Interview in Chennai, India

[ELW 5]

Our interview on lucky Friday the 13th was successful!! YEA!

First of all, we had requested (TWICE) a Telugu translator because my guy speaks only broken English. They replied twice saying “Okay, you are most welcome”. But there was no translator there at the interview available to him. All the questions were asked in English and my guy had to make do with short answers in English sprinkled with a bit of Telugu. He said the questions were easy so anyone knowing even a small amount of English will do fine. Note on Chennai consulate: they reply to emails IMMEDIATELY but they are not always helpful.

My guy showed up at 6:30 AM for 9 AM interview, he was like 4th in line and they let in lines at about 7:45 AM. It ended up he was the VERY LAST one they interviewed. He said he was alone in the room by the time they called his name. He came out of the Consulate finally at 1:30 PM. A 7-hour mostly waiting ordeal. Note to others: come at 7:45 AM not earlier; when you come has nothing to do with when you are interviewed.

Inside the Consulate they took his index fingerprint and had him do the I-promise-all-statements-will-be-true swearing in.

They asked only seven questions:

1. Who is your petitioner?

2. How did you meet?

3. How long have you known each other?

4. What city and state is she living in?

5. What is she doing there?

6. If you don’t know English well, how will you stay in USA?

7. Do your parents agree to the marriage?

At the end they told him, “OK, your visa is approved. You can pick up your passport at VFS office tonight.” Later he went to the VFS office but they said it was not ready yet, he could pick it up on Monday. Because he had train reservation to leave Chennai and go to his home in Hyderabad on Saturday (it was Friday the 13th, remember), they said they would send it by mail on Monday and it would take 3 days to arrive to him.

When he was at the VFS office, they complained that the Demand Draft for visa fees was drawn at State Bank of India. They said it should have been drawn on HSBC bank. Actually on the Chennai Consulate website it says it can be drawn on “ANY national or international bank,” and they accepted it fine at the Consulate. But the VFS office just complained when they saw his receipt. However they did NOT ask him to redo it. Note to others: get your Demand Draft visa fees drawn on HSBC bank.

Another point on the Police Clearance Certificate (PCC): his permanent residence is in Kotananduru village in East Godavari District, but closest passport office is in Visakhapatnam city in Visakhapatnam district, so he got his passport there. He got a PCC from Visakhapatnam and from his village. He has lived in Hyderabad for nearly two years now, but couldn’t get a PCC from there as he had no proof of residence (all official documents, ration card, bank account etc., are in the address of his permanent home). IT WAS NO PROBLEM AND NO ONE ASKED FOR HYDERABAD PCC. No one even questioned why the passport was from a city & district where he did not reside. B)

All in all it was a LONG Visa journey but praise God it’s over now. We will wait for the passport to arrive then get the plane ticket. Whooohooo! (Yah I'm already studying for AOS haha! )

Good luck to everyone else on this journey!

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu! (May all the world be happy!)

[Rae's_lover 0]

MANY MANY MANY MANY MANY congratulationsssssssssssssssssssssss

and pray for me Eileen

i m still waiting for my passport but i hope they wont joke with me

good luck

shahid

[ELW 5]

Thanks for the congrats! We are waiting together (like I was joking with Raelynn last night), we are all sitting on pins and needles till our passports come with the magic visa stamp... hopefully definately it will arrive early next week...

Edited April 15, 2007 by ELW

[bav 0]

Hi! Congrats!!! Thats great news.

I had a few quick Qs for you..

1. Did he submit all the forms( ds156 etc) at local VFS office, if yes, what did he take to the interview ? What abt proof of ongoing relatiosnship etc..

2. Where and when did he submit the medical interview stuff?

3.Have you guys planned a wedding? Did the consulate ask him that? What to answer if the consulate asks if you guys have set a wedding date...?

4. Same Qs as above for the intended date of travel? The consulate says not to buy tickets/make travel arrangements etc? What did you do?

Thanks, My fiance's interview is in two weeks. Praying:)

Our interview on lucky Friday the 13th was successful!! YEA!

First of all, we had requested (TWICE) a Telugu translator because my guy speaks only broken English. They replied twice saying “Okay, you are most welcome”. But there was no translator there at the interview available to him. All the questions were asked in English and my guy had to make do with short answers in English sprinkled with a bit of Telugu. He said the questions were easy so anyone knowing even a small amount of English will do fine. Note on Chennai consulate: they reply to emails IMMEDIATELY but they are not always helpful.

My guy showed up at 6:30 AM for 9 AM interview, he was like 4th in line and they let in lines at about 7:45 AM. It ended up he was the VERY LAST one they interviewed. He said he was alone in the room by the time they called his name. He came out of the Consulate finally at 1:30 PM. A 7-hour mostly waiting ordeal. Note to others: come at 7:45 AM not earlier; when you come has nothing to do with when you are interviewed.

Inside the Consulate they took his index fingerprint and had him do the I-promise-all-statements-will-be-true swearing in.

They asked only seven questions:

1. Who is your petitioner?

2. How did you meet?

3. How long have you known each other?

4. What city and state is she living in?

5. What is she doing there?

6. If you don’t know English well, how will you stay in USA?

7. Do your parents agree to the marriage?

At the end they told him, “OK, your visa is approved. You can pick up your passport at VFS office tonight.” Later he went to the VFS office but they said it was not ready yet, he could pick it up on Monday. Because he had train reservation to leave Chennai and go to his home in Hyderabad on Saturday (it was Friday the 13th, remember), they said they would send it by mail on Monday and it would take 3 days to arrive to him.

When he was at the VFS office, they complained that the Demand Draft for visa fees was drawn at State Bank of India. They said it should have been drawn on HSBC bank. Actually on the Chennai Consulate website it says it can be drawn on “ANY national or international bank,” and they accepted it fine at the Consulate. But the VFS office just complained when they saw his receipt. However they did NOT ask him to redo it. Note to others: get your Demand Draft visa fees drawn on HSBC bank.

Another point on the Police Clearance Certificate (PCC): his permanent residence is in Kotananduru village in East Godavari District, but closest passport office is in Visakhapatnam city in Visakhapatnam district, so he got his passport there. He got a PCC from Visakhapatnam and from his village. He has lived in Hyderabad for nearly two years now, but couldn’t get a PCC from there as he had no proof of residence (all official documents, ration card, bank account etc., are in the address of his permanent home). IT WAS NO PROBLEM AND NO ONE ASKED FOR HYDERABAD PCC. No one even questioned why the passport was from a city & district where he did not reside. B)

All in all it was a LONG Visa journey but praise God it’s over now. We will wait for the passport to arrive then get the plane ticket. Whooohooo! (Yah I'm already studying for AOS haha! )

Good luck to everyone else on this journey!

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu! (May all the world be happy!)

[ELW 5]

Thanks for the congrats Bav!

My fiancé submitted ALL forms and proof to the VFS office on 26 March (14 working days before our interview on April 13), including:

1. DS-156

2. DS-156K

3. DS-230

4. Medical Report

5. Passport copies (both mine & his)

6. Birth Certificate

7. Police Certificates

8. I-134 Affidavit of Support (plus my tax returns 2006/letter from employer/pay stubs for 6 months/letter from bank/bank statements for 6 months)

9. Evidence of Relationship (copies of emails, photos, printout of phone chats, yahoo chats, copies of old snail mail letters)

10. Statement of Intent from both of us

Nothing was refused. To the interview, he brought copies of all the above, along with other things just in case, such as the original snail mail letters, train tickets that he used to visit me while I was in India, my complete Indian visa records (for 21 years!), my birth certificate, etc.

The Consulate did NOT ask about wedding or intended travel. If the Consulate asked, he knew what he would answer: travel plans would be made only after receiving the visa, and wedding plans would be made only after the plane ticket was booked. That is the correct answer and what actually should be done.

Believe me, I really wanted to make plane ticket reservations a month beforehand! Because now in India it is high season and tickets will not be available, also very expensive now. But I controlled myself. It is just too risky, no one knows if the visa will be denied or put on AP. We have vowed not to make reservation until we see with our own eyes the visa stamp in the passport. We are still waiting for the passport to come.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu! (May all the world be happy!)

Aah, a woman educated in the Indian classics. Always nice to see! Most Indian women couldn't care less, too busy learning English LOL.

Congrats on the visa. Don't get to work on the AOS yet, it's easier than it looks. I highly recommend a break.

Once again, congrats!

[KHURRAM SERAJ 0]

CONGRATS and pray for me as well

[ELW 5]

Aah, a woman educated in the Indian classics. Always nice to see!

Thanks for the congrats! Yah a few weeks ago I printed out all AOS docs and took notes and am ready, so since then I have stopped all studying. I feel prepared.

Ahhh.. you should have seen me, sitting cross-legged on the floor for 21 years in India, eyes closed, repeating out loud by heart Vishnu Sahasranama, Hanuman Chalisa, Annapurnishwara Stotram (leading the Indians who had to look at their stotra booklets haha!), singing hundreds of bhajans… even now I sing along with the Telugu Tyagaraja kirtans while driving in my car, love em!

[geophil 0]

Hey... CONGRATS!!!

Thats indeed what I was wanted to hear, and I'm so glad it hear that it was just smooth.

I'm getting prepared for mine next month(May 3rd) at the same Chennai.. and I'm hoping for a similar experience.

[bav 0]

Thanks for the informative reply,

last few Qs:)

form156

Q:22:what did he write?

Q24:what add did he put? My fiance has her brother here,she put her address in the previous form

Q25,26,27,32: what did he write/answer?

You can PM me the reply if you wish.Would be great if you could let me know soon,she is supposed to turn in her form tomorrow.

Thanks!!!

Bav

[Saddle Bronc 124]

.... Note to others: come at 7:45 AM not earlier; when you come has nothing to do with when you are interviewed.

...

Congrats!!!

(btw, that's NOT unique to Chennai Consulate, nor even to India; in 1999, I had an 8:30 am appointment--according to the letter--@ Montreal Consulate for EB-GC; I got there @ 8:15 am, but had to take a number when I got inside, present documents when number was called, then wait for name to be called for interview. They don't call in numeric order for the numbers, nor alphabetic order for the names )

[ELW 5]

Hi Bav,

Please see the EXAMPLE FORMS link at the top of the page - that is where I got all my info!

22. When do you intend to arrive in the USA?

(We left this blank, because we will make plans only when visa is in hand.)

24. At what address will you stay in the USA?

(He put my address, of course! Generally the fiancé / fiancée’s address will be written here, because naturally they will be staying together!)

25. (My address, again)

26. How long do you intend to stay in the US?

(Answer: PERMANENTLY)

27. What is the purpose of your trip?

(Answer: MARRIAGE AND RELOCATION TO THE USA)

32. Do you intend to work in the USA?

(YES, WITH WORK AUTHORIZATION, EMPLOYER UNKNOWN.)

.... Note to others: come at 7:45 AM not earlier; when you come has nothing to do with when you are interviewed.

...

Congrats!!!

(btw, that's NOT unique to Chennai Consulate, nor even to India; in 1999, I had an 8:30 am appointment--according to the letter--@ Montreal Consulate for EB-GC; I got there @ 8:15 am, but had to take a number when I got inside, present documents when number was called, then wait for name to be called for interview. They don't call in numeric order for the numbers, nor alphabetic order for the names )

Though I have read this MANY times my brain wouldn't accept it. Added 2 more hours waiting time for my guy. Sorry, sorry, sorry!!

Edited April 16, 2007 by ELW

[Nikita2Charles 31]

Congrats Again,

Wishing you all the best and A happy Reunion soon!