Fingerprints at OFC for H1B Visa Renewal

[nj301]

Hi All,

My Husband and I are going to India in Nov'2012. We have just got our H1B extension approved by USCIS.
The original H1B visa of my husband was stamped in 2009 and mine was stamped in 2011.
We need to know that, do we require to make an appointment at OFC also for Biometrics or we do not require to give biometrics again as this is visa renewal.


As per the Remarks By Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs Julia Stanley

Press Event: New Visa Processing System for India

One important difference from our current system is that first-time applicants will need to schedule two appointments; one for fingerprint collection, and one for a consular interview. Fingerprints will be collected at an Offsite Facilitation Center (OFC) prior to the visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
For many first-time applicants, this will mean two appointments on two separate days. We are working to shorten this to one day, but at this point, we cannot say with certainty when that will happen.

The good news is that most applicants will only need to submit their fingerprints at the OFC one time. Applicants who are renewing their visas will probably be able to skip this step. Over time, we expect the number of applicants who do not need to visit our premises to grow markedly.

Regards,
Neha

[indian_guy0219]

Do you have an appointment?

[nj301]

Fingerprints at OFC for H1B Visa Renewal

Nopes, I don't have the appointment...waiting for the approval papers from USCIS....

[deararjun]

OFC appointment for Visa Renewal?

I am in the same situation as Neha, need to know:
Do we require to make an appointment at OFC also for Biometrics or we do not require to give biometrics again as this is visa renewal?

[nj301]

Visa Stamping done at New Delhi

Hi All,

We got our visa stamped at New Delhi and returned back to US today....would like to share my experience.

Original H1b visa - 2009
Original H4 visa - 2011

Ours was the case of renewal. We first tried for dates in Chennai but due to crunch, we changed the location to New Delhi ( filled a separate DS160 for Delhi) and luckily got the desired dates. Although it was a renewal case, we had to make 2 appointments.

OFC appointment date - 21/11/2012 (3:00 PM) - wait time was about 20 mins because we reached early. Process done in 5 mins which includes fingerprints of 10 fingers and photo taken by the OFC person.
Visa Interview date - 22/11/2012 (8:00 AM) - reached at about 7:30 AM, entry docs like I797, confirmation sheet, BEP letter etc was checked, once inside the consulate, the process got over within 30 -45 mins.

Interview Duration - 5 mins
Ques:

Which company do u work for?
Who is the client?
What is your highest degree?
What work u do for the client?

I am approving your visa.....VO kept passport, I797 and BEP letter...these are returned back with the passport.

You can fill the blue dart form and pay Rs 300 once the interview is done for expedited shipping of your passport. This is done inside the consulate only.


Regards,
Neha