H1B, H4 Visa

The success stories posted in this thread have really inspired me a lot and I am obliged to post my experience today.

Day 1--> 20th October --> AFC, Nehru Place, New Delhi

Our appointment was at 09:30 AM in the morning. We reached the AFC at 08:30 AM. The security asked us to join the queue 15 minutes before the appointment

schedule. So we had to wait for sometime. At 09:15 we joined the queue in which the Ds-160 confirmation and appointment letter were getting verified. The

official who was checking our forms drew a circle on my wife's name on the DS-160 confirmation. They told us that that only the Last name and first name

should be mentioned in the DS-160 and no alias names should be there. The reason we mentioned alias was because her passport had her name in that way. All

her previous visas to other countries also had the same name (along with alias), therefore I was confused and cross checked with another official. They

confirmed again that the name should be corrected in DS-160 for which we have to complete the Ds-160 nonce again. We rushed outside from the AFC looking

for a cyber cafe and luckily we found one in Nehru Place. In fact it wasn't a cyber cafe but some small office where a board was hanging which mentioned

that they help in filling Ds-160. Retrieved the old Ds-160 form and filled all the information in the new form. Within half an hour it was done and we were

back to the AFC.

After checking all the details we were allowed to go in. Inside the OFC one of the official was sticking the DS-160 bar codes on the passports. I gave him

all the three passports. He stick one sticker each to my mine and my son's passport and two(old and new ds160 bar codes) on my wife's passport.

Then two tokens were issued to me and my wife and we waited for our turn for the bio-metrics. As soon our tokens got displayed we went to the respective

counters and got our fingerprints and photographs done. Since my son is 4 years old, therefore no bio-metrics for him. After that we left the place.

DAY 2--> 21st October. --> US Consulate, New Delhi
The appointment was at 09:30 AM. We left for the embassy a bit early, parked my car in Bangla Sahib Gurudwara parking and had our prayers there. After that

we took an auto-rickshaw for for the embassy. the rickshaw driver charged 50 Rs. At around 08:45 we reached the US consulate.

Reaching there I found that people were queuing up for the 9:00 AM interview slot and we were asked to wait for the time being. The surrounding area if the

embassy was full of north Indian aspirants and I could see many Punjabis out there. I felt that I am back in Punjab. Most of the people there were going for

the B2 tourist Visas.

at 09:15 we were asked to queue up. We were not allowed to take any electronic media or any other thing except our documents inside the embassy. I was a bit

concerned as I had my car keys with me. I stepped forward and asked the guard if it is fine to keep the car keys with me. He said its fine so no problems

with that. There was a locked counter as well outside the embassy. You could get a locker for yourself at some nominal fee. Staff sitting outside were

checking the passports and Ds-160 confirmation. They checked mine and asked me to produce a copy of my I797B which was thne stapled along with my passport.

They were also giving the white rights pamphlets to the H1b aspirants and an another pamphlet to non H1b guys.

As we entered the embassy security checks were done and then we were made to sit in the outside area. After waiting for an another 20 minutes we were asked

to proceed to the interview area where again bio-metrics were done. Then we were asked to join the interview queue. It was a single queue having

approximately 50 people standing in-front of us. Since my kid was not comfortable standing, my wife and son were asked to sit down in the waiting are while I

was moving along with the queue.

It took approximately 30 minutes for our turn to come. In between I was looking around all the interviews going on. There were rejections all over. People

were leaving the counters with tears and disappointment on their faces. Probably those were tourist and B1 aspirants. I was getting a bit nervous due to

all of this. Any how I controlled my nerves and went to the counter that I was asked to.

Three of us reached the counter and the Visa officer greeted us nicely.

VO--> Good Morning. How are you doing today?
Me--> Good Morning mam. I am doing good. How about you?

VO --> I am good as well. May I have your passports please.
Have passed all the three passports to her.

VO --> So have you been to the US before?
ANS--> NO mam.

VO --> Ok. Is this your first H1b
ANS --> Yes

VO --> Who is employer.
ANS --> XYZ

VO --> Who is the end client
Ans --> ABC - Inc.

VO --> How much total IT experience do you have
ANS --> X years and Y months

VO --> What will be your annual salary in the US
ANS --> XYZ dollars ( I told the exact amount)

VO --> What is your highest degree ?
ANS --> XYZ in ABC field

The Visa office then turned towards my wife and asked her

VO --> What do you do mam?
ANS --> I am a housewife.

and then she looked at her computer and waited for sometime and said thats all I had to ask and said congratulations. I was overwhelmed and thanked her and

left the window. I got so much excited thta later I realized that though the visa office congratulated me, she never spoke that my visa has been approved

/any admin processing. Later I found the VISA status as ISSUED on the CEAC website.