H1B, H4 Visa

First time H1B. H1B became active on October 1st 2018. Previously F1.
Dec 2017 grad. Working for same company from Feb 2018

OFC: Dec 12, 2018
Visa Interview: Dec 13, 2018

Just generic questions.

1. Who do you work for?
2. What is your salary?
3. Where are you working?
4. Where did you do your masters?

Gave me the know your rights pamphlet and also 221g blue with administrative processing checked . Said don't anything from your side and just that they have to do some processing.

I asked how many days it will take and VO said 5-7 business days.

My return flight is on Jan 8. Hopefully will get passport by then.
Saw similar cases on this website. Looks like it should be ok

Just a little stressed. Any advice will help.

And thank you immihelp.

This is my 2nd Dropbox at Hyderabad and last time was 2 years ago with same employer.

This time I changed employer beginning of 2018 but still qualified for dropbox. FTE with fortune 500 company

Here is my timeline -

Documents dropped - Dec 4th
Case created - Dec 10th
Admin processing - Dec 11th
Issued - Dec 12th

I am a FTE working for a financial services company. I submitted my documents for h1-b extension dropbox on Nov 6th.

My Case got added to the tracker on Nov 8th and Nov 9th the status changed to admin processing. The status has been the same since Nov 9th. Tried Calling VFS and got the same response to wait for 60 days.

Should I email the consulate via the direct email address : [email protected] ? I did email [email protected] and got the same generic response to wait till 60 days.

It's been over 35 days and the status has been same. Thoughts?

I am a FTE working for a fortune 500 company (recently transferred) and I submitted my documents (New Passport,last two 797's ,Prior Visa Stamped pages and two photos with passport number written behind them ) at Hyderabad.

12/3-Submitted Documents
12/4-Application Received
12/10-Admin Processing
12/11-ISSUED (CEAC)

CEAC website says issued (night of 12/11) but travel docs still says that passport is at consulate.

How long does it typically take to receive email/Text that passport is ready to pickup ?

Hi Immihelp,

I have to travel to India from US on an emergency basis. I need to renew my passport as well as get the visa stamping done while I am in India.

Currently here's my situation:
Current passport expiry: 11 FEB 2019
OFC Appointment: Hyderabad, 24 DEC 2018
Passport Renewal (Tatkal): Hyderabad, 24 DEC - 28 DEC 2018
H1B Visa Appointment: Chennai, 02 JAN 2019

Please note that I have reserved my appointment using my current passport and I will not have the details of my new renewed passport until 28 DEC 2018, just a couple days before my visa interview.

Could anyone please suggest if the following will be OK:
  1. OFC appointment with old passport valid only for a couple of months after that day?
  2. Visa appointment with DS160 containing old passport information, and carrying both old and renewed passports.

Thanks for your help.

-MKM

I have misdemeanor record for speeding 66 in 30 miles, had to pay $378 fine and no moving violation as probation for 1 year

ME: Good morning mam
VO: Good Morning, please pass your passport

VO: Did you do both Bachelors and Masters from the US
ME: Yes mam

VO: Annual Salary and is it a direct employer or client?
ME: Mentioned annual salary and it is a direct employer

VO happened to be from the same city I did masters and worked. Bunch of random talk about weather, school and masters

VO: I see you have a speeding record in here. Were you arrested or was it just fine?
ME: Yes mam just fine.

Alright great your visa is approved and you should get it in a week

Dec 10: Visa Interview
Dec 10: Admin Processing
Dec 11: Issued

Good luck all

Cognizant - Stamping Interview Experience in Hyderabad

Hi All, I had H1 visa interview on Nov 13th in Hyderabad.

Just a quick background on me- I have a misdemeanor arrest charge from 2012. (I have not attended stamping since then).
But the charges were subsequently completely dismissed in the Court and no conviction on me and I also got the record expunged.

So, during the visa interview, he asked the first question about my arrest record. I told him that the charge was dismissed in Court and I provided the court documents supporting that.
The VO took those documents and gave a 221g and said that they need to verify these details and will email me back to bring back for the interview. They gave my passport back. During the second half of interview, he also asked the typical H1 questions and I answered properly.

Its been almost a month and its still in administrative processing.
Can any one suggest or advise when I might get a response based on your experience.

Thanks

Hi,

I had attended Visa interview in Chennai consulate on Mar 2018 which ends with 221g blue slip. I got a mail from consulate which asked me to submit additional documents on Oct 2018. Consulate officer sent a mail to my client also. They have given positive response and everything went well. I thought my visa get through but I got a another mail from consulate that again my visa is under 221G and released OF-194 form.

Really It is frustrating, what actually they are looking for? It seems again it will take one year to complete and do not know which will ends with either approval or rejection.

They can reject it instead of extend it like anything.

Please update me If anybody idea about it.

9th Dec Biometrics. 2:00pm appointment. Went at 1. Was done in 10 mins.

You can skip to summary at the bottom if you don’t want to read the details.

I asked the VFS person who was verifying my information to verify my interview appointment date. I had received an email from consulate that my appointment was rescheduled for Dec 12th instead of 10th. He called his supervisor who told all the staff that the email was sent in error and there were no automatic changes in the interview schedule for anyone.

10th Dec Interview: reached at 9:30 for 9:45 slot. Security let us through. Waited in the oitside shaded area queue for maybe about 2 hours. Then we were called inside where the wait was another 45 minutes. Our interview happened around 12:10-12:15pm.

Our background. I did cos F1-H1 in 2011 and have been on H1 ever since. This was my first H1 stamping. My wife came to US on B2. We got married in the US and filed COS to H4 for her. Later she did MS in US and filed cos to F1 for OPT. After her OPT we did cos to H4 with EAD.

Environment and mood: here is my observation of how things were going for few other H1B interviews. I think most were being approved.

70k salary: 221g
110k and FTE: approved
94k: approved.
Another FTE: approved.

VO: gestured with his fingers to step forward and pass the documents. I struggled as my 2 I797 pages got seperated. It took me a few seconds to put them together into my passport and pass the passport inside as they kept coming out when I tried to push them under the window.

VO: do you have a client or you week for your employer?
Me: I work with my employer directly.

VO: what's your highest education level?
Me: Masters of Business Admin. I had to repeat since he couldn't hear it due to my sore throat.

VO: have you been on H1 before?
Me: I have been on H1 status for past 7 years but my last stamped visa is F1.

VO: when did you depart US?
Me: 3 days ago.

VO: when did you adjust your status from F1 to H1 in the US?
Me: 2011

VO: can I see the document for your adjustment of status.
Me: Sure. I passed in my first H1 approval 797.

VO: This status ends in 2012. Do have document for H1 extension after 2012?
Me: Do you want to see all my H1 approvals till date?
VO: yes
Me: passed him all my approvals from OPT to H1 till date.

VO: He verified all the H1 extension dates. Took a while since He seemed to be making sure there was no gap.

He turned to my wife
VO: how long have you been married?
Wife: 6 years.

The interview took a turn here. VO seemed surprised.

VO: so you guys are living seperately?
Wife: No, we have been living together for six years.

VO: when did you last enter US?
Wife: March 2012

VO: when did file AOS?
Wife: trying to recall. I said Nov 2012 it was approved.

VO: can I see the approval doc?
Wife: she was tensed and passed in her recent approval.

VO: this doesn't seem to be the one.
Me: Told my wife to pull one with a Nov 2012 date. Finally she got it.

VO: took a look at it and started typing in his system. Then he asked my wife, so you have 3 rejections for F1 in xyz year?
Wife: yes

VO: but you did study in the US.
Wife: yes

VO: when did you depart US after entering in March 2012?
Wife: confused. VO clarified, if she had ever made a trip outside US from 2012 until today.
She said this is my first trip after 2012.

VO spent some more time typing and reading. After 4-5 minutes which seemed like 10-15 mins, he said your visa is approved, you will get it in 3-5 business days.

Summary: FTE, MBA, VO verified my status history validity from F1 to H1 with all approvals. Same thing for H4, verified status history.