L1 to H1 Visa Stamp

[gopinatht]

Hi All,

I arrived in the US in 2006 on an L1 visa. Last year while I am in US my Status changed from L1 to H1.

I am planning to travel to India now and I need to get the H1 visa stamped on my passport.

My Questions:

1) I got my L1 Visa from Chennai. I now see that there is a US consulate in Hyderabad as well. Is it Ok to get my H1 Visa stamped at Hyderabad? Or is it advisable to get my visa stamped at the same consulate ( Chennai) as my L1?

2) I plan to get my visa stamped in July. Do I have to setup an appointment now? I remember that wait times for consulate appointments were more than 3 months in 2006. It seems to be lesser now? Can I just setup an appointment for July in July after I go to India? I guess my question is, what are the wait periods for appointments now a days?

Thanks
Gopinath

[kabkaba]

If your date of travel is fixed it is a good idea to start looking for dates. But, these days only next month's dates are made available.
If you follow steps on the VFS website and select Indian citizen resident outside option, it will give you a choice to select the consulate. You can appear at any consulate, it does not matter.