Immigrant Visa

Can someone please tell me the Green Card Interview (family based F4 category) at the Montreal Consulate. My interview is in the first week of December 2004.
Thanks.

Went to India 10 days before the interview.

Had an apointment at Lister labs, 1 week before the interview. (Fix up the appoinments beforehand coz they are busy). Didn't have the medical form but got it from the lab and filled out. After the tests, they asked us to come and collect it in the evening. I went at 5pm and there was a huge crowd. The guy calls names and gives the sealed report. Don't open it. The next day (had an appointment) went to the Doc. She looked into the report, did the medical and gave the signed report.

Got the photos at the Konica lab at Nungambakkam. They know the specs.

My interview was at 10:00am. Went there at 9:45am. Don't go earlier coz you need to stand outside. Bypassed all the crowd (that was waiting coz their interview was at a later time) and went in. An Indian officer calls you and looks into the docs mentioned in the site, sorts it and arranges it for the American officer. He asked me if I had a I-184 for my family even though mine was an E3. I didn't have that and told him the same. He said "Thats not a problem. Its ok". After waiting for sometime, the American officer called us. Before he called us he goes through the documents thoroughly. He just asked me where I lived in the US, worked and that was it. He took our finger prints and asked us to wait. I think they do a background check. After 20 min, he called us, told that everyhting was OK and that we would get the stamped passports through courier in 2-3 days. We got it the next day though.

The experience was good. Everybody was courteous. Also, I noticed that for a couple of people before me who missed some docs, the officer just told them to get the docs and come back or mail the docs directly. So, CP is good if your docs are good and you don't fall into the grey areas mentioned in this site.

The site has been very useful. Thanks a lot folks...

Hi folks,
I'd like to thank this website for all the
detailed information posted here. It was extremely
useful.

Here are the details of my experience in mumbai...
--------------------------------
I reached india before i got the interview letter.
The letter is required for both the medical tests
and to enter the consulate for the final
interview. I picked up a duplicate from the
consulate itself. The information booth outside
the consulate issues the duplicate letter. its open from 9:00 am through 11:00 am. its best to go
around 10:30, else there's a huge line.


Medical tests at Lilavati :
---------------------------
The medical test was a breeze. There is a section
called VISA-something where the medical test
are carried out specifically for the GC.

The medical co-ordinator was a lady called Sylvia.
She was very polite and efficient. I reached there
around 8:30 am. You need your passport, interview
letter and 2 photo's.

By 10 am, the preliminary checkup,x-ray and other
tests were completed. There were about 20 other
people with me. we were asked to return in an hour
for the doctor to complete the remaining tests. the doctor showed up at around 11:00 am. she was
really polite and professional.

A cursory medical checkup followed by the
vaccinations and i was through in about 10
minutes. The reports were ready by 3:00 pm the
same day.

Interview at the consulate :
----------------------------
My interview was scheduled at 9:15 am. They do not
allow anybody into the consulate before the
scheduled time. Everybody (immigrant and
non-immigrant applicants) stand in the same line
outside. every 15 minutes or so a batch of people
are allowed inside. I finally got in at around
9:40 am. the guards outside are relatively rude.
but not as bad as what i was expecting. basically
the system is very haphazard.

Once inside the consulate everybody stands in a
"sorting queue" where depending on their case they
are asked to sit in front of certain booths.
Immigrant cases are handled at booths 9 through
12. There are no tokens/numbers for immigrant
cases, they simply call out your name. The PA
system is quite bad, you have to carefully listen
to whats going on. within about 15 minutes i was
called. First an indian goes through your papers.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the indian
guy was extremely polite and friendly. He simply
asked for the following documents one by one.
he did not even go through them.

1) DS-230 II
2) birth certificate
3) police certificate which i got from SFO.
4) notarized job offer
5) passport + photos
6) medical report from lilavati

thats it, no questions nothing. he asked me
to wait for the american officer. after about
another 20 minutes the american officer
called me to his booth (no 12). This interview
was also short and to the point. i raised my hand
and swore that all the info i was providing was
genuine.the american asked me my name, what
company i worked for. my salary. thats it.
i signed the document, the visa was issued.
I did not have to furnish any document.

note: i did not have to pay anything at the
consulate. i had taken a draft for the visa fee,
but i was not asked to pay for it. i'm not sure
why.

No tokens were given to me, i was simply asked
to report back at around 3:30 to pick up the
passport. i showed up at 3:00 and as usual there
was a line. all the immigrant folks were standing
in line to pick up their passports and packets.
At around 4:00, they started distributing the
passports/packets. You simply go to the
information counter (same place where i picked
up the duplicate interview letter) and tell them
your name, they gave you the passport and packet.
Its a little dangerous since they do not
double check the identity of the person
picking up the packet.


Overall i was impressed with the entire procedure
at mumbai and would recommend it to everybody who
qualifies.

best of luck.
RK

I would like to hear of any experience at the Delhi Consulate with AC_I140 or Consular processing.

Thanks

My 485 has been plodding along very slowly at Nebraska and I wish to consider switching to Consular Processing at Mumbai. If anyone has switched half ways, please advise on timelines and experiences - thanks in advance.

I married a U.S. citizen in 2002. Getting my immigrant visa was really frustrating - just when I thought I had all the papers ready, and arrived at the Helsinki consulate for the interview, I learned that my husband's income is inadequte for him to be my sponsor. Yes, he did cross the poverty line with his last tax papers - but the official said they guessed he would not cross it next year (the poverty line had been raised from 11000 to 15000 in 2003). So it took another month to find a second sponsor, get his tax returns etc.
To reduce the burden I laid on this person, I took medical travel insurance from my home country, Estonia.

My interview was in July 2004. This site was of great help in collecting the documents. The interview went well.
I just want to point out a few items.

- The call letter usually comes at the last minute. So keep checking the Chennai consulate website for IV appointments
- Do not send your final packet unless you have your PCC ready. PCC for Indian passports take 40 days and your appointment letter may come before that.
- The photos taken by me at the Konica lab opposite to Chola Sheraton mentioned in this website was not good( didn't meet specifications), the consular sent me back for a short interval to retake the pictures at another Konica lab opposite to the consulate. Please do check the photo requirements at the website and go to the proper place and save unnecessary problems. Please update this site and DO NOT RECOMMEND the lab opposite to chola sheraton.
- There were no questions on the employment letter
- Carry all documents specially H1Bs and other extensions or visas. The consular was very particular that me and my wife had the proper legal visas for the entire stay and that we were never out of status even for a day. Please carry all past documents like H1B receipts, visa stamping, old passports, EAD card, Advance parole , I-485 receipts from your spouse etc. I was on I-485 as my spouse applied for her adjustment here. It was not a problem, but I had to show the I-485 receipts and advance parole
- No need to take dependents if they are US citizens. But take their passports, pictures for proof of relationship, arrival immigration card which you receive at the airport for the children who are US citizens.
-If you have paid $335 per applicant for visa processing at the NYC, all you need is the courier fees. That's it
-Do not carry cosmetics , cell phones , ceiled covers, CDs etc as they are strictly not allowed and will delay your entry into the consulate. Just carry documents in a plastic cover or file, it will save you time.
- Please note there are restrooms inside the consulate.
-Organize your documents well. Primary applicant first, dependents next etc.
- The doctor
Good luck.

We got our immigration visa at the chennai consulate. The process for fairly straight forward. This website has be a great help. I would like thank this site. Basically, the consular made sure that we had legal visa papers for our entire stay in US. He also requested a copy of the SSN. Also please be sure to take proper immigration pictures. Check the conslate website for details as they change very often.

We successfully completed our CP interview in Chennai on this May, 2004. Since most of the folks have listed what documents to carry and what will happen on the day of interview, let me restrict myself to some pointers. I will also elaborate on my second trip to the consulate since I have not seen much information in that front.

1. They took all H1B documents and other work permits and were particular about all extension documents. In short they validated the legality of our stay there. (On the day of interview they rejected an applicant saying that she stayed in the US in out of status condition for 1 month)

2. The consular officer commented on my switch from B1 to H1B1 while in the US as “Not Good”!, but he did not press further (and I opted not to ARGUE!)

3. My passport was damaged. So the officer gave me a Blue Form, in which he wrote my name & “need new passport” and asked me to comeback on Tuesdays to Fridays at 8.00AM. He stamped my (and my wife’s) passport as document received, handed us the passports as well as the interview appointment letter (which was sent with the Packet 4) and off we went. (They did not give the documents back and our H1B1 was stamped as Cancelled without Prejudice)

4. Once I received my new passport in 15 days, we went back on a Friday at 8.00 AM. We showed the passport, Appt Letter and the Blue form to the security and he let us in.

5. A consular officer appeared and called for all applicants with Blue Form (there were quite a few!!). We formed a Queue and submitted the passport long with the Blue Form.

6. About an hour later, another consular officer appeared, called in random order and told us that your visa is through and will be sent in courier. He also gave us back our H1B1 papers.

7. For some folks, the officer asked for some more documents and sent them back. So it is not that the officers wont ask for some more documents during the second time. So it is advisable to carry all supporting documents.

Other Pointers

1. We were not asked to take the Oath.
2. Any US born children of the applicant need not be brought to the interview.
3. The Blue Form is Valid for 1 Year
4. One does not have to schedule another interview to go back. Also it is sufficient if the Primary alone goes to the interview in the second time. However, it is advisable to check with the consulate about not bringing the dependents

My best Wishes to all of you out there! There is a light at the End of the Tunnel!

HOW TO APPLY TO BE A SPONSER FOR "NON-FAMILY" ? We have very dear friends in a small European country (Bulgaria) and we want to totally financially sponser them to be able to relocate to America. We are not rich, but we can meet financial stipulations required. We trust this family entirely and will be a bond for them. PROBLEM: We are NOT blood relatives. We are not kindred at all. QUESTION: Can this be done? All advice considered and appreciated.