H1B, H4 Visa

My H4 Visa interview experience - @ US consulate Chennai

Day1:

OFC office :

No 3, Cenotaph Road
Teynampet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu'
 
My appointment was at 3.30 PM. We went there at 2.30 PM. There were around 100 people waiting outside the office (in the road).
There was no queue, and then i heard that only people with 2 PM appointment was allowed. Then the security told me to come at 4 PM as my appointment is 3.30 PM.
But even then, i did not go anyway and i was let in at 3.35 PM !! :)
Ok now will stop with the stories and come to the point.

I went the second floor in the building
Appointment letter, DS 160 abd Password should be carried inside
After security check, barcode was stuck in my passport
Then i got a token and there were no LCD display.
The person standing there called my token number and point me to the counter (this took about 10 mins)

The guy sitting behind the glass counter asked my name, Date of birth and verified my details.
They took a photograph
They took left four fingers, right four fingers and thumbs finger prints.

That is all!! Not much today.

Day 2:

@ US consulate office.

Be there at consulate not before 30 mins (!!but dont delay!!), otherwise you will be asked to stand far away from the consulate.

Keep your DS 160, appointment confirmation letter and Passport ready before you enter in the outside queue.

Went security scan and sat there inside.
Need to get your token from one of the counter.
Waited for the token number for about 15 mins.
My counter was displayed in the LCD screen for my token
Went to the counter and US consulate personnel (Indian only) asked for my following docs:
Passport - Original
DS 160
Appointment letter
I797 - xerox copy
BEP - Original
He then arranged all the documents and put a rubber band and return back there banded docs.


Keep the token that was provided earlier, which will be called again for the actual interview by US personnel.
We have to walk to another building.
Then again i had to wait for my token number to be called.

Interview: (totally it took about 30 mins)
My Token number was called.
I went to the counter that was called for me.
I went and Stood behind another candidate standing for the interview.
Once that he is done, the interviewer (lady) called me

Interview: Hi
Me : Good morning Ma'm
Interview : :). where will you go to US
Me : YYYY YYYY
Interviewer: Whats your name?
Me: Told my full name (Given name and surname)
Interviewer: Whats your husband name?
Me : Answered..
Inteveriew: Whats your husbands full name?
Me : told my husband's given name and surname as per the passport
Interviewer: Whats your father-in-laws name?
Me: told the full name:
Interview: Have your husband ever worked in US before?
Me: Yes
Interviewer: Can i see your husband's pay slip?
Me: I showed her the pay slip ( last 12 months)
Interviewer: can i see your husband's passport copy ?
me: Sure. (I showed her the xerox copy of my husband's copy)
Interviewer: Is he still working in USA?
Me: Currently he is in chennai?
Interviewer : What is your marriage day?
Me: I told the date.
Interviewer: Your Visa is approved. YOu will get your visa in a week. (kept my passport for stamping with herself)
Me: With a big smile i said "Thank you Ma'm!!"

FINALLY I GOT MY H4 VISA APPROVED ON MY BIRTHDAY!!! :) Good luck

Got my visa stamped Passport in 2 days.

About me:
I am not very fluent in english. But I learned english to some extent. Even then, this did not stop me from getting the visa.

My Advise:
> Even if you are not fluent in english, take training to understand american accent using google translate (audio option) - its free and very effective.
> Practise the questions available in my blog...:)
> Thanks to indusladies, immhelp, **** * websites! without those websites, i would not have made it.

Hope this helps!!

GOOD LUCK! Lord nataraja may bless you !!:)

Hi All, after a long wait my petition was re-affirmed and then I was called for re-interview. Routine questions and then they approved my visa. All the best for everyone who are stuck with 221g or Admin Processing or whose petitions were sent back to USCIS.

Hi Guys,

This is update to my earlier post posted on 01/22/2013 00:35:18AM.

I was issued 221g for interview in Oct 2012. VO said he is sending my case to USCIS in USA. for further investigation. After all these days, 2 weeks back they contacted my client XYZ in US asking about my employment. My client responded to them on Monday, and I've received an email today from Hyderabad Embassy asking to submit my passport.

I went and submitted just now. I'm assuming they approved my VISA, but I would rather keep my fingers crossed till I get my passport back. Never know what they will do..

:)Praveen

so this is the third time for us to attend visa interview
1st time hyderabad 221g
2nd time hyderabad 221g and
3rd time chennai visa approved ...
so here is my experience
went for ofc centre on 29 jan 2013 ....its opposite to apollo cancer hospital anna salai
note :consulate and ofc centres are not in the same area ...consulate is in anna salai
and ofc centre is opposite apollo cancer hospital..
at ofc center after standing in queue they ask us appointment confirmation and ds160 form and passport after that security check ...then they give a token number ..when called upon take your finger prints ..right hand four fingers left hand four fingers and 2 thumbs ..then photo ...after which your asked to leave ..the whole process took about 30 to 45 minutes ...
next on 30th jan 2013 was our interview day ...
there is a long queue but to my surprise moves pretty fast ..after the security check you will be given a token number ..when they screen you number you must go to the appropriate counter and show your h1 petition and h1 approval notice they are rubberbanded and your passport are also rubberbanded then you have to sit for some time ..again go to your appropriate counter when called and put yourfingerprints ...and move to another buliding which is just beside this building and be seated until they call out your token number ..
note dont talk in the line ...
be relaxed
smile be pleasent
wear good bright clothes
and then comes the interview
husband:gm
vo:gm
vo:whos ur client ?
husband: answered
vo :whats ur salary?
husband :answered
vo :whats ur highest degree?
husband :answered
vo :turns to me whats ur husbandz dob?
me :answered
vo whats ur fathr in laws name?
me :answered
vo :whats ur mom in law name?
me :answered
vo whats ur husband place of birth?
me :answered
vo whats ur highest level of education ?
answered
vo:ok give me 5min went inside and came back then said the golden words visa approved here is the white booklet which focuses on rights of h1b people...
bye have a nice day
me : you too
note dont talk while you leave ..
finally at the exit me and my husband spoke to each other saying congrats
sohere is my experience ..have clarity in your mind ..for each and every question you know he might ask ..
be pleasent and happy ..and confident ...
never lose hope ...
try try and suceed ...
all the best to those who attend the interview
thanks immihelp users who helped me gain confidence through their posts...
cheers!!

Hi
I wish to go for H4 stamping alone in the month of feb. The ustravel docs help desk says a separate i797 is required for the dependent ina ddition to the petitioners i797. Has any one who have gone for H4 stamping alone required a separate I797 ..this is a new rule it seems.. Please advice.
They say they are yet to update this in their site.. kindly advice if for recent h4 stamping are they asking for new i797

Its my turn to write my exp:

May-2012 - My employer applied for H1
Sep-2012 - H1 Approved
Oct-2012 - Received I797 and other docs. unfortunately some wrong details about me in I797. Again employer reported to USCIS
Jan-2013 - Received new I797 with all correct details.

OFC on Jan 27th 2013: Went to OFC on sunday. There were around 25 to 30 ppl in my slot and we are at 5th in queue. One person came and verified passport, DS-160 Confirm, Appt Letter and pinned DS-160 & Appt. One more person came and scanned DS-160 Barcode and allowed inside. Inside at counter took DS-160 and appt letter and scanned barcode and attached a sticker back to our passports and given two tokens for both of us. After security check - allowed into one room where they take photo and finger prints. We waited for 1 min for our turn and meanwhile went through the instructions on board. Once our token number called..went and given finger prints and also photo. He took DS-160 confirmation and put a stamp on that(Carried same copy to interview next day). Every thing was completed within 15 min..BTW our appt was at 4.00 PM - we allowed inside at 3.30 PM and we were out at 3.45 PM - before our scheduled time 4.00 PM :)

Interview on Jan 28th 2013 8.30 AM: Carried all documents and certificates along with 2 sets of xerox for each document. Allowed inside at 8.00 AM after checking passport, DS-160 and Appt letter. At security they asked to put all our belongings including belt in one tray for scanning. and we walk through one security scan. After that took all our belongings(documents, belt, etc...) Next sat in the queue for some time..one person came and checked DS-160, appt letter and asked visa type...since it is h1 she asked i797 xerox and pinned all three docs and given white pomplate booklet. After 10 or 15 min...we were asked to go to next counter...there they again checked pinned docs and asked to wait in waiting area.

At waiting area one person was giving token number may be based on type of visa - mine was F8 (some tokens are with C, E - not sure what are they for)

after some time our token announced. Went to respective counter...before going to counter...I thought there they will check finger prints again and we have to wait for interview for some more time...but that was not happened. at the counter there was VO already doing interviews...i didn't even expected and my mind was not at all ready since i was expecting finger prints check... any ways..i had around 5 min to get my self ready as another interview was going on in front of me. I think he was for Business visa and I heared from VO saying I am sorry I cannot issue the visa today and the person said thank you and left silently...next our turn...here it goes...

VO: So you work for YYYY Company
me: yes

vo: what you will do for them
me: explained disignation and roles

vo: client
me: told

vo: salary
me: told

vo: asked for client letter
me: I dont have direct client letter - my emp provided client support letter, contract letter between employer and client and also PO. I told the same given the docs

vo: how long you have been married
me: told

vo: how did you find this company
me: through Job portal

vo: I have some bad information on your employer
me: said nothing

vo: after a little pause(he was typing and checking something on his computer) he said one min and went inside with our docs and passports and spoke to someone in one room, came back with empty hands and asked us to wait since they need to check something
me: I said ok


waiting time: I was almost hope less and expecting either rejection or at least 221g. After 1hr 15 min wait, he again called

vo: sorry for dealy
me: no problem

vo: so, how did you find this company
me: said job portal

vo: which one
me: dice

vo: how long you have been married...him self answered as this was already asked..(mean time he was typing something)
me: i just said yes

vo: finally he took both passports and put rubber band and put those aside in tray and given back all documents i gave to him and said I am approving your visas and have a good day.
me: thank you..you too have a good day and left

I dont know what they checked, but finally he approved.

paid 600/- for two passports at corier counter and came out.

Jan 30th 2013: passports received with stamping in it.

Today I have filled DS-160 form for visa application and got confirmation with bar code. I filled near by city as my place of birth, instead of village, where in I was born and the same is also appearing in my passport. With my own interpretation I did this. But I have no chance now to correct it. Can I explain the same, by seeing city name I have filled up near by city to my birth place, if officer raises this. Other wise can I fill another DS-160 for making this correction. The thing here is I did not pay visa fee till now and got Bank CGI reference number for cash payment for visa fee, while indicating DS-160 confirmation page bar code.
What to do now. Can we fill more than one Ds-160 form, if in case we found any error in the submitted DS-160 form, to make to correct it.
Please help me in this regard.
Thanks in advance
Sirish

hi friends,

what is the status of 221 g (AAP) attended on nov-2012 cases?

thanks
ram

Hello all,
I sincerly thank everyone who are behind this blog,the experiences are really helpful in undersatnding the pattern of the questions asked by the vo and the documents that we need to carry

OFC Completed on 22/Jan/13
Interview in Consulate on 23/Jan/13

Here is how my interview went.......

ME: Hi Madam Good afternoon
VO: Hello Good Afternoon

VO:Who is your petitioner?
ME:Answered

VO:Who is your client?
ME:Answered

VO:Which place are you going to?
ME:Answered

VO:What is your salary?
ME:Answered


She typed something on her computer and after 5 sec she said "Sir your visa is Approved.You will get an SMS" and gave me the white pamplet book.

I acknowledged her with a thank you.

H1 B approved in Chennai on Jan 23rd.

1. Client Name?
2. Highest Degree?

then the officer said VISA is approved.