Yes we got it This long story is primarily meant for those who are going through Chennai consulate.
If you are on the way in your journey, I know how much you want to see the experiences with all the details.
For the May 3rd interview we (my wife and I) reached there on April 30. May 1st was a holiday, and so we wanted to get the medical done on April 30th itself.
So early in the morning of 30th we went to the Lister lab which is on the other end of Nungambakkam high road(Consulate is on one end of the same road). Reached there at 7:30 filled up the form with photo and gave them. they finished taking blood sample and xray in about 30 minutes. It was real quick because there were a huge crowd of people. I think for UK visa also they do the tests in the same lab. We were asked to get the report by 4:30 in the evening. We went back, collected the report, went to see the doctor.
Dr. Sanjan John has his clinic not very far away from the lab. So we can get a rickshaw or something and reach there in 10 minutes. We waited there for some time and everything was perfectly alright. He filled up the form and said we can keep the photocopy if we want, and give the original set of papers to the consulate guys. Then he said I need to get a couple vaccines and got the shots. He charged some 4000 rupees for all that. I dont know if this is the normal fee..
We will get the xray film from the lab, we should take it to the doctor, of course, but we don’t need that anymore. I saw many people coming to the consulate for interview with Xrays in their hand. We don’t need the xray for the interview. So if you don’t want to use it for further reference, you can by all means put the xray in a dust bin soon after the doctor appointment.
So we got the whole medical done in a single day.
Then on May 3rd: Our appointment was at 8:00 am. And we reached there at 7:45(no use for getting there early). By the way, we stayed in a hotel nearby called Renjit. Consulate is only in a walkable distance from the hotel. We had our wedding album and other papers like the medical report etc. with us.
No CD, cell phone, cosmetics, bottles or sealed envelopes are allowed to be taken inside(though all that is not specifically listed in the letter). We left everything in the hotel except my wife had her waterbottle and some cosmetics. US citizens are allowed to get a locker to keep these things. But it is on the other gate of the consulate. She kept her stuffs there in the locker. But we saw the securities there throwing CDs out of the door from other guys in the line for interview. It’s quite like a security check in the air port. But the security guards are quite uncivilized in their dealings.
Once we get in with the Yellow letter they will direct you to the building where interviews are done. As we reach there with the yellow paper they will give you a seat in front of the counters. There were about 3 counters open for immigrant visa interviews. For other type of visas it was in the next hall. Guys at the entrance directed people to the appropriate hall. It was comparatively a less crowd for the immigrant visa. I think for the 8 am appointment there were about 10 people. And more came as time passed.
First an Indian lady called our name. we gave the passport and other papers like medical report to her . She was already having all the papers we submitted at VFS. And we said we have the wedding album with us. She didn’t want to see it, but just noted that we have album.
Now, she asked the DD of $380. Unfortunately we had taken our DD last week with the rate of April 15th. But in May 1st they changed the exchange rates. Though the DD we had was for the amount more than required we were asked to get a new DD right then. She gave us a white slip, which states we should get a DD as soon as possible and come back. We can use the slip for going in and out of the gate.
As soon as we got out of the gate to get the DD, some local guys approached us with offers of helping us to take the DD. We never know whether it is a cheat or what. Especially in a city like Chennai. We ignored them.
We rushed to a nearby ATM got cash, and went to a Indian Bank branch which was open from 8AM, and came back with the DD in 40 minutes.
Gave them the DD at the same counter. Then we waited and waited and waited for about 2 ½ hours for our turn. The interview was done by an American lady. We both went to the counter.
She asked some questions like how we got married. And how was it arranged and blablabla.
We explained how we met and how we arranged our marriage and all that. Then asked if we have any other certificate of marriage. I explained that we don’t have a church certificate or anything. The only thing we had for our wedding was the registration by special marriage act. Then we had a reception. And the reception is not a religious thing so we don’t have any other certificate to give.
Then she asked my wife when did she come to India. It was in 2005 June. So she asked whether my wife registered with the authority for staying longer? Yes, we showed them the FRRO registration paper. She has permission to stay until 2010. The lady smiled and said "you can stay another 3 years, but we need it in every 6 months" . Why do you want to go now.
the lady asked. she explained that we have our parents all alone there and we have to go back. Blablabl. The lady was quite friendly, and we showed a file of domicile proof(very recent insurance payments, loan payments, bank statements etc. ) By the way, we used our parents as co-sponsors (I864A). we had tons of docs more than what is required for support. My wife didn’t file her tax return for 2006 since she was not working. So we had a letter of explanation for that too included. But we had all W2 and tax return of her parents for 2006 and the very recent pay stubs too. So since she was not in the US for a long time we were prepared for a lot of domicile proof as well.
Then the lady at the counter went to the other counter and spoke to the guy there for a couple of minutes and came back and said “Everything seems alight.. you will receive your passport with the visa in it by courier within a week”
Yess.. now we are waiting for that.
The only point I had a problem was with the DD. So if there are fluctuations in exchange rates. And if your interview is close to 1st or 15th of a month. Delay your DD taking till the working day before the interview, and get the latest rates from the site and take the DD, otherwise we will have to rush, go out and take a fresh DD with the new amount (or keep USD ready with you $380 in currency. They will take it).
So other than the DD confusion everything went really well. I know this is a very long story, but there might be some of you who want to get all the details. It was not as hard as I imagined . And another lesson is: it is always better to be over-prepared with your documents!!
Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement in my journey.
Congrats 