Hi all....

Please share your experience in Indian consulates here on K3 /K1 visas ......Is there anyone who just recd K3 packet who can share what forms need to be sent to embassy ....

my wife received her packet last week..following r the papers she was asked to bring for her interview
1= ds156
2= ds156k
3= copy of my natrulization certificate.
4= copy of my american passport
5= i134,my bank statements.
6= her medical report.
7= eveidence of relationship.
8= 2005 tax returns.1040,w2
9=her passport
10= her birthcertificate
11= notice of action for i129.
thats all they have asked her to bring.one thing what i did was,the minute i tracked dhl site that the file has reached chennai i emailed them.if she can come an pick her k3 papers,they mailed it to her she recevied it in 4 days,gave her a interview date for sept 11,i emailed them again asking them for an earlier interview,they replied back in few days and gave her earlier date aug/28.

Thanks for the info Sudhir -- you have had outstanding luck by being a pest to the embassy :-).

KP

Still no update on the pdf file with interview dates at the embassy site. It's still showing the August interview dates.

http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/visa_interview_dates.html

C'mon Embassy people, send the raw data to me and I'll publish the pdf for you...

this thread could be useful to you too

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24117

Folks, I asked one of our fellow VJers from India (going through New Delhi) a few question in a PM and this is what I got. He was very helpful – thanks calOC. I have PMed 3 more people – if I get a response, I’ll add to this post.

Question 1: What was there in your wife's packet 3? Did it contain a DS-230 part 1? swhat else did she have to send back?
Packet 3 contained DS-230 Part 1. Packet 3 asks to complete and return DS-230 Part 1 and keep these documents ready but send them - passport, 2 photos, birth certificate, marriage certificate, proof of termination of previous marriage, other evidence (pictures, photo album, letters, cards and telephone bills), police report, I-134, 1040, copies of passport of the petitioner indicating his/her visits to India. You are asked to sign a statement that you have all these in your possession.

Question 2: How long did it take (after you sent in packet 3) to get packet 4?
She received packet 4 before she received packet 3.

Question 3: When did you find out about her interview date? Did that come with packet 4? Did you attempt calling the embassy to get an earlier date?
I had called the embassy a few days after NVC sent the petition and requested an interview date. After about 20 tries over two days (nights for me) someone picked up the phone. God bless him. He asked me if we had all the documents ready. I assured him they were. He gave me an interview date. A week later my wife received packet 4 and a letter with interview date and time. A few days later she received packet 3.

Question 4: How much did they ask your wife about the evidence of on-going relationship? What all did she take?
They asked her for marriage certificate, letter of my employment, I-134, copy of 1040 for 2005, asked her how me met and asked her to flip through the wedding album – didn’t ask for anything else. My wife also had with her cards I had sent her before and after marriage, copies of emails we had exchanged, copies of records of phone calls I made to her before and after marriage, copies of my passport with arrival and departure stamps when I was in India for our engagement and them again for our wedding and she was prepared to answer any questions about me and my family.

Question 5: She submitted all documents with the VHF office and only walked in there with the proof of ongoing relationship, right?
In Apr one was not required to submit paperwork with VFS. That started in Jun, I think. Only her passport was delivered back to her by VFS.

Thanks for the update KP...We have about 12-13 hours left.... hopefully everything goes well

Good luck -- I am getting butterflies for you :-). I noticed a post from you at like 2 AM on some thread and knew exactly what you were going through...

You both are prepared -- no worries :-)

KP

Shalz -- what's the status? What happened? Please let us know...

KP

I am so happy for Shalz .....Kpathak did u get any cnfirmation yet ?

Yeah -- Shalz is in 7th heaven right now :-).

Nahi yaar -- I didn't get jack from the embassy -- I had send them an email on Monday asking them if they had received my wife's DS-230. NO response. I send them another email yesterday. NO response. My wife tried calling them off and on for hours at a stretch but nobody is picking up the phone at the Immigration Visa section. When she complained to the operator, he said, "madam, there are hundreds of people calling up -- do you really think you will get through so easily?". I could hear my wife's explosion 10K miles here in the US .

How about you? How about anyone else? Anyone had any communication with the ND consulate lately? And WHEN are they going to publish the freaking September interview dates??????

KP

well I did receive an email from them saying that i need to submit DS230 which I did .....Just today I have sent an email asking if they recd it and if I can personally collect my pkt 4 as I have not yet recd paket 3. .....Does not look like I will receive any response ;-) My hubby called them too but u are right ..same story ......

Have you already sent AOS papers to yr wife ? I am thinking sghould I send them rt away or should I wait for sometime to get packet 3. ....ideas ?

Like I said before... ND don't wanna work and get paid for it... I had emailed them as well last week or so... but never got a reply, tho no more stress here now. til we file for the AOS.

Timesnap, why would you wanna send her the AOS papers??? Is it already approved. sorry didn't check your timeline.

AOS -- nice pun on words.

Timesnap means Affidavit of Support
Shalz means Adjustment of Status

Timesnap, send the Support (I-134) -- hopefully for have already collected all the supporting document. I am expecting things to move fast after they get our DS-230 -- I mean, shalz's date was not even published. Who knows, we might get an interview end of September.

KP




TIMELINE for Interviews:

OK, so here is what I am thinking it will take to get ready for the appointment at the consulate:

Medical -- 3 days (need an appoinement letter from embassy for Delhi doctors)
Police Clearance (if not goten yet) -- 3 days
Submitting at VFS office at least 10 days before -- 10 days
Travel Time -- 2 days.

So, if you are 18 days from the interview date and only have the things (above) to do, then for New Delhi, you should be OK. Of course, everyone is different but I just want to put this train of thought on the table. That VFS thing of 10 days really sucks.

Don't ask for an interview date for next week

Does this make sense?

KP

Well, i know that really sucks !!! you know i had to go thru this too..... But, just for you guyz to know that VFS in Delhi will take the documents even a day before your interview.

Oh -- that is a really helpful thing to know -- thanks. The only thing your fiance had to hand-carry was the pictures, passport and evidence of relationship, right? The VFS took everything else?

Also, did he get 2 clearances? One from the regional passport office and one from the police station?

Thanks,
KP

Yes KP, he got 2 clearences, one from the passport office and second one from the police station.

No, He didn't submit all his paperwork at the VFS. He only paid the courier fee there.

It appears you don't have to submit all documents to VFS before the interview; you can submit them at the embassy on the day of the interview.

http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/packet4chlst.html

Yeah calOC, you are right !!! you don't have to submit all the documents, but you must pay the courier fee or else they won't let you in.

wt police station and passport office did he go to ?

Well, Passport office he went to is in Chandigarh, Punjab.... and since he is in Haryana.. He went to Kaithal. (you prolly haven't heard of it)

Oh i see ......My huby is also in gurgaon haryana so I guess he will hv to take it from local police station ..Thanks for letting us know .....Did he have to get vaccinations too ?

That includes in the MEDICAL EXAM, i think.

Shalz -- my wife's regional passport office is C'garh also and since her interview date is going to exceed the 6 months since her passport was issued, she is going to have to get a PCC from the passport office too (she has the police station one). Can you please share what all your husband had to do?

Did he simply fill out the form and went to the information booth with his passport and they took care of it? Or did he have to find an "agent" of some kind? Any help would be appreciated -- my wife is going to C'garh on Monday.

Thanks,
KP

My wife had her clearance from Passport office in Chandigarh in March. From what I understand there is a standard form you fill and pay a fee. My wife had to wait for over a week to get it.

KP -- I will call him tonite and ask, as i don't know what exactly he did. So I will keep you posted. As afr as I can remember he got it done the SAME DAY !!

1. FYI, the Delhi consulate has very specific hours in which you can call for info about visas. I think it is something like 10-12pm for immigrant visas and 2-4 for nonimmigrant (not sure, need to check website). I had some horrible experiences with no one picking up the phone, but I just kept trying and trying. Eventually someone picked up and was usually helpful.

2. Call from the US if you can, the phone ring is different for India vs. US so rather than have your SO call from India, try to call from here (i know, time difference sucks). They always got my call, but they never ever picked up all the times my husband tried to call.

3. Finally, be very specific in your emails. I always put the case number in the subject line and was very concise in my question. Don't let it drag on forever explaining your situation. I only sent two emails and I got responses to both within 1-2 working days.

NWD is really trying, but imagine how many cases they get and how people must hound them with their questions!

Where is your wife from???

Thanks pbgirl -- I had not thought about the caller-id ring difference. I always thought that they probably had 2 phones in the office with 4 lines and one person and so the phone calls went in the "queue" on the set and just sat there and blinked. Who knows man...

I did stay up one night and tried calling but the phone was either busy or nobody picked up. I tried for 90 minutes. I am thinking of writing a CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) software app and just letting it rip <grin>. But it will hurt everyone else trying to call as these yahoos will simply whip up their cell phones to make outgoing calls and ignore the incoming ones.

KP






Dharamshala -- Himachal Pradesh. A pahadi-punjabi kudi <grin>. Staying there for a week is going to be a problem -- hope she gets the clearance the same day (bribes are no problems obviously). Let's see what your guy says. Let him sleep right now (peaceful sleep before the ruckus in the US :-)

KP

LOL.

At least Delhi does not charge you for calling them. There are some embassies (like London and Phil I think) that charge you for each minute you call (in addtion to your own long distance phone bill!). Ack!!

Folks, I asked two of our fellow VJers from India (going through New Delhi) a few question in a PM and this is what I got. Thanks calOC and pbgirl.

Question 1: What was there in your spouses's packet 3? Did it contain a DS-230 part 1? What else did he/she have to send back?
Response A: Packet 3 contained DS-230 Part 1. Packet 3 asks to complete and return DS-230 Part 1 and keep these documents ready but send them - passport, 2 photos, birth certificate, marriage certificate, proof of termination of previous marriage, other evidence (pictures, photo album, letters, cards and telephone bills), police report, I-134, 1040, copies of passport of the petitioner indicating his/her visits to India. You are asked to sign a statement that you have all these in your possession.
Response B: His packet had the medical exam information, that is the only thing I recall. And the form for payment. I think that was Packet 3. He never received anything except for his interview letter.

Question 2: How long did it take (after you sent in packet 3) to get packet 4?
Response A: She received packet 4 before she received packet 3.

Question 3: When did you find out about her interview date? Did that come with packet 4? Did you attempt calling the embassy to get an earlier date?
Response A: I had called the embassy a few days after NVC sent the petition and requested an interview date. After about 20 tries over two days (nights for me) someone picked up the phone. God bless him. He asked me if we had all the documents ready. I assured him they were. He gave me an interview date. A week later my wife received packet 4 and a letter with interview date and time. A few days later she received packet 3.
Response B: He received the packet with the interview letter in it. Have they changed the process? This was back in December 2005. I didn't bother calling the embassy beforhand. I knew NVC sent the packet beginning of November.

Question 4: How much did they ask your wife about the evidence of on-going relationship? What all did she take?
Response A: They asked her for marriage certificate, letter of my employment, I-134, copy of 1040 for 2005, asked her how me met and asked her to flip through the wedding album – didn’t ask for anything else. My wife also had with her cards I had sent her before and after marriage, copies of emails we had exchanged, copies of records of phone calls I made to her before and after marriage, copies of my passport with arrival and departure stamps when I was in India for our engagement and them again for our wedding and she was prepared to answer any questions about me and my family.
Response B: He walked in with proof or our marriage. They only asked to see pictures of the religious ceremony (Anad Karj). And the CO took my last two tax returns and some copies of employoment letter and bank statements. Asked a few questions about what I do, how we met. Not much beyond that. We did not have any red flags in our case (no big age difference, same relgion, same culture) so that might have helped things a bit.

Question 5: She submitted all documents with the VHF office and only walked in there with the proof of ongoing relationship, right?
Response A: In Apr one was not required to submit paperwork with VFS. That started in Jun, I think. Only her passport was delivered back to her by VFS.
Response B: He did not submit anything before hand (that must be something new?).

I handed in my documents to the VFS in Delhi today... well, to be honest I think they are appalling. I saw an old woman at the counter next to me being harrassed... they had given her incorrect information on the phone and said it was too bad she would just have to come back on Monday... they seemed to relish it.

First the woman who took my docs said how many times have you got a section 221 (g) before? I told her that since I had never had any desire to even visit the USA before this was the first. She tried her level best to intimidate me with no success. I asked her how long this process would take - her reply from 1 week to 5 years. So I asked her if she was planning on hanging on to my passport for 5 years? She could not answer. I then asked her if she would be sending my papers to the Embassy today. Her reply was no we have to process them. I told her that the visa was under process by the Embassy... what processing did they have to do... no reply... she looked highly uncomfortable. Then I paid her for the courier services... the amount they require is 337 rupees. I gave her 350; she asked me if I had change and I said no. So she puts the money in a drawer. I waited a few minutes before asking her if there was not something she was supposed to return to me. She could see I was injured (had a fall yesterday and hurt myself quite badly) yet she kept me waiting for 25 minutes or so to return 13 rupees. I was not prepared to forget about it coz the sum of money is paltry. The money goes into their pockets and I am darned if I was gonna let that happen.

This company also deals with UK visas and I think I should say something to both the US Embassy and the British High Commission... after all they are representing both countries.

WOW!!! That was indeed a horrible experience. The VFS office has hung-up the phone on my wife twice when she asked similar "uncomfortable" questions. They also told my wife that she would HAVE TO submit the documents (instead of hand-carrying them to the embassy) otherwise her interview would be cancelled.

I wonder if speaking to a supervisor would help in any way or hurt things...

Good luck for the interview...

KP

I won't be going through another interview. I had mine in June. If all the documents are in order then they will send my passport back to me with the visa stamped on it.

Oh -- that's good. Good luck -- and if you are in India, should you not be in bed? :-)

Cheers,
KP

Oh gawd u made me laugh KP !!!!!

Laugh at going to bed at 2:00 PM? You must be a nishachar (and someone was doubting my Hindi vocabulary :-)

KP

Oh no KP !!!!!!!!!! you got me wrong there now. 2PM???? What ya talking bout?? I wish It was 2Pm in India so i could be on the fone with my other half.

It is currently past 3 am... I don't sleep easily and asfter the fall I had the day before - well the pain won't allow me to sleep

I can understand basic bombay hindi but I have not the foggiest what nishachar is... I speak bombay hindi with an english accent... so stuff like ek packet cigarette lena ko sakta hai... normally has the ciggiewalla look at me in stunned disbelief... have been known to to say tum shut up karo (my mates have never let me hear the end of this)... I forget all the hindi I know when I am angry... and when someone tries to rip me off I do get angry

Melo, don't stress yourself too much.... and I even don't know what NISHACHAR is.... KP.. you mind telling us????





umm... who wants some CHOCOLATE CAKE???

Nishaachar means one who works or functions at night - nocturnal. Right KP?

I would kill for some chocolate cake... but that would send my diet right out of the window!!!

Right on... it does mean nocturnal -- I had to reach into the archives of my Hindi vocabulary to get that one :-).

I thought I was the ABCD here...

KP



Uff!!! 2 AM :-). I was pointing out that she should be "nighty-night" at this hour. But the ace in her leg explains it (and the PITA from the VFS makes it a double whammy)

KP




Umm -- can I have the carb-free, sugar free made with splenda. I gotta keet this weight off until the wife gets here otherwise she will get back on the same airplane which brought her here to her new homeland

KP




OK -- that was a 8 on the cute-meter and really hilarious. I have never heard that one -- is that something new or have I missed it?

KP

I told my fiance the samething, Im like if you put on any more weight.. you are going back on the same flight ......

;-) dID NOT GET TIME TO VISIT vj ..LOOKS like I missed lot of fun ;-)

Timesnap -- I was wondering where you were and figured you were also a "nishachar" and logged-in at night. It's these humorous interludes which help us keep our sanity I guess.

Shalz -- don't worry -- your fiance will keep the weight off -- you are only engaged yaar -- better give him a gym membership as a wedding gift. I got some pretty serious threats from the wife before we got married

KP

hmm I thought guyz are suppose to gift their wives.. not wives gift their men . anyways, i will tell you a secret when he comes home...

Ah, mann I can't spell sometimes.

I can never spell.

Gifts? Is equality kay zamaane may double standards kyon bhai? Gists are supposed to flow both ways, right?

What's the secret? You have to share with all of us now

KP

true, is zamaane mein no double strandards..... heheheeh lekin fir bhi ladke kam gifts dete hain. SECRET

Shalz, actually maybe I will second that. I thought I had sent a lot of gifts to my fiancee and then one day we had a conversation about it, and she made me count hem and found out she had sent me more But she did say I put in a lot of thought to my gifts

Hey, Kpathak, jsut read you message to me on one of the forums, thanks for the welcome...and if anyone does need info on getting things done in Delhi, not with the embassy though, do ask...I will try to help, meanwhile, I am just trying to get started on my visa journey, hope you veterans would be helpful, one or two of you already have..THANKS

I have asked this question in another section, but if anyone here can answer it would be great too - My fiancee (USC) doesnt have her naturalisation certificate. Now, they ask for the details of that on the I-129 form though you can send in only the passport copy as per the form. I have heard they may RFE for this, plus they ask for the naturalisation certificate at the embassy. How big a boo-boo is this do you think?

I have found out it takes 1 year to replace it, so maybe we can apply and attach the receipt and exlain the situation, do you think they would understand?

I am trying to get this done quickly and since we are going through VSC, hopefully ours will be short wait...no offence to the others of course

And hey, if you guys would rather that I ask tehse questions in the K-1 visa section, I will, but thought I would rather ask all my questions to the India related people....