221g Pink Slip at New Delhi US embassy H1B renewal

[theconfused]

Received the passport from Blue Dart service today.

Passport expiration date - December 2012
Petition (I-797A) expiration date - October 2013
Visa expiration date - October 2013

Thanks to everyone for sharing their information.

Gist is -

1) US embassy (New Delhi) website does not get updated regularly. However, it might show one of the two following messages - 1) Under processing; 2) Case number is not recognized.
2) Track your passport service from vfs website gets updated regularly.
3) Blue dart updates its website with your passport number regularly. Type your passport number in their reference number section of the blue dart webpage to track your passport.
4) Clearance on 221 g (pink and if they ask for CV, resume etc) is received on an average from 21 to 28 days.
5) Clearance is valid for 1 year.
6) You are likely to get 221 g in future if you received one in past. This was my third 221 g and 4th visa from US embassy-New Delhi.

Good luck to all.

@theconfused: Great to hear the news! Congrats!

What additional documents did they ask you to submit on Feb 10th? Just curious because this might help me during next visa stamping.

Moreover, did you get a two years visa or a visa until the I-797 expiry date?

[rahul_omega]

@theconfused: Great to hear the news! Congrats!

What additional documents did they ask you to submit on Feb 10th? Just curious because this might help me during next visa stamping.

Moreover, did you get a two years visa or a visa until the I-797 expiry date?

Visa Interview - 17 Jan 2012 - Received 221 g pink, asked for CV, publications, travels, funding of trip etc.
Submitted documents asked in 221 g - 17th Jan 2012
Embassy asked for more documents - 10th Feb 2012
Documents submitted at vfs location in Nehru Place - 13th Feb 2012
Email received from vfs to collect the passport 16th Feb 2012

The status update on US embassy website is never current. However, track the passport section on vfs website is accurate and up to date.

This is the update till date.

Thanks

[theconfused]

Visa Interview - 17 Jan 2012 - Received 221 g pink, asked for CV, publications, travels, funding of trip etc.
Submitted documents asked in 221 g - 17th Jan 2012
Embassy asked for more documents - 10th Feb 2012
Documents submitted at vfs location in Nehru Place - 13th Feb 2012
Email received from vfs to collect the passport 16th Feb 2012

The status update on US embassy website is never current. However, track the passport section on vfs website is accurate and up to date.

This is the update till date.

Thanks

[rahul_omega]

As usual, the VFS people replied that the visa expiry date is decided by US embassy and VFS has no control on it.....(as is we never knew that the VFS guys have no power)

He did now forward my email to the embassy.

I called the VFS helpline. Asked them about this ....he said he does not have any information. He asked me to email VFS again in case I want my question to be forwarded to US embassy.

This whole information and communication system for US visa sucks! They just take applicant's time for granted.

@theconfused: Thanks and I pray that you get your visa done as soon as possible.

Will let you know what VFS guys reply.

[DharaModi]

@ Dhara :: I read few posts in past where email from Consulate / VFS went into Spam folder. Do check your SPAM mails as well.

Yes, I was kind of keeping an eye on all spam mails too all these time. Also I checked my trash folder and spam yesterday, but there is no email from embassy on or around January 13th.

I seriously don't understand what is going on!

[man_prime]

@ Dhara :: I read few posts in past where email from Consulate / VFS went into Spam folder. Do check your SPAM mails as well.

[DharaModi]

Disappointed!!!!!!

Hi,

I went for my H1b visa restamping on January 12th,2012. I was informed by VO that my visa is approved and I'll receive my passport within 3-5 days.

I did not receive my passport for 2-3 weeks, so I sent an email to VFS as per their request, so they can forward the email to embassy and figure out what is going on. I got reply from VFS on February 10th after sending email twice that as per embassy, they sent me email on January 13th requesting further documents for admin processing.

I never received any emails from embassy ever. Has anyone faced same situation? My one month is already wasted and I don't even know what documents I need to send to embassy.

If anyone has faced similar situation, let me know!

Thanks!

Dhara

[sajidkhan1001]

Finally received the passport today with the visa stamped. Here are my details, hopefully it will help other worried souls out there:

Interview date: 01/24/2012
Got pink slip 221g with no documents asked.
Got a confirmation from VFS that passport is dispatched on 02/08/2012 (15 days after the interview).
Received the passport with H1B stamped for the same duration as on I797.
The I797 was attached to the passport.

Thanks and good luck to others

[rahul_omega]

@theconfused: Thanks and I pray that you get your visa done as soon as possible.

Will let you know what VFS guys reply.

[theconfused]

You should contact vfs/embassy people. There is no harm in asking. And please share your thoughts after discussing with them.

Sajidkhan is also receiving his passport. He can update us if his visa is foe 2 years or 3 years.

Thanks and Congratulations to both of you.

@theconfused: My passort expiry is 2022.

So they should stamped it valid till Sept 2014. As you mentioned, probability of getting a I-797 again is high. That is why I am trying to check whether I can ask embassy to change the expiration date to Spet 2014.

[sajidkhan1001]

passport dispatched

I got the message from VFS site today that my passport is dispatched. Hopefully it will have the visa stamped on it. Embassy site is still saying that the case number is not valid. I am guessing they remove the case number from their database as soon as the case is resolved or a decision is reached.

[rahul_omega]

@theconfused: My passort expiry is 2022.

So they should stamped it valid till Sept 2014. As you mentioned, probability of getting a I-797 again is high. That is why I am trying to check whether I can ask embassy to change the expiration date to Spet 2014.

[theconfused]

Thought to share my experience with you -

In 2010, i renewed my H1B visa (received 221 g back then). My interview date was in March 2010 and visa expiration date is March 2012 and petition expiration date was 30 September 2011.

A rule of thumb is that once you receive a 221 g, you are very likely to receive it again in future. The clearance embassy receives is valid for 1 year only. So plan your next trip accordingly.

I got a message to collect my passport today.

The passport has visa stamped and they returned my I-797

It took exactly 3 weeks after submission of the documents.

Visa interview date: 17 Jan 2012
Documents emailed: 18 Jan 2012
Passport with visa received: 08 Feb 2012

however, visa has expiration date of Feb 2014 whereas my I-797 is valid till Sep 2014.....??

[theconfused]

Check your passport expiration date.

I got a message to collect my passport today.

The passport has visa stamped and they returned my I-797

It took exactly 3 weeks after submission of the documents.

Visa interview date: 17 Jan 2012
Documents emailed: 18 Jan 2012
Passport with visa received: 08 Feb 2012

however, visa has expiration date of Feb 2014 whereas my I-797 is valid till Sep 2014.....??

[rahul_omega]

Got visa stamped

I got a message to collect my passport today.

The passport has visa stamped and they returned my I-797

It took exactly 3 weeks after submission of the documents.

Visa interview date: 17 Jan 2012
Documents emailed: 18 Jan 2012
Passport with visa received: 08 Feb 2012

however, visa has expiration date of Feb 2014 whereas my I-797 is valid till Sep 2014.....??