reason is? Can anyone help and guide me to where to put my reason as "Interview at USA consulate" on new application questionnaire?

Also, What supporting documents should I provide on new application. I only provided my pay stubs as the website only allow you to upload single document. How can I put multiple document as zips are not allowed? Need help on documentation.

Any help is highly appreciated.

happymonju1    •   03/19/2020 15:47 PM

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First time H1B stamping. F1-OPT-H1B.

Employer filed H1B, working for client.

Interview Date Jan 6th, 2020. VO asked basic questions and said your visa is approved. Kept the passport and handed me a instruction to pick the passport within 7 days.

Waited for 3 weeks to receive the email from the embassy to pick up the passport. I checked the status daily and it showed administrative processing till January 28th, 2020. I had my non-refundable return flight to US on January 30th. But on January 28th I received an email from the embassy to appear for interview again on February 12th, 2020. This time VO asked a lot of questions about client, employer, schools and other information during the stay in US. And finally asked me to provide the client contact details and transcripts from the school. Handed over the documents, VO gave me a white 221g and told me your case need additional time for administrative processing.

From March 4th the status changed to Refused from Administrative Processing. But I'm not worried about that since same thing happened to a lot of people.

My concern is, on March 16th, my contract with my client was over. Now even if USCIS tries to reach the client manager for verification I don't think I will get a positive response from USCIS. What other options do I have now?

And even If I'm outside US, do my employer have to run my payrolls now?

sindhu87    •   03/19/2020 15:35 PM

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Hi everyone, I am aware that the US Embassy in India have already cancelled in-person visa appts and will be cancelling dropbox and biometrics from 20th. I am sorry for all who have been affected by this.
Reference : https://in.usembassy.gov/information-for-visa-applicants-regarding-novel-coronavirus/

Still, I would like to share my experience here. (hoping this will help someone)

Some background info about new h1b stamp = 6th year of h1b tenure. New employer. New role.

FYI - we can track the application status via multiple ways.
1) CEAC website. https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?App=NIV
We need to use DS-160 confirmation number or 221g case number to track the status.
2) Visa UStraveldocs site. https://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-passporttrack.asp
We need to use passport number here.
3) Login into USTravelDocs. We will see the passport status at applicant home page.
4) Sending an email to [email protected]
In the subject and/or body enter a valid passport number. (Do not include any additional text )

Mar 10 - passport dropped at Chennai VAC.
Mar 10 - CEAC = No Status. UStraveldocs_site = Passport Received.
Mar 11 - CEAC = No Status. UStraveldocs_site = Passport is still with Consulate.
Mar 12 - (Morning) CEAC = Application Received. UStraveldocs_site = Passport is still with Consulate.
Mar 12 - (Afternoon) CEAC = Administrative Processing. UStraveldocs_site = Passport is still with Consulate.
.... (Same status for 4 days)
Mar 16 - (Morning) CEAC = Administrative Processing. UStraveldocs_site = Passport is still with Consulate.
Mar 16 - (11 am) CEAC = Issued. UStraveldocs_site = Passport is still with Consulate.
Mar 16 - (1 pm) CEAC = Issued. UStraveldocs_site = Passport received from Consulate and getting ready for delivery.
Mar 16 - (3 pm) CEAC = Issued. UStraveldocs_site = Passport ready for pickup.

Documents asked by Chennai VAC:
1) Dropbox confirmation letter
2) Latest Passport.
3) 1 photo
3) Current i-797 copy
4) previous i-797 copy (just immediate previous)
(I didn have a photocopy so they asked me to get this and come back, i wasted 1 hr in this process)

Drawbacks at Chennai VAC:
- The photocopy center at the ground floor was too crowded. But there is a xerox shop immediately outside VAC.
- The dropbox queue was so slow moving.
- big bags not allowed.

Communications:
Immediately after I dropped my passport, US Embassy in India announced that they are cancelling visa appointments from 16th. I was very stressed and used the following channels to communicate with them.
They were pretty responsive.

Live Chat with US Traveldocs India, https://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-main-contactus.asp
US Consulate, Chennai FB page - https://www.facebook.com/chennai.usconsulate/
US Embassy, India FB page - https://www.facebook.com/India.usembassy/

Rajcn    •   03/18/2020 00:25 AM

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I have submitted my passport for h1b stamping at chennai vac on 11th March. On 13th March crack case was created with Application received status and it continue to show the same status today with updated date as 18th March. Now I see the US consulate have cancelled all biometric and Dropbox processing from 20th March. I am really worried about the outcome of my processing. Is there anyone with the same situation, please update if you heard from embassy/ consulate on possible outcome for n existing applications

redvest    •   03/17/2020 23:54 PM

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CONSULATE : HYD
BIOMETRICS: 03/02/20
INTERVIEW DATE: 03/03/20

VO: ARE YOU H1B?
ME:YES
VO: NAME OF EMPLOYER
VO: DO YOU HAVE CLIENT, WHO IS CLIENT
VO: SALARY
VO: WHERE DO YO STAY IN USA?
VO: EVENRY THING LOOKS ALRIGHT THERE IS A ADMIN ERROR ON OUR END WHICH NEDDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF IF YOU DON'T HERE ANY THING IN 3 BUSINESS DAYS EMAIL US
VO TOOK A STICKER CALLED KCC AND STICKED IT TO PASSPORT, WRITTEN SOME NUMBER ON YELLOW STICKY NOTES AND KEPT IT

IT HAS BEEN 10 BUSINESS DAYS NOW AND NO UPDATE ANY ONE IN SAME BOAT