Visitor Visa - B2

First of all ‘Thanks to Immihelp.com’. This helped us to get well prepared with confidence for the memorable minutes of our Visa Interview. Our intention is that all parents/parents-in-law of sponsor should get Visa and you may definitely depend on our preparations. Our son-in-law (SWE in NJ) and daughter (homemaker) are under L1 & L2 Visa. We carried the following documents with us:
A. VISA DOCUMENTS
A1. Originals of: (me and my wife, F=father, M=mother)
01. Interview Appointment Letter Print out - Both
02. Passport - Both
03. HDFC Receipt (both pink & yellow ) - Both
04. DS 156 (page 1 & 2 back to back) - F (column.40 blank)
05. DS 156 (page 1 & 2 back to back) - M (Col.40 with details of F & signed by F)
06. DS 157 - Both
A2. Photo Copies of: -Nil-

B. SPONSOR RELATED
B1. Originals of:
01. I.134 Affidavit Support signed and duly Notarised in USA
02. Employer’s Letter Regarding Employment and Annual Salary
03. Bank Certificate Showing Bank Balance & Average Balance
04. Letter to Consulate requesting to issue Visa to parents-in-law
05. Invitation Letter to parents signed by daughter and son-in-law
06. Birth Certificate - daughter
07. Birth Certificate/ Affidavit- son in law
08. Marriage Certificate
B2. Photo Copies of: (Neat and Clear Black & White)
01. I.129 Approval Notice
02. I.539 Approval Notice (daughter)
03. Tax Returns W2/1040 for the year 2008 (1040) for year 2007, 2006
04. Latest PF Balance Statement
05. One Year Bank Statements
06. Six Months' Salary Slip/Details
07. Driving License
08. Passport (All Pages) - daughter
09. Passport (All Pages) - son-in-law

C. OUR DOCUMENTS
C1. Originals of: (me and my wife, F=father, M=mother)
01. Pension Proof - Pension Book/First Letter from Pension Fund - F
02. Pension Proof - 1 year Bank Pass Book - F
03. Affidavit Regarding Assets Owned - F & M
04. Affidavit on Marriage & staying as couple (with photo) (Notarised) - F & M
05. Affidavit on Place & Date of Birth (Notarised) - F
06. Affidavit on Place & Date of Birth (Notarised) - M
07. Available Tax Returns - F
(please note: Nothing to worry if you are not carrying the following 08 to 15 if you not having them)
08. Medical Fitness Certificate issued by Govt Primary Health Centre - F
09. Medical Fitness Certificate issued by Govt Primary Health Centre - M
10. Ration Card - F & M
11. Voters ID - F
12. Voters ID - M
13. Driving License - F
14. Extra 2 American Visa Photos - F
15. Extra 2 American Visa Photos - M
16. 4 Photos of Joint Family (F side & M side) in which we are visible
17. 2 Photos of Our Family (F, M, S-I-L, D1 & D2)
18. All Supporting documents to Point No.03 viz., Property Valuation Report,
      Immovable Property Papers, LIC Policies, Post Office FDs, Bank FDs, etc
19. Second Daughter’s Student Proof - Fee Paid Receipts, College ID, Birth Certificate
C2. Photo Copies of: -Nil-

What happened on xx-Feb-2009
No one is allowed to carry mobile phone sets, safety pins, cosmetic items like powder, cream or lipstick, water bottle, hand cotton bags or school/college bags or brief case or even closed envelope…meaning absolutely anything other than open sheets/papers(file is allowed). We did not carry anything with us except a safety pin and two files containing papers. The safety pin was asked to be removed.

Our plus point was that we have one younger daughter who is a college student. Yet, I was very much worried as I am just 50 (looking as 40+) and I’ve taken voluntary retirement in 2007 and I’m not working now. Though we had hectic preparations by going through ‘Immihelp.com’, we were a little bit tense.
  
On appointment date, we went there an hour early, stood outside the compound wall for about 15 minutes. The man behind the glass counter attached to compound wall, okayed our entry 45 minutes earlier to the scheduled time on seeing our Visa Appointment Letter. By the side of that glass counter, a security man checked me and my belongings and allowed the entry into the first hall. In that hall, another security person checked me again and my two files thoroughly and ensured himself that no closed envelope is kept in between the pages I was carrying. For women also the procedure is same but by a security woman.

We opened the next door in that small hall and entered a bigger hall. A representative welcomed us and asked us the appointment time and made us to sit at a particular row of chairs (lounge). There are about 2 to 3 representatives (Indians) attending to the visa aspirants. There are about 4 such lounges in that hall. In the same hall, there are some glass counters managed by Indians. On reminding by the representative to approach at a particular counter, we stood there in the queue and on our turn we handed over the originals of following documents pertaining to me & my wife:
(1) Passport (2) Interview Appointment Letter Print out (3) HDFC Receipt (both pink & yellow – yellow was returned immediately) (4) DS 156 and (5) DS 157.

The man checked above the documents in his computer and took the scan of the Visa photos affixed on DS156 form and put everything in one Blue Coloured Folder and returned to us. He also took our fingers’ prints of both the hands as per some requirement in a unique way.

We showed the blue file to one representative who advised us to move to the adjacent building which is about 25 feet away. We climbed some steps in that building and moved inside by opening the door and another Indian representative took care of us and informed us to stand in a particular queue. There are 4 glass counters all managed by Americans and there were two common queues (of about 10 people each) on that day at that particular time. On our turn, we were eagerly waiting to know to which counter we may be directed. The distance from the point where we were standing to the counters was not even 5 feet. Just then at counter number 3 which was managed by a Visa Officer (VO) finished one interview & that person called us to approach at that counter as the hall representative was busy in attending to another visa aspirant. We went there and wished VO and gave the blue coloured file. In the mean time I opened my file in which I had kept all the Sponsor Related Documents. (refer B1, B2 above) My wife was ready with the file in which we had kept all the Original Documents pertaining to us. (refer C1 above)

I had arranged all the papers with small ‘post-it’ flaps or ‘notes-slip' on the right side of each particular document in such a way that when I open a file, I will be in a position to pick any particular document in a fraction of a second.

The VO reciprocated our greetings and was checking the details of DS156 and DS157 on computer and was also asking questions to me. The VO asked my wife to keep her forefinger on the small monitor and scanned it on the computer. Our conversation went on like this:
1. How long your daughter is in US?
    Since 2 years
2. Is she working?
    No
3. What’s your son-in-law doing?
    He is a Senior Software Engineer
4. Which company?
    Abc Inc, a flag ship of Xyz co
5. How long you want to visit?
    About 5 months
6. What were you doing before retirement?
    Senior Manager in a Bank
7. Which Bank?
    Xyz bank
8. How many children you do have?
    2 daughters, 1 is in US, 2nd is a student
Ok, you’ll get visa in a week. Thank U
Thank you very much ma’am
Last question was answered by my wife, supplemented by me.

The interview was over, Visa was approved, but I was wondering what to do about so many documents which I had gathered. We both closed our files and left the counter in order to pave way for the next visa aspirant.

On the second day, we got back our passports and my wife and daughter were hesitant to open presuming that Visa will be definitely for 6 months. I was also worried as I was not given an opportunity to show to VO the documents I had collected. I hesitantly opened the envelope and to our surprise, Visa was for 10 years’ period which is longer than the validity of our present respective passports. Is this a dream?.... No…It’s a reality….

I still wonder this reality! Nothing asked, nothing checked.. specially I.134, I.129, I.539, Marriage Certificate of Daughter, Our affidavit on Assets, Other daughter’s Birth Certificate or Student Proof. But, mind it, the VO had judged us perfectly.

So friends, these are my suggestions to you:
understand well what you have written in DS156 and DS157 (never lie while filling these two), prepare well for the related questions arising out of your DS156 and DS157, keep sponsor’s documents and your original documents as per my list above, keep proof of your ties in India, be confident while answering and finally tell the truth. Handover the documents when sought for without wasting VO’s time.

Hope this write up may be useful. We are leaving in April on a long holiday… Bye then.
S rao bangalore