H1B, H4 Visa

Hi frends.

Firstly, my apologies. I attended the interview on august 4 . I shud have posted my exp. On saturdary itself. But I was too busy with my work. Anyways, I’lll brief u guys my case. I tried for H1 in last year’s quota, but unfortunately , a consultancy cheated me (not to mention, a desi guy). By the time, I realized this, the cap has already been reached, so bcos of him, I LOST ONE WHOLE YEAR IN MY LIFE, which I totally regret, so please don’t trust this guy. Coming to my interview, I attended the interview in Mumbai consulate last Friday.

Just to make sure, my post is descriptive and clear to everybody , I divided it into
My interview was at 11.00 AM. I reached the VFS office (opted for the lounge facility, though its not mandatory). They made us wait in the lounge until11.00 AM. Nothing to worry, vfs guys know when to send us to the consulate. At 11.00 AM, these guys drop u in front of the consulate in a bus. Once u reach the consulate, they will CLEARLY explain , as to what the procedure is (I mean, what u must do after entering the consulate building, most of u guys must be knowing this, but I will explain this for the sake of new H1B folks).

Step 1: ENTERING THE CONSULATE BUILDING:

Folks who’ve already been ANY US consulate before must be well acquainted with this process, so you guys can skip this section. Ok…firstly, u enter the main building. Before u enter, one guy makes sure u have an appointment letter ,passport and HSFC receipt with you. Once that is done, he will ask u to stand in the line. NOW, u enter the consulate building. The security guy scans and makes sure u don’t carry any sharp objects, mobile phones, and other so called NOT-ALLOWED stuff into the consulate.and u will be given a wooden token (this is really weird…I couldn’t understand the reason behind this. Make sure u retain it and don’t loose it, as u have to return it after ur interview).


Step 2: ENTERING THE MAIN BUILDING:

Once u r through, then u enter the main building. Where u will b asked to stand in another LOOOONG line, where it took me about 2 hrs. Then a lady gives u the stuff which u shud have mailed to the US consulate through one of the VFS Application Centers in your area of jurisdiction.

NOTE: THIS IS APPLICABLE TO ONLY THOSE PEOPLE WHO APPLY AT THE MUMBAI CONSULATE. (I mean, mailing the application packet before-hand).

She arranges all those documents viz.I797, appointment letter, issuance fee DD, hdfc receipt and others along with your passport and asks you to stand in the fingerprinting queue

Step 3: FINGERPRINTING:

This is another long line. Here, at the counter, your finger prints are taken (left index finger first and then, the right index finger). Also, you hand over those documents (refer step 2) to the guy at the counter (mostly American) . and you will be given a pink token with a number on it. This is the number which would be called . so please pay attention.

Step 4: VISA INTERVIEW (The scary part):

My number was called. And I opened the door and entered the cabin. This was how my interview went. Before that, a little bit about myself.

Education: Double MS from UK ( one in ECE and the other in IT)
Experience: 1 Yr in UK and 9 months in India
Visa Stampings: UK, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and other
countries I don’t remember

Interview:

Me : A very good afternoon.
VO: hi, how u doin?

Me : fine and u?
VO: good

Me : having a pretty hectic day. Huh?
VO: hmm…not really

Me : got used to it?
VO: a smile

Me : so y u goin to US?
VO: to work for xxx company.(meanwhile she started looking at my visas)

VO: have u been to UK?
Me : yes

VO: What did u do there?
Me: told her

VO: Show me your UK certificates
Me: showed her

Me: have u been to London before?
VO: little bit

VO: wher r u gonna work?
Me: I dint hear it properly. Asked her to repeat. As xxx in xxx

Me: do u like football? (I’m a die-hard fan of british football0
VO: no, I don’t watch it (meanwhile, VO was checking something in her PC)

VO: how did u come to know about this job?
Me: told her about the interview process

VO: have u been to US before?
Me: No. In fact, I’m the first person in my family to go to US

VO: you look a bit nervous. (I was indeed)
Me: (obviously, I couldn’t lie). Yes, a little bit. I cant wait to know the outcome.
(this may not b the right answer, but worked for me)

VO: I’m issuing you the visa, have a nice journey
Me: have a nice day and left


That’s it guys. Just be confident and be honest. PLEASE DO NOT PRODUCE ANY FAKE CERTIFICATES. This is my suggestion. Be honest and it pays.

Documents I carried:

1. I-797
2. I-129
3. LCA
4. appointment letter
5. letter addressing US consulate for request of H1B stamp
6. project description
7. letter explaining my role and responsibilities
8. W2 of all employees
9. tax papers of my company
10. 17 photographs
11. company brochures
12. H classification supplement (comes along with petition)

Hope this was elaborative and useful to everybody, any questions, feel free to ask me. And good luck to all H1 aspirants. Last but not the least, I thank this site and the site moderators and all the people who’ve been posting their experiences.please continue to post you experience, good or bad, atleast others can benefit from it.GOD BLESS!!!

Hi friends
My company is incurring losses since 6 months and they are struggling for projects. We know the fact but as I my H1B is under processing I did not changed the company because every company is asking a Bond for 1 year to 2 years and alse they keeping passports with them. So I thought that I should continue with the same company until my I get my visa stamped.

And I attended chennai consulate in May 2006 for interview and visa asked about my company details. Then went inside with my experience letters. At this point i noticed that he is discussing with other officer and hand over my experience letters. Then they might have contacted my company but they didnt get the proper reply from my present company. The VO asked me to wait for 10 minutes. And some other guy called me and taken in to seperate cabin and the officer from India(might be from Anti Fraud Unit)asked me about all my company details. And He also informed me that if my experience certificates are found to me fake, I will never go to USA in my life time. I said confidently that carry on their enquiry. Then he send me to wait for another 10 minutes.

After that the actual VO called me again and issued 221(g) for administrative processing(AAP) and the VO has taken all my experience letters and H1B petition papers.And also asked me to drop my educational evaluation document in drop box.

When I was waiting the response from consulate all of a sudden my present company(India) has closed the company. And then I came to know that when the consulate people visited my office there was no response from our company.The office informed the AFU that there is no such company in this premises. One Lady(I think she is from consulate AFU equiry department) also called me and asked about address of Company.
I told that i am still working with my same company.

The next day I went to office and found that the office has been closed. I have given mail to Chennai Consulate about the situation.
After One week i got mail from chennai consulate to attend the consulate On Any Monday before 9 AM with 60 days.I am attatching the letter with this mail.

This is my case..

Please tell me how to defend my case. How to prove that my company is existing and it is closed just few days back. What are the documents needed to prove this. Please advise me with all ur experiences from u and ur friends. I will be more thankful to you if u give me a good solution. And also is there any criminal proceedings on the spot against my case when i attend the consulate.

Thanking You and expecting an early reply from ur side with full of suggetions.

Vandana Devi
Bangalore

effective Monday, August 7, 2006 the United States consular sections in India will adjust the consular exchange rate from Rs. 46 to the dollar to Rs. 48 to the dollar, thereby increasing all rupee denominated costs of applying for visas and passports at the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General.(more

hi anybody can attend chennai consulate this Company.if any one atend pls share u r Eqp

IndSoft, Inc.
 

3755 E. Main St
Suite #180
St Charles, IL 60174
Tel: 630-377-2846
Fax: 773-913-6156

Hi Friends,

I have visa interview on december 13th in mumbai. recently the current employer lost the project. so i would like to join in another company. can i jump to other company.

Please give me u r valuable suggestion. Thanks in advance.

Hi all,
  
      i already got 221 g first time asking about the clinet details.This time i gone to consulate with all the details .This time Vo was a fat lady who is verifying each and evry 221 g around 30 min.So please be carefull while u go to that lady.
me gud morning
vo very gud morning asked which client
me xxx client
vo on what product r u going to work
me xxx product
vo did u had the client letter\
me showed the letter
vo just searched something on the net and said that she took a query paper and said that additional admin processing
thats my conversation
i wish u all the best who r trying for h1b

Hi All,

Last month I attended the visa interview at Delhi embassy. Thanks to Immmihelp which helped me in preparing a lot in advance. I collected each and every kind of document, which I observed from the immihelp visa section. Mine was an emergency case.

My interview had only 4 questions though:
Where are u going: To do research....
Do u have any dependants: Yes
Are they going with you: No
NO...: Not now
How long are u willing to stay: ...yrs
You may collect your visa by tommorrow evening at ...counter. Have a nice trip.

Thatz it
Wishing you all the best
Rajan

Hi friends,

I attended chennai consulate in May 2006 and got 221(g) for administrative processing(AAP) and the VO has

taken all my experience letters and H1B petition papers. When I was waiting the response from consulate
all of a sudden my present company(India) has closed the company. And when the consulate people contacted

my office there was no response from our company. I started searching of new job and given a mail about my

present situation. After one week I got a mail from Chennai consulate AFU(Anti Fraud Unit) and they sent a word

document as an attatchment . I am giving the contents of the mail below.

August 7, 2006


Dear candidate,

Please appear at the consulate for an interview on any Monday before 9.00 a.m. Please do not make an

appointment through the web.

You must bring the following documents to the interview:

• Passport (must be valid for six months at the time of application)
• Completed visa application form DS-156. Forms can be downloaded from

http://travel.state.gov/visaforms.html
• For all males between the ages of 16 and 45, supplemental application form DS-157. Forms can be

downloaded from http://travel.state.gov/visaforms.html
• One color visa photograph (50mm x 50mm, front-facing, white background)
• A copy of this letter

Failure to appear with requested items within 60 days of the date on this letter implies that you have waived your

right to a personal interview and may affect your case adversely in the future.

PLEASE BRING THIS LETTER TO YOUR INTERVIEW.

***

So I am in confusion whether there is any hope or not. How can I prove that my company closed . Can any body
give advise whether should I go to consulate or not. How should I defend my case at consulate. Can any body

faced the same problem. What are the consequences if I attend or not attend the consulate. Thanks in advance.

Hello Naresh,

Yes I am

Hi All,
   The visa issuance fee has been scrapped off. This is what I saw in VFS site

Visa Issuance Fee:
  
Indian passport holders will no longer be required to submit an Issuance fee demand draft for $50 at the time of the visa interview. Holders of Indian Certificates of Identity or Bhutanese passports, continue not owe any reciprocity fee.
 
  
Other nationalities: please click here to determine the Issuance Fee amount payable.
 
Source : http://www.immihelp.com/visas/alerts.html#noissuancefee