H1 & H4 Visa Interview Question : Hyderabad

[chandookcs]

I have an approved I797 petition that does NOT include my spouse and kid. I am planning to fill the DS160 for all three of us and schedule the visa interview together as a family. With the changed process, it is not quite clear if we can go together as a group or not, I have gone through the US travel docs website and immihelp, but could not locate any information pertaining to this. Can you please clarify if this is okay to go as a group, there were also some suggestion from some of my friends, advising not to go as a family for the Visa Interview, because it would be percieved as going to US permanently. Please comment or suggest the best for this.

[immihelp]

You can't go as a group, but you have to go as a family. All of you should apply together.

Read the complete procedure at https://www.immihelp.com/how-to-appl...sa-from-india/

H visa is a dual intent visa. Therefore, you don't have to worry about they thinking that you will not be coming back and staying there permanently. It is OK to try to stay there permanently, as long as you do that legally.

[Debosmita Roy]

H4 approved from Kolkata consulate.

H4 visa approved

I have appeared for my first F2 on 12th March.2012 from Delhi , got rejected under section 212(B), my second attempt got denied too saying your husband is working and nomore a student, so you should apply on an H4 instead of a F2. I waited for my husband's H1 o get approved, my husband got his H1 approved in the month of july and the start date is 1st.Nov.2012 as his F1 OPT gets expired on 31st. Oct.2012.

Obtained my HDFC receipt in september. Filled DS-160 and got the appointment for OFC and consular interview on 5th.Oct and 10th.Oct respectively at Kolkata consulate.

OFC:

Time: 11 AM

Entry: At 10:45 AM

Location: Jasmine towers First floor, 31, Shakespeare Sarani. Kolkata.

I went through the confirmation of my timing by the guards at the entry gate. He checked my passport, matched my face with the passport's one, appointment confirmation page, DS-160 confirmation page. I climed to the the 1st floor where you go through the security check after that another frisking. Now I was given a token with a number on it which determines your turn for the biometric process. I had to wait until one of the VFS offials call you to a vacant window, total of 4 windows were in operation for the photo and fingerprinting. I handed the documents and he asked me whether I am applying for a US visa first time, my answer was no and said that i applied on a different category before. Thats it and you are ready to stand properly for the photograph. And fingerprinting then. Once I am done i was being asked about my consular interview timing which was at 8 AM, they advised me to reach there by 7:30 AM.

CONSULAR INTERVIEW:

Time: 8 AM on the appointment, reached there by 7.

Entry: At 8 AM

Location: US consulate Kolkata, Ho Chi Minh Sarani

After a long queue i was finally permitted after my passport and appointment check. Security check and baggage submission, they gave me two tokens one for the interview with a no. on it (YELLOW IN COLOR) & another for the baggage (GREEN IN COLOR). Went straight to the waiting area and done with the documentation and waited until they called from the token numbers. enterd to the interview zone where u make another queue for the documentation check by Consulate officials (Indians) only. When my turn came, i went to window 4 and the official asked me seeing my husbands original I-797 whether any petition is filled before i said no because there was not any. He presumed from the validity date which is 1st Nov. Then he asked one of his fellow officials about this and then he kept the documents that i passed him and i was being asked to wait for just five minutes and then he handed me the whole bunch of documents. Thank God!!! those five minutes were terrible... I was made sit on the last row. Where i got my final call to window 6. Waited in the queue before the window for atleast 20-25 minutes until my turn arrived. Following is my interview with the VO

Me: Good Morning sir!

VO: Good Morning!

Me: passed the documents through the window.

VO: How long have u been married?

Me: * months

VO: Checked the documents and emphasised on the original I-797. kept on checking something on his PC

Me: Standing palpitated!

VO: As i can see, why are u applying from Kolkata as u have applied from Delhi before?

Me: Answered accordingly.

VO: How many members were present at your wedding?

Me: *** sir

VO: Where did you get married?

Me: Kolkata only and the venue name.

VO: Okay, u got married from kolkata! (Smiling)

Me: yes sir. (smiling)

VO: So basically where do you stay?

Me: Staying with my in-laws in **** ** place

VO: Okay.

Checked with my husbands I-797 again, typed something in his computer, and finally huh!

VO: I have approved your visa madam.

Me: Thanks a lot sir.

Went to the VFS official and asked about the passport pickup and they said me one passport tracking number i.e, 01206602222.

PASSPORT TRACKING:

Started calling the number from the 10th evening itself, Status: Your documents are with the consular post.

11th Oct morning: Status- Your documents have been relieved from the consular post to the courier.

11th Oct afternoon: Status- The courier services will be delivering it to your selected pickup location.

11th Oct evening: I got a mail regarding my document status.

12th Oct morning i tracked again and my document was ready for pickup.

12th Oct afternoon at 3 PM: I received my stamped passport. With a flying date starting from 23rd Oct.

Thank you forum people and a hats off to the site which created this wonderful forum to help people like us. Thanks again to all of you.

[vijay2308]

Hi Debosmita, First of all Congrats.
One quick question. Did you get the passport to your address or you went and collected it from the OFC? Please let me know.