H1B, H4 Visa

Hi Friends
I would like to thank this forum which gave me confidence for H1B interview.
Let me help people who want guidance for complete H1B process in Hyderabad.

I would strongly recommend plan for visa along with spouse/kids (I have planned along with my spouse and 2 kids)
Keep note that primary application is for H1B and dependents are for H4.

Step 1 :( Document Collections)
    From Petitioner
     1. I797 B - Petition approval
     2. LCA copy
     3. G28 from law firm (Optional)
     4. Tax documents for last 2 years
     5. List of employees with their immigration status and wages paid
     6. Formal letter from petitioner to Hyd US embassy (request for VISA)
     7. Formal request letter petitioner to USCIS (while applying for petition)
     8. Company goodwill report and certifications if any e.g. MBE, HUB etc...
     9. Project Description Document if you are going for employer location and do not have any client letter (Mine is In
          house project so, I had to carry PDD)

For Self
    1. Birth Certificate
    2. 10th Marks Sheet
    3. 12th Marks Sheet
    4. Degree certificate
    5.Degree Marks sheets
    6.Prev.Employers experience certificate
    7.Current Employment pay slip (last 2 months)
    8.Last years’ form16 (optional)
    9.Current employer ID card (Optional)

Family:
    1. Marriage Certificate and marriage photo (Optional)
    2. Her/His Education Certificates
    3.Kids Birth Certificate
    4. Kids Photos (4Nos) US passport specifications (Almost all studio people know the specs just inform them
        before)

Step 2 :( DS-160 Form)
       Remember you need to fill DS-160 for family separately. In my case four DS-160’s filled separately. (Mine-1
       spause-1 first child-1 second child-1)
       Link for DS-160 form filling online is https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/
      Select India-HYD embassy and Start an application. It should generate unique code e.g. AA00XXYY, Remember to
       note down. It helps for application retrieval.
       Review the contents at least twice before clicking submit button.
        (Mistakes can be corrected even after submission but avoid un-necessary headache)
       Confirmation number is important after application submission.
       You will have 4 confirmations for four DS-160. Take confirmation page print just after it generates else no need to
        worry. You will get PDF copy mail to print it later also.

Step 3: (Profile creation)
      Go to https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?language=English&country=India
      Click new user and create your profile. Single profile is enough for whole family.

Step 4: (visa Application form fill up)
       Fill Visa application in your profile
      While filling you need DS-160 details and all above documents listed in step 1.
      Add dependent information as well which links to your H1B application.
      While filling step6 is fee payment. Here it automatically calculates fee as per current prescribed rate by embassy. It
      also includes fee for family (190$ per candidate)
      Avoid NEFT payment as it requires adding embassy account as beneficiary to your bank account. Some banks
      may take a day or two to activate beneficiary, depending the amount you want to submit. E.g. SBI does not allow
       transferring >25K you got to wait 3 days minimum.
       My Preferred mode of payment is going to AXIS bank and pay the fee in cash/cheque.
       Before going to AXIS bank you got to take print of CG reference number which is provided by Stanley form fee
       section.
        Once you pay the fee receipt number gets activated (~2Hrs) and automatically tagged to your profile.
         Do remember take print copy of application form which has been filled.

Step 5: (Schedule an appointment)
       We got to take two appointments
      1. OFC visa application center for Biometric collection and Photo session
      2. Consular interview for visa decision
         Login to your profile and schedule appointment once done take prints of appointment confirmation along with
         bar-coded sheet.
        When you schedule an appointment it is for whole family not for alone.

Step6: Attend biometric interview
    Documents required are:
    1. DS-160 confirmation (in case mine 4 DS-160)
     2. Interview confirmation along with bar code sheet
     3. Original passports (carry old passport if you have)
     4. Kids photos
     5. No electronic items No handbags

Process:
      - Kids not required but if you take them Queue line will be shorter (separate queue for applications with kids)
      - 15 mins before they allow to get in. Staff will verify appointment time and DS-160.
      - Security checks and tags the passport with bar code sticker.
      - Token receipt
      - Wait for your turn
      - Left and right hand fingers on machine
      - Keep smiling face for photo because it prints on visa and it’s done.
  
 Step7: Attend consular interview
        - Location is same but different building is present 30 mins before scheduled time. It is because you may find
            difficult to get parking place (50 rs per hour). If you are with parents to handle kids there is private waiting
            lounge just in front of consular building 30Rs per adult.
      -Documents to be carried referred step1 above.
      - Security check and token receipt.
      - No kids, No to any electronic items and No to bags.
      - Do collect white booklet for the reference. Read it (There is chance that VO asks have you read it?).
      - Wait for your turn. Keep an eye on Monitor (which displays serving window with token number e.g. now serving
        P368 at window 14) and do not give concentration to success/failed candidates around you try to ignore them.
      - Water, tea and light breakfast available if required.
      - Now VO interview turn (I was with my spouse...intw went like below).
     
Me: Hi Good morning
VO: Good morning. Your passport pls
Me: Here, I passed my 2 passports (old and new) along with I 797B
VO: Glanced his monitor for a while and said pass me all passports
Me: I gave spouse, first child and second child passports
VO: Ok, what are going to do at YYYY ?
Me: Explained about my project in one line
VO: How many employees at YYYY ?
Me: More than 80
VO: What is your highest qualification?
Me: BE in ZZZ
VO: Where is client located?
Me: Sir, am going to work at employer location (Try to avoid answers which has words "NO")
VO: Ohh, Ok can you explain me about project?
Me: One liner about project.
VO: All our passports have put in some tray Looked at my wife and said Madam Can you place your left hand fingers on that machine. And you as well.
VO: Ok iam approving your visa collect passports later.
Me: Thank you very much sir.
came out with joy.........

Step 8: Collect your passports
       -Wait for the mail or login to your profile and check for the status. (Usually it takes 2 days for your passports to be
          ready with stamp)
       - Carry zerox copies of your passports fist &last page. (I had passports zerox of all my family members)
       - Carry authorization letter to collect her passport from your wife. It should have stated that your ID details and her
         signature.
       -Your original ID is required. E.g. Voter ID, Aadhar, DL etc...
       -Location is same where you have given biometric appointment1.
       -Process is also same token and wait for your turn to collect.

Hello everyone I am new in this forum, I completed masters in USA in January 2009 but did not applied for H1B and came back to India, now I want to go back to USA, can I apply for H1B on masters quota, please let me know what are the advantages and disadvantages I have right now, please help me, anyone with same situation can share their experience.

Hi Guys,

I lost my original I797 petition in transit and went to appear for visa interview with photocopy of the same.
My employer raised a risk that it might get rejected, but I still went for consulate interview.

It was super smooth.

I handed over photocopy of my petition to VO and he asked me if I have my original petition
I told him that it was lost in transit.
he said - it is fine, not a problem.

Then he checked something on his system and asked me some usual questions about salary, job, client, employer etc.
and said - 'Your visa is approved' :)

I have just received approval for my H1B petition. Now I am planning for the visa interview in Mumbai. Can anyone help answer a couple of queries I have:

Are my wife and two children who are dependents required to fill the DS 160 electronic form or is it suffucient for only me to fill it?

Are the Non Immigrant Visa fees of US$190 applicable only for me or do dependents also have to pay the fees?

Please give me feedback immediately. I would really appreciate it.

Thank you

Finished the H4 visa appointment yesterday in Chennai-consulate. The lines outside were crazy! No discipline what so ever. There is a safe-keeping facility now before the consulate door. It is a small shed where you can deposit your bag & cell phone etc and you will get a token in return. But, best if you do not need to carry anything. That will save you some time in 1 extra queue. The process inside the consulate is very smooth. There are consulates who will speak to you in the local language. I saw the American speaking very good Tamil and explaining and talking very patiently to an old lady. That felt good.

My case was a bit unique as this is my 2nd marriage and we were applying for our daughter and my son from my 1st marriage as dependents on my 2nd husband. So, I was bit nervous, wondering what would be the questions or extra documents they will ask? I was prepared with my divorce papers including the custody details.
But, surprisingly, they did not ask anything at all. The H4 visa was approved instantly. Thank God!
Its always better to be prepared and then get pleasantly surprised like this!
Best of luck to all other as well.

I got my visa approved last week and now can I apply for H4 visa for my wife and kid??

Today, I went for the OFC appointment for myself and my kids : H4 Visa. I was very pleasantly surprised by the experience. I went exactly 15 minutes before the appointment time and I was able to enter the gate immediately. The checking and frisking was very quick as well. And most surprising thing: They allowed mobiles in switched off mode and a small wallet. They were only checking for any electronic storage devices which is not allowed.

I was able to finish my appointment within 45 minutes from time of entry to exit.

Visa interview date: Thursday, April 3, 2014

I work directly for the employee and not into consulting.

Went to the finger printing a day before. It is a straight forward process and took about 15 minutes.
They do not allow mobile phones into the facility.

They checked the appointment confirmation letter, passport etc and took picture, fingter prints.

Consulate Experience:

My appointment was at 9:30 am and they let me into the facility at 9 am

They do not allow cell phones into the facility.

I took all the necessary documentation (I-797, I-129 Petition, employment letter, pay stubs for the past 6

months, W2s and tax returns for all the years, Masters Degree, transcripts etc)

After the security check and waiting period, I was given a token number and guided towards the counters.

The monitors show the token number and the counter it is being served at.

I went to the counter and waited for my turn.

The Visa Officer is a young lady. when it is my turn, here is how the interview went.

Me: Good Morning!
VO: Hi
VO: Give me your passport
Me: (Passed the passport)
VO: show me the I-797
Me: Passed the I-797
VO: (Read the name of my company)
VO: what do you do there?
Me: I briefly explained my job role and responsibilities (30-45 seconds)
VO: Okay. what is your salary?
Me: told her the salary
VO: Education? Bachelors?
Me: Told her that I have a Masters Degree, and mentioned my degree and the University graduated from.
VO: (Kept working on the system for a few seconds)
VO: Place your fingers on the machine.
VO: Your visa is approved. Bye, bye
Me: Thank you. Have a good day.

The whole interview process took around 2 minutes.

I saw a few other H1 B folks in front of me and all of them got their stamping done successfully.

I got an email after a day informing that my passport is ready to pick up, which i did after a couple of days. Please note that proper identification is required for passport pickup.

If you have all the documents in place, and prepare well, and ready to answer anything and show supporting

documentation, the visa stamping process is very smooth at HYD.

Best of luck to everybody.

Dears,

Came to US last week and will join in job next week. Can my wife attend H4 interview with one payslip i.e. after month?.

Thanks

Hi,

Currently I am on H1-B visa in a University (academic H-1B visa). While my green card (EB1A) was in process, my wife used her Advance Parole to get back to the USA. However, my green card application didn't get approved. As a result of this my wife's H4B visa becomes invalid (because of automatic cancellation of I-485 application). Do we have any options to get her H-4B visa active? Do we need to fill any forms to submit USCIS? OR does she need to go to 3rd country (or home country) to get stamping done?

Please help us on this behalf. Thanks in advance for your kind help.
Babu