Immigrant Visa

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.

I went for successful CP at chennai on Feb 18th. A couple of observations:

- There were some comments on this website that said that the salary on the labor petition has to be lesser or equal to the prevailing wage or the wage specified in the offer letter. My salary on the labor petition was higher than my prevailing wage or the wage on the offer letter. This aspect did not seem to matter

- My offer letter was not notarized and that did not seem to matter

- The security at the consulate is very tight. Do not take cell phones, water bottles, CD's or any bags. Just take all docs in plastic covers

- When I had called earlier they had said that courier charges could be paid in cash. But at the counter they said cash cannot be accepted

- The american official was fairly intimidating. But as long as the docs are accurate he cannot deny.

- I did not get the packet 4 since I had a US address. I downloaded the packet 4 forms from the chennai consulate web site and evidently they were obsolete and I was asked to refill a new form at the counter.

Best of Luck

My last post reported my experience obtaining a green card based on EB-2. I wanted to create a specific post surrounding the issue of RCMP police certificates as this requirement could cause 5-7 months delays and may be unnecessary in some situations. This non-legal advice is based on applicants living in the United States on H1-B status from Canada.

Background:

If one has spent any amount of time in Canada, NVC requires an RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) police certificate police certificate for each visa applicant aged 16 years or older. In Canada two types of police certificates exist: a non-finger print name check – and a fingerprint and name check.


Name check only - non-fingerprint based certificates:

The RCMP non-fingerprint check procedure is a simple procedure. One visits an RCMP detachment (ensure you call ahead as some detachments do not provide this service) provides the reason for the request (your NVC letter) a Canadian passport for identification and your last known address in Canada. One’s name is run through “CPIC” Canada’s national criminal database and if nothing appears you’re issued an RCMP certified police certificate. The procedure costs around 20 dollars (cash only) and takes about a half hour. One can usually find and RCMP detachment at a boarder town and you may find this link useful to locate the detachment nearest you:

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/index-eng.htm

Make sure you call ahead to the detachment you plan on visiting, confirm if hey offer this service and what the office hours are. Remember that only the RCMP can issue police certificates in Canada, therefore do not bother visiting local or provincial police, as they cannot help you.


Fingerprint based certificates:

The Second type of Canadian police certificate is an RCMP fingerprint based police check where one’s prints are rolled at a local police department and sent to the RCMP Civil Fingerprint Screening Services (CFSS) of Canada for identification. One can find information of this from the following link:

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/crimrec/finger_e.htm

A common understanding should be that this is THE single source in Canada for fingerprint checks and that no other RCMP detachment in Canada or private company can issue a police report based on fingerprints. This is very different compared to the United States where one can walk into any police department and if you can prove that you have an address in the area receive a finger print check within days or even hours.

The problem with obtaining a fingerprint certificates in Canada?

One office, serving the entire country of Canada located in one of the most bureaucratic government cities in North America can cause ? : yes you guessed - huge delays : ) CFSS reports that the checks can take up to 150 days, however based on the reports from others, the average time to process a fingerprint application at CFSS can be more like 5- 6 or even 7 months !

A 6-month delay on top of the long process of applying for a green card can be discouraging, especially when the delay is coming from your own country !

Package three requirements:

Regarding the RCMP police certificate the question most people have in the package three is which certificate does one submit - the fingerprint or the non-fingerprint based ?

NVC’s rule states that if one is a resident of Canada they simply have to visit the nearest RCMP detachment and obtain a certificate that way. In other words they do not have to do finger printing and wait 5-6 months. I’m not an attorney but one has to read this rule carefully as I’ve seen countless people on H1-B proceed with finger printing when this seems to be completely unnecessary.


Read the rule carefully – the key word is “resident” :

An H1-B visa provides absolutely zero residency status in the United States and is a visiting visa based on specific employment. If one has a valid Canadian passport and a former known address in Canada one is still technically a resident of Canada. Revenue Canada certainly considers this true, as even Canadians on H1-B in the United States must technically file income taxes unless they declare that they do not plan on returning. Therefore applicants on H1-B that have lived in Canada exclusively may submit the non-fingerprint certificates.

My wife and I drove to Ontario specifically to have this done. It meant taking a day off work but it was worth it not to delay things 5-7 months. The RCMP office we visited knew the drill and had seen many other folks that day doing the same thing. When we re-entered the US we told the customs person why we had visited Canada and he knew based on our H1-B stamps the reason we had made the long trek - no hastles from him regarding our trip to Canada..


So why do people still proceed with the 5-6 month fingerprint based certificates submitted thought CFSS in Ottawa?

The answer appears to be based on prior posts pointing to NVC being tougher on naturalized Canadians and those that have lived in other countries before Canada. Fingerprinting may prudent in this situation. Other reasons:

1.) Does the last known address on the DS-230 match the police RCMP police certificate? if not fingerprinting may be necessary.

2.) I’ve seen at least one other post of a CP applicant on H1-B born in Canada who was told by her attorney to proceed with a fingerprint based certificate. Perhaps her attorney did not read the NVC rules carefully considering her case –or- is not up to speed on new the NVC procedures that review and approve ALL supporting documentation before the CP interview. Therefore the risk of submitting a non-finger certificate is worth it as the danger of one being turned down at CP for the wrong police certificate virtually eliminated. I know this to be true as I submitted the wrong type of birth certificate and NVC mailed me 2 weeks after package 3 was submitted requesting a long form certificate. I did and my application preceded – certainly a failsafe for CP – as I was not turned away in Montreal.


Can private companies can help?

If you must do FP’ing - as I mentioned previously, only the RCMP CFSS can conduct finger printing -however- I did run across a company in Ottawa that claims to streamline the process and hand deliver applications to the RCMP.

http://www.policecheck.com/services.html

In my personal opinion this service offers little value to those that are living in the United States and require fingerprint certificates. Private services cannot speed the application process in Canada and this site seems to act simply as a middleman. Personally I would visit the RCMP site and follow the instructions + Fedex the application rather that going this route. Moreover I feel that the site unnecessarily directs people into fingerprinting when it is not required ! be warned.

** Off topic - regarding birth certificates - I can recommend a private company to speed up birth certificate applications in the province of Ontario. The department of vital statistic in Ontario is in chaos and those requiring requiring a long form birth record may have to wait up to three to six weeks by mail (expedited !) The average waiting period in other provinces is 48 hours by mail (expedited) The following company can help out:

http://www.ontariobusinesscentral.ca/forms/certificates.asp

Will assign a personal courier to wait in line at the only office in Ontario that does same day processing of records. The line for this office in Toronto extends around the block and our courier began his morning at 6:00 AM. We found this service to be amazing, especially as via his cell phone our courier called us and put a clerk on the line who could not find my wife’s birth record. It turned out that the clerk was spelling her name incorrectly : ) !!!! A delay by mail that would have cost us weeks. The total cost was about 80 dollars – well worth it.


Overall, I hope this helps. Good luck to everyone.

First I want to say how extremely frustrating it is to research employment based “green card immigration” as most sites and forums seem to cater to green card immigration through marriage (particularly American guys marrying British women : )

My wife and I are both professionals however our case was based on my credentials under the extrornary ability category (EB-2.) We have been living in the United States for 4 years in both TN and H-1B status. We elected consular processing as we were both born in Canada and heard that we could shave a year off the application.

Here is the timetable of processing:

May 2002 I-140 submitted EB-2 does not require labor certification
April 2002 Package 2 and fee’s collected
June 2nd 2003 receive package 3 from NVC
June 6th Drive to Ontario boarder town for police certificates
June 9th Submitted package 3
August 27th 2003 receive package 4 from NVC
August 29th 2003 medical interview in Toronto
September 29th 2003 interview set at Montreal consulate

Some tips regarding package three and four:

1.) Canadian police certificates. This was the most convoluted parts of the application. One needs to submit a police a certificate and two kinds exist in Canada A.) fingerprint based and B.) non finger print based. The finger print based application can take up to 4 months as Canadian buercracy means it must be processed in Ottawa. Non-finger print certificates are accepted in NVC and can be had by visiting any RCMP detachment during business hours. NVC really pushes one to go the “mail Ottawa - wait 4 months route “ however it is WELL worth it to drive up to a boarder town as waiting and holding up package 3 seems insane. Alternatively you could be proactive and apply a few months before you expect package 3 – however this is a gamble as the certificates are only good for one year.

2.) Montreal processing requires a medical examination by a certified doctor in Canada. INS doctors in US cannot be used. Frustrating if you are H1-B and live in the US. Also be prepared to carry your chest x-ray to the interview –not sure why but they like you to have it.

3.) Also for package 4 - if you live in the United States be very careful how your pictures are taken. Unless you live in New York or a high immigrant center the passport photographers will not know how to take a proper ADIT photograph. I cannot tell you the fighting I had with the guy who took my picture – he totally blew off the rules and my head was too large. I made him retake the pics and thankfully so, as the boarder person had his ruler out and measured. My advice is to bring a ruler to your photo session – have them expose 2 pictures – then measure – and expose two more and then measure. A good rule of thumb is to have them stand back one step where they normally take a passport photo. Ear and 3/4 ADIT profile a must.

Montreal Experience

I’ve read many experiences of being processed through Montreal and have to say the rules and procedures have changed. The NVC package 2 collects all fees via US money order and Package three collects most of the evidence. Beyond ones medical report, recent tax information, and passports the consulate seems to have all the evidence they need to process ones visa. It was total overkill for us to bring tax statements from 2000 and 2001, bank balance statements, and even wedding photographs as one thread suggested (we’ve been married for 5 years). A caveat however - our experience applies to Montreal processing and EB-2 – your green card application may have different rules. I was told by the consulate that they do support the new procedures as NVC prep work makes everyone’s job easier.

The actual visit to the consulate was fairly painless. Appointments for these visas seem to be at 8:30AM and it is critical for one to arrive at least 45 minutes prior as it is first come first serve. We found the office to be very efficient and well run and efficient. Ensure you have your passports and appointment letter ready, as you will need to show this to at least 4 different people before you hit the first interview window.

Our other tips while at the consulate

- Do not bring electronic items including cell phones as they will not be allowed on the 19th floor
- Bring a newspaper or book as the wait can be a little long
- Don’t over dress – and wear comfortable shoes. I saw a guy who looked very uncomfortable wearing tight dress shoes and a tie. Being comfortable, calm and prepared seems more important than looking like you are going for a job interview.

Once searched we were sent up to the 19 floor and to a specific window. At that window we were given a number (you’re number for the day) and waited for the first document review. The first document review confirms who is with you at the interview, your identity and that you have submitted all the documents. They asked us for our 2002 tax returns at this stage. After going to our first window we waited about 20 minutes for the actually interview. The interview was straight forward – oath and a few questions. The woman who interviewed us was apologetic about the delays and said she would get us out quickly. Within a half hour we were called to the final window, received the visa and were handed two sealed envelopes. The whole consulate process took an hour and a half.

We decided to drive to Toronto and go through Buffalo crossing for our I-551 stamp and paperwork submittal. Boarder processing was the longest part of the whole process, taking over two hours as we must have had a new person processing us. He told us that the cards could take 10 mouths to print and to be patient (I’ve heard that thanks to system improvements people are seeing cards within a month). The day after I went to the social security office and filed for the restrictions to be removed of our cards using the SS-5 forms. Also informed employer and filled out an I-9 form.

A year and a half over a thousand dollars worth of fees, three trips to Canada and tons of stress but we have our I-551 stamps and green card I can say very much worth it!

Personal experience – IV interview at Chennai

I am a retired engineer. Together with my wife, I appeared for the Immigrant Visa interview at Chennai on 30 April 2002.

Our cases ( my wife and I) were sponsored by my daughter, who is an US citizen. Our cases came under the IR5 category.

During the past few months, I was a regular browser of the immihelp.com which gave me a lot of information to prepare the docs and anticipate what is required at the interview. The ‘ personal experiences ‘ of a few CP’ers were really elaborate and they were of immense help.

Arranging the docs

I found it extremely helpful in arranging the docs in the proper sequence as required by the US Consulate ( refer to the information in Packet 4). I made the following files ready.

File 1 – containing –
1. Appointment letter
2. Form OF 230 Part I ( signed)
3. Form OF 230 Part II (unsigned)
4. Marriage certificate ( Original + Copy)
5. Wedding photos - 3 off
6. Birth Certificate ( Original + Copy)
7. Evidence of financial support from sponsor -
a. I 864 – from daughter
b. Tax returns for the past 3 years (2001, 2000, 1999) – (Copies)
c. Letter from the employer
d. Bank statement
e. Naturalization Certificate ( Copy)
8. Photos ( for immigration purposes, as specified in the Packet 4 letter) – 3 off
9. Proof of relationship – (Original + Copy)
10. Medical report
11. IRS 9003 form
12. Police clearance certificate ( Original + Copy)
13. Passport

File 2 – containing the same documents for my wife.

The above two files will be submitted to the consulate officer.

Notes:
1. Where nothing is mentioned, it is only the Original document that will be submitted
2. There is no need to submit the X- ray along with the medical report.

File 3 – containing one copy of the docs submitted in files 1 and 3. These may not be required at all ( as was in our cases), but it is recommended that we have some extra copies of the docs we are submitting.

File 4 – containing the miscellaneous papers like corespondence with the US Consulate, copy of the petition filed by the sponsor ( to the INS), and any other supporting docs for the date of birth etc.

I arranged the docs with proper tags for easy reference and placed the files in transparent folders – one folder for each file. It is not recommended that the papers are stapled together as that will cause inconvenience for the consulate staff to separate them. I used the Gem clips to hold the papers. Each file of papers are then held together in a bunch by the large clips available in the market.

Procurement of the docs

It will be helpful to start collecting the required docs a few months ahead of the anticipated date of interview. I have seen a few people at the interview not fully equipped with all the docs required. The following docs are to be procured:
1. Birth certificate – For people of my age group, it is likely that they do not have the birth registered at the municipal office. An endorsement from the municipality (check the place of birth in the passport) has to be obtained that the birth was not registered. This will be an easy job and can be done in a few days time. Then an affidavit has to be made by the parents regarding the date and place of birth of the applicant. If the parents are no more, any elderly close relative (who has knowledge of the date of birth) can sign the affidavit. Together with the endorsement, this affidavit will serve as the birth certificate.
2. Marriage certificate – This can be obtained from Registrar of Marriages in about 15 days time. It is not necessary that we have to obtain the marriage certificate at the place of marriage. This can be procured at the current place of residence. If the Registrar’s office is contacted, they will give the details of the procedure to be followed. We submitted copies of the old wedding photos for obtaining the marriage certificate.
3. Wedding photos – If we have a photo, we can submit the copies. In fact the US Consulate returned the copies of the (black and white) photos I submitted.
4. Proof of relationship – We have to submit originals (and copies) of the documents to prove the relationship of the sponsor with the applicants. If the sponsor is a son or daughter, the best evidence is the birth certificate of the sponsor from the municipality. Otherwise we can also submit any school records like X class certificate, degree certificate etc where the names of the parents are mentioned. As a last resort, affidavits can be made from close relatives who have knowledge of the birth of the sponsor to certify that the sponsor was born to the applicants.
5. Police clearance certificates (PCC) – This is an area where I found some of the IV applicants I met at Chennai were not clear. I have also found that the US Consulate was particular asking for all the relevant PCCs. The following points are to be noted:
a. For the applicants who stayed in India all through, it is required to get the PCC from the passport office serving the area of current residence. If the passport is issued from the same office, the PCC is made available within a week. If the passport is issued from another office in India or abroad, it may take upto 45 days. The procedure is straight forward and one has to pay Rs 100 as fee.
b. For the applicants, whose passports were issued not more than six months from the present date ( date of interview), the PCC from the passport office alone is sufficient. If that is not the case (which will be the majority of the cases), one has to obtain the PCC from the local district police office IN ADDITION TO the PCC obtained from the passport office. This needs some follow-up. In my case, I met the Supt of Police personally with an application detailing why I need the PCC from his office, attaching copies of the appointment letter and the note for the requirement of the PCC from the US Consulate. Once he authorized the issue of the PCC, it is just following up with his office staff.
c. For those applicants who resided abroad (as we did), we have to get the PCC from ALL the countries WHERE the period of stay was MORE THAN ONE YEAR after attaining the age of 16. For European countries, there are clear guidelines how to do it and their embassies in India have all the information. Otherwise we can contact a friend in those countries and they can obtain the PCC for you. One has to send all the docs from here. For some countries (e.g African countries), you need your fingerprints to be taken and certified at the local police station and sent to the respective offices/embassies. This is a time consuming and expensive process as most of the countries charge a fee for issuing the PCCs. If you fall in this category, the time to act is now irrespective of the anticipated date of interview.
d. The PCCs from the local sources are to be procured preferably within six months period before the interview.


Accomodation at Chennai

I can not write about the hotel accommodation at Chennai as we did not stay in a hotel. But there are quite a few hotels reasonably priced close to the US Consulate. If you are going to Chennai in summer (as we did), I recommend that you go for AC accommodation. In my view, it is better to stay close to the US Consulate as most of the activities are around the Consulate.

Lister laboratories

Lister lab is at Jagannathan Street, about 1 ½ KM from the Gemini flyover off the Nungambakkam High Road. We engaged a taxi and our taxi driver knew the place. We reached Chennai around 6=30 AM on 26th April. After refreshing in the room, we reached Lister lab around 9=00 AM. No prior appointment is required. But make sure that you carry a copy of the appointment letter from the US Consulate and a passport size photo ( normal size – not immigration size). We filled in the forms ( sent to us by the US Consulate along with Packet 4) beforehand and affixed the photos. We have to carry our passports as well.

The Receptionist will check the passport and the appointment letter and compare the details with the form filled by us. We will be given another form for filling and to be handed over to the Receptionist. Then each candidate is required to pay Rs 600 as the fee ( can be paid in cash). A receipt will be given, which will later be used to collect the reports.

The lab was quite efficient and there was not much of waiting there. The staff had a coffee break around 9=30 AM ( for 10 to 15 mins) and that added to our waiting period. Premeasured blood sample is taken by using a small test tube under vacuum. Then we went for the X-ray. The X-ray operator was quite helpful and speaks many languages. We came out of the lab around 10=00 AM.

Immigration photos

It is best to get the photos ( as detailed in Packet 4) at specified places in Chennai. We found two at Chennai – both Konica photo shops, around the US Consulate. One is across the road from the Chola Sheraton hotel, about 1 KM from the US Consulate. That was the shop we preferred. Another Konica shop, close to the Gemini flyover, also specializes in these photos. We have to tell them in advance that we require the photos for Green Card purpose. They give 8 photos ( 4 in each size – 1 ¼ in square and the other slightly larger). The photographer knows exactly the background and posture for the photo. The prints were made ready in 30 mins time. We paid Rs 100 for each person for 8 photos.

We used the 1 ¼ in size photos ( three) for submission at the US Consulate. Two of them are to be signed on the front bottom. We used the old fashioned ( thick-writing) ball pen. The modern ‘gel’ and fine-tipped pens were of no use. We wrote the name and case number at the back of the photos. But I found that some have not written anything at the backside of the photos.

Medical examination

We went to the Lister lab around 4=15 PM to collect the reports. They close at 5=00 PM sharp ( not 5=30 as indicated in the letter from the US Consulate). Even though they advised us to report by 4=30 PM, we went there early. Then the X-ray operator told us that the X-ray for my wife was not clear as there was some movement of the body. So she had to undergo another X-ray. They did it very fast and the report was made available soon after. We collected the reports ( kept sealed – to be opened only by the examining physician) by 4=50 PM.

We preferred to go to Dr. Mathai Thomas at the Best hospital at Kodambakkam as we wanted to complete all the jobs on the same day. He is the only doctor out of the panel of doctors available after 5=00 PM. I made an appointment with his secretary a few days in advance. We filled some forms giving our details and consent for the vaccinations. We have to carry our passports, appointment letter and one copy of the passport size photo ( NOT the immigration photo).

The doctor opened the envelope containing the X-ray and the reports. He went through the reports and asked us whether we were ever hospitalized, ever had any operations and any other ailment we have at present. My wife was examined by a female nurse and he examined me. We were made to cough a couple of times while he examined the abdomen, spleen etc. He noted down the height, weight and checked our vision. Since we had the MMR vaccine recently, we were given the vaccine for chicken pox. This was news to us. We expected no vaccination from the doctor. The chicken pox vaccination cost us Rs 1,500 each. When we checked with other IV applicants, we found that all other doctors were also administering the same vaccine at the same cost. We paid the doctor Rs 3,900.

When I asked him whether everything is normal, he told us we are fine. We were somewhat apprehensive as my wife and I are in the above 55 years age bracket and we really do not know the standards set by the US Health department. Later on we found at the time of interview, people who are considerably older than us ( and visibly infirm) and one lady in a wheel chair. The medical exam for both of us took about 30 mins. He gave us a personal copy of the immunizations report. He gave us the medical reports in open envelopes.

We came out from the doctor’s office around 6=15 PM. If parents like us are not familiar with Chennai and do not speak Tamil ( as we are), I suggest that it is best to engage a taxi for a day and finish the lab test and the medical exam on the same day. This will save time and also avoid haggling with the autodrivers at every point.

Interview at the Consulate

After the medical exam on 26th April, we had clear three days off before the interview on 30th April. If the season is right, we may utilize the period to see some of the sights in and around Chennai. We spent most of the day time in the room and ventured out only in the evenings.

On the day of the interview, we reported at the US Consulate gate at 7=30 AM (interview time indicated 8=00 AM). We have to show the appointment letter and passport at the gate before we are allowed. We carried them in a separate transparent plastic folder. No handbags, water bottles and cell phones are allowed inside the consulate premises. We carried all our docs ( in four folders) in a clear plastic bag. We were waved through the gate. We were directed to the building and another check was made regarding the appointment letter, passport and the carrying bags. There was a metal detector (like the security check at the airports) .Then we were asked to take seats in a row of chairs in a large hall.

This is a new building fully air-conditioned and is provided with comfortable chairs. Drinking water is available. I did not check but toilets should also be available. This was a pleasant surprise as we were mentally prepared to be seated on backless benches under a shamiana outside the building. The chairs are facing eight counters from where the applicants will be called. They have seated all the IV applicants on the right side and other visa applicants on the left side. When we entered the hall at 7=35 AM, we found that the front rows of chairs were already occupied. The security guard directed us to our seats in the fourth row. Usually the seats are allotted depending upon the time we arrive. Early birds get the front rows. We learnt that the gate opens at 7=00 AM.

Then a lady opened the counter 7 around 8=15 AM and started calling some H1 visa applicants and collected the papers. By 8=30 AM, counter 8 also opened and together with counter 7, they started dealing with the IV applicants. The security guard picked up the persons starting from the front row (first-come, first-served) and they were asked to form a line in front of the counters to submit the docs. For a family only one member is required to submit the docs. Even though my wife and I have separate case numbers, only I was asked to submit both sets of docs. I submitted my docs by 9=00 AM. I was asked to submit my Demand Draft ( for an equivalent amount of US $ 260) at the counter 1. The lady at the cash counter issued two copies of receipt for the same. We were also given an address label to be filled with the address where we want the passports and visa papers to be sent. We filled the address label and waited.

The collection of the docs for the IV applicants was completed by 9=30 AM. The process was quite fast and efficient. At 10= 00 AM, another lady came to the counter 7 and called our names first (to our surprise as we were not the first to submit the papers). She collected one copy of the receipt we obtained earlier for payment of the visa application fee. She went through all the docs separating the originals from the copies. She returned us the copies of the wedding photos. We submitted affidavits from my mother-in-law and a family friend to prove that the sponsor is our daughter. The copies of these affidavits were used when my daughter filed the petition to INS. We noticed that the lady at the counter has the petitions filed by my daughter. We submitted the originals of the affidavits. She asked us whether we have any other proof. My daughter was included in the passport of my wife ( issued in 1980). Also in the degree certificate of my daughter, my name was included as the father. We gave the originals and copies of these docs. The lady asked us to sign the Form OF 230 Part II. She told us that all the other papers are in order and we can wait for the approval of the consular officer. The whole process did not take more than 15 mins.

By 10=30 AM, we were again the first persons called to the counter 7. The same lady told us that we can now pay the visa fee and collected the address label from us. She returned us the original docs submitted to prove the relationship. We were also given back the copies of the PCCs. The originals were retained by the Consulate. She returned us the original docs for the marriage certificate and the affidavits for date of birth. We had also handed over the draft for Rs 300 to her. Since we have two passports, the courier fee was Rs.350. I told her that I have two drafts for Rs. 300 each. She agreed to have Rs. 50 in cash in addition to one of the drafts for Rs. 300. She gave us a slip authorizing us to pay the visa fee. She told us after paying the visa fee (equivalent of US $ 65 each), we can go home and wait for the packet to be delivered by the courier. We handed over the drafts for the amount and collected the receipt. The security staff in the hall do not allow discussions with others after the visa fee is paid. We came out of the Consulate by 10=45 AM. As we wanted to be present to receive the visa packets from the courier, we reached Hyderabad the next morning. If you choose to stay in Chennai, you can receive the visa packets the very next day through the courier.

We received the packet containing the passports and the visa packets for both of us on 2 May 2002 at our Hyderabad address. The immigration visas were stapled on the outside of the packets with an instruction that the packets are to be opened by an US immigration or health officer. We were advised to check the details on the visa and if any correction is required, we should contact the Consulate within two weeks from the date of issue of the visa. We made a few photocopies of the visas for submission to the travel agent etc without disturbing the affixed visas.

Port of Entry

We arrived at the Los Angeles airport with the visa packets in hand. We had only filled the customs declaration form as there was no need to fill the Immigration forms provided on board the flight. We were directed to the immigration counter dealing with the new immigrants. After checking the contents of the packets, we were asked to sign and affix the fingerprint (forefinger only) on a document. Then we were asked to collect our baggage and come back to the counter. There was no mention of the X-rays which we carried all the way through to USA from India. We collected our baggage and presented ourselves at the same counter after 20 minutes. We had to wait for a few minutes before we were handed over our passports with a stamp for a temp visa for one year. The actual cards are expected to arrive at the declared address in USA after a few months.

Here is a memo from my CP experience (Tokyo, Japan).

On DS-230II, item 28 should be filled with your native alphabet (kanji in my case).

I was advised from the hospital who would conduct my medical exam to finish immunization for MMR, TD, and varicella before going to Japan for medical exam and CP interview. I was glad because I had already got MMR and varicella a few month ago. I only had to get TD on the day of medical exam.

I got a slight fever for a day or two after MMR and varicella shot. TD was fine.

I got immunization at Hyo J. KIM, M.D. (1426 Fillmore St. #202, San Francisco). They were nice.

I got medical exam at Seibo Hospital in Tokyo. They were nice. Express service was available on the same day with extra charge. Normal service took three days. I chose normal service. The hospital was open seven days a week, and I could get the result on Saturday.

During a trip for CP, I stayed at Komatsuya Ryokan in Ueno. The hotel is old, and has no private bathroom. But I liked their hospitality. Best of all, the hotel is located very close to Ueno station, and the price is low. I took Keisei Liner from NRT to Ueno. In Tokyo, I used Yamanote-line and taxi to go to American Embassy and Seibo Hospital.

Employment letter has to be notarized. I did not know this until I got the interview notice, thus had to run around in the final week before the trip. Just in case, I got two letters notarized.

Due to the long waiting between actions, some documents you collected might get obsolete. For example, check the date on your family register and employment letter. In my case, newer tax return document became available while I was waiting.

I got tax return documents at IRS (450 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco). They printed the documents on the spot with no charge.

Some extra photos helped me. Some extra copies of family register helped me.

Some of the heavy bunch of documents I carried all over to Japan for "just in case" helped me.

My attorney was always quick. Whenever I e-mailed him with questions, he kindly answered within a day. I hope you get such a professional.

But still, most of the useful information came from the web. Thanks a lot to all the nice friends on the web!

I succeeded in getting my employer-sponsored immigration visa (EB2) approved through the consular process at Guangzhou, China. I put up my experience here in hope that others following the same route may find it helpful.
Call the consulate directly to get your status once the Packet III is sent out.

It took the package IV more than 2 weeks to reach me from the consulate, and I barely had enough time to get all the needed documents, arrange for international travel, and be there for the medical exams. I did call the consulate a couple of times to find out if my submitted documents were complete, and they informed me that they were. They also verified my address in the U.S., but never explicitly told me the interview date. Therefore, it's very important to ask them to check and tell you if an interview date has been scheduled, and if so, when.

The number to call is 86-020-8399-2000

and you can only talk to a live person 2:00-4:00pm Guangzhou time. The above number may change; you can call the main number listed from the consulate's Web site and find the right number by navigating the voice menu. If you are told that the line is busy, call back after a few minutes. Have your case number ready; it should begin with GUZ followed by a number generated by the National Visa Center. Staff can speak both English and Mandarin.
Fly to Guangzhou for medical exams and vaccination
You must have the medicals and vaccination done prior to the interview. You should give yourself at least 2 days -- one day for the exams and one day for getting the result. I recommend

Health Care Center of Guangdong International Travel
33 Shamian North Street, Shamian Island, Guangzhou
Tel: 86-020-81889513

It is located on the same island as the U.S. consulate and the two locations are within walking distance of each other. The staff there are professional and friendly; they will guide you from start to finish for each test, and they are familiar with the medical/vaccination required by the consulate. You should bring the interview notice letter from the consulate (a photocopy is fine), 4 passport photos (frontal), and all the medical forms in Package IV.

Bring previous vaccination records so that you may avoid some shots. The whole process takes about two hours. I arrived around 8:00am and were done well before noon. You will get a receipt telling you when to return to pick up the result.

The result is sealed in an envelop and you must not open it until the interview. You'll also be given a tube containing the X-ray. It might be needed so bring it to the interview. The brown and yellow health/vaccination certificates are for your records only. Since your result is sealed, you can find the same information from these certificates.
Interview
You don't need to go to the consulate earlier than your scheduled time. Outside the consulate there are lanes marked for immigrant applicants with their appointment time. Line up according to your appointment time. I was scheduled for 9:30am, but wasn't allowed in until 11:00am. It was rather crowded and a bit chaotic outside the consulate; be patient. Have your interview letter ready.

Once inside the courtyard, go to the visa room at the back. Give your interview letter to the staff roaming the room, and take a seat. When I was there, the room was packed; some people were chatting loudly; children were running around. Again, be patient. Your name will be called.

Go to the designated window and turn in your documents to the local staff. You'll break the medical envelop there, and put two visa style photos in a small plastic bag. The local staff can be difficult, negative, and fault-finding. My tormenter tossed out some documents that I submitted, then demanded them again impatiently. She also said that my police certificate had expired (I've never been back to China for many years.) Ignore them; just get the necessary documents in.

You'll be asked to pay at a seperate window. They only accpet RMB, not U.S. dollar, contrary to some information posted on the Web. If you don't have the money in RMB, you can go back to the original window and ask for permission to go out of the consulate to get it. You'll get a slip of paper, which allows you to return, and tell the guards at the door that you'll be back. There's a Bank of China branch in a few blocks.

They didn't ask any document not on the packet IV list. They didn't even keep my tax returns and pay stubs, although the local staff glanced at them. You should, of course, bring as many documents as possible just in case they are needed.

Once you've paid, you need to sit down and wait to be called again. In my case, an American consul asked me to swear to tell the truth. She was very nice and asked me a few very simple questions like: Where do you work? How did you first go to the U.S.? Which school did you go to? What was your major? What did you do at the company? She asked me how long I've been back in China, and I said a couple of days. She then said the police certificate was okay. And she approved my application. I was the last one stepping out of the consulate.
Picking up the visa and returning via Los Angeles
You go back at 4:30pm to pick up your visa outside the consulate with your passport. No lines; they'll call your name. The visa is a sealed package with a colorful approval notice stapled outside. No stamps in your passport.

When leaving China, show your passport and this package to the airline staff at checkin and the Chinese border security at the airport. At Los Angeles, go to the "First time immigrants" aisle. They'll let U.S. citizens with adopted children and fiance visa holders go first. Then they'll get your finger-print and signature and take your package. They then stamp your passport with the temporary green card. You're done. It took me 30 minutes at LA as there were about 20 new immigrants.
Timeline
Case sent to NVC on: May 7, 2001
Packet IV sent from Guangzhou: August 16, 2001
Packet IV arrived: Sept. 1, 2001
Interview on: Sept. 11, 2001
Priority date: July 29, 1998
Misc.
I stayed at the Victory (Sheng Li) Hotel on the Shamian Island, which is close to both the Health Care Center and the U.S. consulate. The hotel takes credit card, which is not possible in other hotels I stayed. It was about RMB 200 a night.

You can get on the Internet at the Henan Guest House (Henan Zhao Dai Suo) nearby for RMB 20 an hour. Ask the front desk for its location.

Use taxi to get around. No tips are needed anywhere.
Good luck!