H1B, H4 Visa

Hi all,

Thanks for posting your experiences here. Thought I will post mine too, would like to hear from folks with similar experiences.

I'm a FTE working in the US for 3 years and was eligible for dropbox for my first H1 extension. I've previously studied at a US university and did the whole F1 - H1 transition 3 years back.

Submitted my docs on 27th Oct but was issued a blue slip on Nov 3 saying that I need to come back for an in-person interview
Attended interview at Mumbai consulate on Nov 6th. I was asked -
Who do you work for?
What is the highest level of qualification?
Did you study in the US?
Was there any gap between OPT and H1 start? - No

After this, the VO said that "something in the system needs to be cleared up", which can take 5-10 days of additional processing. I was given another blue slip with no other documents asked and the VO kept my passport.

Anyone with similar experiences and timelines? This seems like a Sevis issue based on the last question I was asked. Why would it hit during an extension and not during my first stamping, I have no idea.

Thanks.

Hello,

  I am on H1b visa since 2014 and had visa stamping in india in 2015. My h1 and i-94 were expired on 09/12/2017 and my employer has applied for extension on 09/05/2017 and got the receipt notice from USCIS. I am eligible to apply for H4 EAD. At this point of time,

1. Can I transfer my H1 to another employer?
2. Do I get valid i-94 with my new employer H1b if I transfer to a new employer?
3. Can I go Canada and get my H4 stamping done there?

PLease clarify. I am really worried about my situation. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in Advance.

Hello,

I am planning to get my stamping done this year.
I am a fulltime direct hire in my organization with about 300-400 employees (not a consultancy) but I am the first H1B applicant. Can this cause any delays in the process?

Thanks

Day 1 @ Chennai VAC: took about 1.5 hrs, need to carry passport, appt confirm page and DS160 conf page, and of course a face and 10 fingers! Cell phone and umbrella allowed inside.

Narrow street, located on Kodambakkam High Road, Nungambakkam. Use Google maps or wisdom of cab/auto drivers. Nearest landmark is Valluvar Kottam (for non Tamil folks, pronounce it as val-lu-var ........ kot-tam), Note: VAC is not right next to it but in the area.

VAC is located inside the multi-storied white building, looks like it is in the final stages of completion, not a posh building but just a new building. There is a board outside but it advertises a Xerox center!!! (more on that later). Easiest way to locate it, is to look for people with serious faces but in formals or business casuals hanging around with a backpack or a thick folder, oh not to mention the freshly married women with makeup and mehendi/hena.

No need to come too early or dressed in "coat-suit" but people do. You will be allowed into the premises only an hr before your appointment time, even then you will be placed in a line within the building until your appointment time. Only the candidate is allowed inside the premises, "support team" has to wait on the street :-) I saw couple of babies (less than 2 yr olds) inside, no idea if the kids needed Visa as well or were allowed because they are babies, please check before going. Note: as usual there is no shade (other than trees) on the streets so your "support team" has to be rain or shine types. November is rainy season in Chennai

Backpacks (college style ones) are not allowed inside the building. Women can bring handbags/purses, I saw one guy get away with a satchel. Cell phones are allowed inside but has to be switched off once inside. In case you bring a backpack then some entrepreneurial Indians will provide you a locker for 50 bucks right before you climb the stairs or go up the elevator. I saw one mom was allowed to take water for her baby, so it looks like it is not TSA like security so if you really want to take water inside then please plan on having a baby few months ahead of time ....... ha ha ha

Once you go up, you will be put in a line until your time (about 50-70 serious looking people), then let into another floor, scanned for security, switch off phones. People wearing strange neck ties will check your passport and DS160. They WILL catch any mismatch and tell you to get it fixed before taking the picture and finger prints. Worry not, remember the entrepreneurial Indians I mentioned earlier, they will rescue you for Rs200 :-) Just go down stairs, tell them you need to update your DS160, they have PCs with internet connection and printers and will even help you in case you are paralyzed with fear of missing your all important appointment! In case you cannot afford Rs200 then step out of the building, go to the auto stand or any building across the narrow street and get it done for lower price. Oh you do need to know the answer to your DS160 security question or have a phone to wake up your son/daughter/significant other in US to ask them the place of your elementary school!!
NOTE: this last step will change your DS160 number, WORRY NOT, it is ok, no need to re-print the appointment conformation letter, just print the DS160 confirmation pg

Once the "half tie" people have cleared your data, you will go to another "half tie" person and they will print a sticker with bar code and put it on your passport, stamp your DS160, get a token number, join a short line, watch the TV screens for your token number or get reminded in a loud voice, walk to your counter (behind a white screen?!?), hand over passport and confirm pages, read mumbo jombo (actually terms of service type stuff), get picture taken, 10 finger printed, step away, read notice board for instructions on how to collect your passport and holidays, give a simple feedback on a touch pad, push a small button, open a big door .............. bye
--------------------------------------------
Day 2 @ consulate: 2 hrs (most of it standing in line inside), mine was H1B extension, need to carry passport, DS160 conf page with the blue stamp from yesterday, I797, loads of support docs that you may need. Umbrellas are allowed inside the consulate but no cell phones (more on that later). Backpacks, lady's purse, satchels not allowed inside.

Again US Consulate is not designed to accommodate candidates ahead of time or the "support team". November is rainy season in Chennai. You need not come 15 min before your appointment but it is impossible to time it so if you are early then be prepared to stand on the sidewalk. If you have a cell phone (who does not, in 2017) and have no "support team" then entrepreneurial Indians will escort you in the opposite direction, down a dark subway, up on the other side of the main road, to a tea stall/corner shop, where another entrepreneurial Indian will take Rs200 for storing your phone and the escorting Indian will take Rs100 as a reference fee, walk all the way back, DO NOT rush, your place is not taken, just tell the security guy/gal you were there earlier.

There will be 2 or 3 checks of your passport and Ds160 confirm page with blue stamp. Yes they will ask you to open your all important document bag even when it is pouring like hell.

Once inside, there is security scanning, then another check of passport/confirm pg, then another check, then 1st line, then a counter for finger printing, then 2nd line, then VISA INTERVIEW. It is ok to smile and exchange pleasantries with the Visa officer, poor fellow has to talk to 100s of serious faced people.

Visa questions:
Name of Employer?
Your highest qualifications?
Job title?
What type of job do you do?
Client site or not?
Job location
Salary?
Congrats, ur visa has been granted, have a safe journey :-)

My only gripe: interviews in native language were given preference over English interviews, about 50 people had to wait (standing) for 45min before we got our chance. It could be because we were the first appointment of the day. It was ok because most of the native language candidates were old people or people with babies.

Hello All

Attended H4 visa stamping on 10/31 @ Hyderabad. Biometrics on 10/30. The VO mentioned the Visa is approved and should get the passport soon. However its a week now from inteview still CEAC website shows the status as Administrative Processing.

Anyone else from 10/31 who recieved the passport back from consulate ? Should i be worried at this point ?

Thanks for your inputs

Hi, I needed some information. If anyone has experience about this please share the information.
I came to US on F1 ---> wife came on F2 ---> then changed to H1-H4 in 2013 ---> and filed i140 later. I am still with same direct employer. No client.
We have never gone out of USA with H1 status. My wife and son(US Citizen) wants to go India and she would have to get H4 stamping to come back.
My question is: Do I have to also go with her for stamping? as I do not have H1b stamped ever before.

Truely appreciate any information.
Thank you.
Amit Puspak

OFC Appt on October 18th-Thursday@2:30 PM
-Used new DS 160,have to inform while doing scanning for old DS -160.They will create a new sticker and place on top of old DS160 old sticker
Visa Interview on October 19th-Friday@11:00 PM
Good to reach 1 hour early,they will let you to go inside.
Questions asked
1)Who is your petitioner
2)Who is your client
3)Salary
4)Current Role

Visa is Approved.

23/10 by noon-passport is issued
24/10 by evening -Passport reached to collection point
25/10 by early morning@8:30 AM -Passport delivered to Home

Please note we can use the UID number(while used for booking the appt) as ref no in Blue Dart website to see the status of the passport after its issued.I didnt got email or sms till 25/10

Before I go and share my H1B (single) visa experience ....
Thanks to all those who kept posting weather be it for personal query or sharing experience.
For those who specially shared experience and tried to provide maximum details , THANK YOU ALL. It was a great job you all did.

Request : Who are just posting questions, I have not seen them posting their experience be it bad or good. Request you to put your experience as eagerly as you are in asking. Makes sense right ?

Now my experience.

Had OFC Biometric on November 1st and Had interview on November 2nd. (2017)
I am married but went alone for stamping as I shall bring my wife later to USA.

Filling DS160
All the information required is with you.
Your petition, Passport, Educational certificates, Previous employment documents, Marriage Certificate.
I mean to say don't fumble with information, you all have it ready with you.
There are few information which we may not know what to fill in that
like Passport document number : This is not the same as passport number. I checked "DOES NOT APPLY" for this. so where you have questions do ask a responsible person in your organisation/company.

Biometric:
I went to Mumbai location.
Documents requested are : Consulate Appointment copy, original passport and DS160 confirmation copy.
What not to carry is : don't bring anything apart from above mentioned documents for H1B visa type. For others I don't know.
Timings really doesn't matter when you go.

PA :

Bring all documents in original. Document list is something will need a separate discussion so for now I suggest to bring all your documents in original.
Timings matters here if you go early your chances are high that you will complete your visa process early.
However security personal won't allow you to enter the consulate before 30 minutes but you may give a try by reaching 1 hour early.
Once you enter the consulate you will pass through several security check here you need to carry Confirmation page which was stamped in biometric process. This will be checked in PA process and will allow you to go inside.

You will see long queue inside here you need to again give your fingerprints don't know why it is required again.
Here you will see many windows where officers are taking interviews.
You will be able to listen to most of the interviews till your turn :).
Some VOs are asking in brief and some concludes in just seconds, depends.

Now questions to me were.
First I greeted him he did too.
Will you be working at client location?
Which state are you going?
Are you married?
Is your wife coming with you?
Do you have child?

And visa approved.

Miscellaneous.
Remembering that I'll post as much as possible in this site, I tried to connect few person who came for H1B visa and their experience.
One couple came there for H1B, in his case he had two passports and he had name change in both passports. So, VO asked them for police verification by giving green slip.

One other H1B candidate happened to be in my company had visa approved.

When I was in consulate I tried to listen to other candidates H1B, Student, Business visas.
One Business Visa candidate was rejected because he was not able explain his role properly.
Any one who wants a translator may ask for one, but I don't suggest for H1B, L1, Business visa :).

guys I tried to cover all things now, please let me know if anything required regarding this.

I am planning to go H1-b Stamping with out client Letter . As per Company Policy they are not providing client letter to any Contractor . client had have given SOW to Prime Vendor(Wipro). Now Client Says all the immigration and Visa documents/letters Prime Vendor(Wipro) has to handle.Only thing my Client Manager can do is reply to my email saying they do not provide client letter . i should get letter from Prime Vendor. I have Client ID card. Org Chart showing Name and Client Manger and his Director and others in org chart.Prime Vendor is Wipro and they are ready to provide Vendor Letter and Wipro said they cannot provide SOW because of Confidentiality and they can provide email saying they cannot give SOW . What are the chances of getting stamped with out client letter with supporting documents as i explained above. I need help from you all to gauge what will happen with Client Letter only with this supporting documents. I have 2 years old client letter with the same client . i am with this client for 30 months /2 years and 6 months.

Please let me know your taughts.

Thanks,
Uma

Hi All,

Below is my experience.

Oct 22 : OFC at 3.30 pm
Oct 23 : Visa interview ( slot 9.00 am )
Oct 24 : Visa issued
Oct 25 : Passport ready for pick up.

Following questions were asked :

Who is your employer?
Have you been on H4 before?
Did you do schooling in US?
What’s your highest qualification?
What’s your job responsibilities?
What’s your designation?
How did you find this job?
What’s your salary?
Is your husband on H1?
Is he in US?
What’s your office location?
How much distance from the place you are living and office ?

That’s all, no documents were asked expect I797 , VO said your visa is approved and you will get in 2 to 4 business days.

Thanks.