sailorgal

[1] There is no medical center for immigration visa medical examination in Kolkata or the West Bengal region.

[2] No besides Mumbai and Delhi you could opt for Surat and Ahmedabad (Gujrat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Kochi (Kerala) and Hyderabad.

[3] It actually is pretty odd and inconvenient for anyone residing in states besides where these medical centers are. They should set up at least one medical examination center in every major state or at least one center per region, north south east and west.

[4] I got my report the very next day after my medical. Also I got my medical done almost a month ahead of my scheduled interview so I will be sorted when the interview time comes (that's July 10, next month, got my medical done on this 15th from Hyderabad and got my reports yesterday, that's the 16th) but I can understand your problem where staying in another city for a long time would be really inconvenient and expensive too. But I would advice you to be on a safer side and get it done at least a week before your interview so if any follow-up tests need to be done you will have enough time after the first test and before your scheduled interview. If no follow-up tests need to be done and you get your reports the next day then you will have 3-4 days before your interview and you could always plan a vacation to places near to the city you have chosen for your medical and spend a day just exploring/shopping for stuff in the city too.

We never received anything in the mail from the consulate. Print the confirmation page and use that. Good luck with your interview

Awesome and thanks a lot

So I have scheduled a Consular and OFC appointment at Mumbai Consulate General for 10th and 9th of July respectively. I also received the confirmation via email. I just had a little doubt. Will the Consulate now mail me an actual physical copy of the letter of appointment, i.e. Packet - 4 through post? Or do I simply print the appointment confirmation page from ustraveldocs.com and carry that as my appointment letter to my medical examination and to the Consular and OFC interviews?

The Medical exam was around Rs 500-600 I believe. It varies depending on vaccines needed. We needed 3-4. One was MMR which has a 2nd shot needed to be taken between 4 weeks-8weeks after initial one. This was done in Mumbai. The only 'follow-up' was to go back the next day to get the medical report, xray, cd. Reports were handed to me. May have been sent to consulate as well, not sure.

Wow that is pretty low. The person from Rele Clinic I talked to said it would be around 5000 to 6000 and we thought we should be ready with around 7 or 8K just in case. Are you sure you did not miss a zero or two?

Also could you tell me how much the medical examination costed and when were the reports handed over to you? Because I don't live in Mumbai and I called up Rele Clinic the other day and the person I talked to suggested I get the examination done at least a week before my interview so that if there is any need for follow up tests then they can be done in time for the interview. But that would mean a week's stay at Mumbai for no reason!
And as a child a got the general vaccines like polio, DTP, BCG, tetanus etc and I was planning on getting the remaining shots (HepA, HepB yada yada) once I am in States before my AOS interview. But this person from Rele Clinic said I am going to have to get the shots from their clinic. Did you all have to take your shots at Rele too?

Jnsr,

Thanks for posting this!

It answers some of my question but other aspect is still puzzling.

My case is for K-1 Fiance

I have NVC letter and BMB#########, it says ready.

I completed DS-160 yesterday.

I want to go and make fee payment + select biometric/interview dates

BUT I DONT KNOW HOW

I went to ustraveldocs: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/

I created "New User"

I logged in via that email and pw

Now What???

I clicked on New Appointment Schedule

I selected "Non-Immigrant Visa" as its a K-1 (Step 1)

Step 2 asks me to select state of residency and for Hyderabad there is no option for "India - Telangana" suprisingly so I chose "India - Andhra Pradesh".

It automatically makes my embassy "Post - Hyderabad" and asks for Language of choice (English)

Step 3 asks for Visa Category and Options are (a. Business/Tourist and all others, b) Student and Exchange c) Employment) I dont see an option for K-1 Fiance but when I choose 'a' next step is asking to select from B1 or B2 or B1/B2 ????

ok ok ok

I think i got it while composing and walking throught site

Even though K-1 is a non-immigrant (per USA, it is "Immigrant" per this website and menus, then it give me K-1 option)

Nevermind

Thanks

I went through the same confusion when while filling out all the details over that website and thankfully found the K-1 visa option going back and forth through the options just like you. It is pretty confusing with how they call K-1 a non-immigrant visa but over there it is listed as immigrant visa.

1. NO only U.S. Consulate General, Mumbai and U.S. Embassy, New Delhi do K-1 visa interviews so she will have to travel to Mumbai or Delhi, whichever place suits her. If Delhi suits more than Mumbai and if your case is transferred to the Mumbai Consulate by the NVC then you can always call the Consulate and ask for a case transfer to Delhi Embassy and visa versa if she prefers Mumbai Consulate and the case is transferred to Delhi Embassy. Mind you, the transfer could take a few days to a month, substantially delaying your visa process so it be better if she go to the allotted Consulate/Embassy for the interview.

2. I'm not through with the process yet but I was mailed my Packet-3 over my home address. Packet-3 contains information about steps to be followed before scheduling the interview and how to schedule the interview upon completion of those steps. But I read that after paying the visa fee and scheduling the interview at the allotted Consulate/Embassy, they also send you an appointment letter by post. Like I said I'm not there yet so I don't know if the appointment letter is mailed to the alien fiance's place or if they are supposed to take a print of an online appointment letter after scheduling the interview. So if the appointment letter is indeed mailed to the alien fiance's address then a total of two documents, the Packet-3 and the appointment letter, are mailed. If not then only the Packet-3 is mailed to them.

If her visa gets approved she could either be asked to come back later to the Consulate/Embassy and collect her passport or her passport would be mailed to the U.S. Consulate/Embassy's pick-up location in Kolkata. If the Conular Officer requires any additional documents to approve her visa she will have to submit the documents at a local drop-box (details be given at the interview).

But if travelling to Mumbai or Delhi is so difficult for her then I wonder how she is going to manage the medical examination because that needs to be done at least a week before the interview date and needs to be done from U.S. Consulate approved panel physicians only. To my knowledge there are no such approved panel physicians at Kolkata, i.e. she will have to travel to Mumbai to Delhi (whichever is allotted to you guys) and stay there at least for a week to complete the medical, biometric and the interview. So my advice would be to get things straight with her parents. Also the PO thing is not too big in India and mostly only companies (not individuals) have a PO address so she will either have to have the documents mailed to her place or a friend's/relative's or work place.
Hope that helps. Good luck!

Yet to schedule the interview and actually get there but like any other eager bride-to-be I have already started planning out my move. I had a few questions about the travel and immigration process though.

I have already brought a handful of kitchenware and other stuff that I'll need out there in my new home. I don't want to spend like 10 dollars over something I can buy in my country for a few cents lol, yea India is pretty cheap money-wise. So yea there are plenty of things ranging from serving spoons to a big ### pressure cooker and I was thinking that instead of carrying all the cumbersome kitchenware in suitcases or bags I'd rather check-them-in in cardboard cartons or boxes. Has anybody done that before? Can you check-in cardboard boxes? I'm not taking any kitchen-electronics I will buy those there but all these kitchen utilities would just take up too much space in suitcases and I don't want to carry like 6 of those with me. So if check-in of cardboard boxes is not allowed then I will just pack all my stuff in a couple of duffle bags.

Then about the POE. Does your POE decide if you will undergo a strict immigration check? Or do some POEs have stricter immigration checks than others? I would obviously not be carrying anything illegal with me but my fiance who was here in India to visit me last winter took spices and condiments for his mother and aunts and they let him through the Indian airport as well the airport in Charlotte, NC where he landed. He is currently staying in Florida so I was planning on making Orlando as my POE. So I am hoping they will let me in, like they let in my fiance (may be cause he is an American), with all my spices and condiments (every thing legal!) and not harass me cause I am a foreigner

Yep just like I said - you only need your passport! Congrats and hopefully you'll get an interview date quickly!

Probably scheduling the interview for the 19th of June at Mumbai consulate, that's the first available date.

You only need your passport for the PCC. You can take the P3 with you but it's not necessary.

Got the PCC issued to me in like 45 minutes! They did not ask for any sort of proof, no NOA2 or letter from the NVC or a photocopy of my Packet 3 letter that I was carrying or the letter I had written requesting for a PCC. Nothing. Just my passport. It was so fast and easy. They gave me two original PCCs and stamped my passport. Now good to go and schedule my interview.

Exactly. Fortunately, as long as you don't have any serious character issues in your past, it really is a case of 'you will get there in the end' with the K1. It's all about patience haha!

Hehe yea if it you go down TCS it is indeed all about patience, or rather not losing patience !

Yeah they normally assign you according to how they have the country divided up since Chennai and Kolkata stopped processing immigrant visas. I still can't figure out why they assign the state of Bihar to Mumbai when it's clearly closer to New Delhi but that's the govt for ya! You're moving so fast that I hope you guys can get the PCC quickly - that can take awhile sometimes.

O yes the great government! And about the PCC, I do too. I've already scheduled an appointment for tomorrow at the regional passport office but if you know the process I have a little doubt for you. The letter that I received in Packet 3 (I've attached it with my original question above) states the requirement of PCC from regional passport office. So I'm going to take the original and photocopy of that letter to my PCC appointment tomorrow. So would this letter be sufficient for the passport office officials to issue or approve my application for wanting a PCC or would they require additional letters from the consulate, interview appointment letter or any other document proving that I genuinely need a PCC?

Ah, to have had my case go through CSC. Man, Texas takes a LOOOONNNNGGG time! Is there any particular reason for this, or is it as simple as they deal with a greater number of visas and a great number of applications full stop?

I'm sorry I know Texas is so slow it must be painful! And yes that's the only reason I guess, TCS has way more workload than CSC and that's unfair cause I know I could be cribbing or losing my patience 3 or 4 months into the process if we were forwarded to TCS. But hang in there you will get through too : )

You may also want to fix your timeline to reflect that you're going through Mumbai as your P3 paperwork states, not New Delhi ?

And congrats on moving through so quickly! Best of luck to you both!

I know that's the confusion and I wanted to talk to my fiance about this but thanks to all the time difference ugh!

I thought the NVC letter that my fiance received 2 days back tells where I would have to go for my interview because we put in "Delhi Embassy in our I129F form" in that section where the petitioner has to state which embassy or consulate their alien fiance would go to. We wanted Delhi but then I received this letter from "Mumbai consulate" yesterday and I thought, uh may the consulate sends all the letters and my interview would still happen at New Delhi cause that was our stated choice in our form.

But then I just read your timeline and noticed you asked for a case transfer to Delhi. Now I live in central India and Mumbai is closer home than Delhi is so I guess I'm just gonna go to the consulate haha.

Gonna update my timeline in a bit after my fiance sends me a copy or a picture of the NVC letter. And thanks a lot

Fixyour timeline. You were not transferred from texas, you went right to California. You had a WAC receipt number assigned? Yes?

Yea our number begins with WAC and our petition went right into Cali. I haven't mentioned 'transfered' anyhere so I don't know how or why you saw that over my timeline. I also checked my timeline settings and there's nothing written against the case transfer box over there so I don't know what I'm supposed to fix there, sorry. I would update my time line soon though once I receive some details from my fiance.

congrats

but i think you are not with texas you are with california service center, this is why u got it so fast

unlike tsc filler waiting for minimum 6 to 8 month

lucky you , happy for you and cant wait to have my approval and get through this as well to be with my soul mate

wish you a successful interview

Is this what I think it is? Did I just receive Packet - 3 from the US Consulate? O my God I'm so thrilled. So the next major step is going to be the interview right? I keep asking myself if this is really happening! Anyone who has been through the visa procedure would know how this feels. And we had presumed it would take around 6 months for the entire processing and then I would have my interview but here I am, already. My fiance sent in the petition on 24th of March, 2015 and I never ever imagined that in two months from then I would be planning on scheduling my interview. I guess we've really been extremely lucky with how fast the petition moved through all the stages. Ahh I just want to dance right now

We got our NOA1 via email on 31st of March, 2015 within 10 days of sending the petition to Lewisville lockbox (though still waiting for NOA1 to reach my fiance via post). And in less than 30 days, on April 24, 2015 our case was approved (online status) and May 1st my fiance received the NOA2 via post. Everything at CSC. So you are close and could get your approval notification any day now. Keep checking the USCIS website. Good luck!

I'm so sorry for what you're going through but I think it is time to face the reality of the situation. You said so yourself that he was desperate to come, but was that only to be with you? No. It was also because he saw US as a land of opportunities and wanted to make money and then go back home. And I might sound rude on this one but jobs like landscaping, dish washing and cleaning would make it possible for him to go back home once in a while with your help but building a house out there and fulfilling any other dreams he had about going back would be impossible. And may be he realizes this. May be he knows that without your help he won't even make it back home and that is what makes him come back to you every time he leaves and not cause he loves or misses you. He wouldn't be treating you such if he truly felt a sense of attachment, love and respect towards you. And about going long distance again, how do you know that he is going to wait for you? May be he is already seeing somebody out there and not being able to be with them or go back home is making him act the way he has been. And even if after retirement you leave everything for him and go to his country, that's if he waits, I'm sure he'll find reasons to complain again cause there he won't have a mattress or a bed to fight upon with you but your past, which he obviously can't get over!, would continue to bother him even then. So why would you give yourself such pain, care for a man who won't treat you right, pay for his food, clothes and everything, buy him a ticket back home just so he can blame you for getting him out there. I don't see removing the conditions as a smart and practical choice on your end. He'll continue to be his cranky-self even if you provide him with everything like you are right now and then probably also blame you for removing the conditions and helping him get a green card. Some day he might even start thinking that you have some selfish motives for making him stay and removing the conditions even with him behaving badly with you (which I'm sure he realizes cause you said he says sorry but seldom takes responsibility for his behavior). I think many of his issues have to do with his low self-esteem probably cause he hasn't been able to make money the way he thought he would and he has to depend upon you and knows he can't leave you or he would have no money. So you have to get practical here. Letting go would be the hardest part ever but you are a kind hearted and brave woman to have put up with all of this and you deserve better and I'm sure you will get it.

Good luck and take care.

Adjustment applicants applying for AP do not state a reason for travel anywhere on the form, nor do they need to provide a separate attachment to give a reason or explanation.

The I-131 does have a filing fee, but if you have filed a pending I-485, then the fee is waived. Same for the I-765.

Well few months ago, or may be a year, a friend told me they had to. May be they don't do it anymore.

K-3 visa is obsolete and VERY rarely issued anymore. It has been many years since the K-3 was a real option

I meant the spouse visa. Thought that was called the K-3 visa.

I was in the same situation and we waited for a month to contact USCIS thinking they would take time to update their systems. Did you receive your NOA1 or any email or text message from USCIS stating they have received your case? We had received that email but the status online on USCIS website would still show validation error. So my fiance just called the USCIS helpline and next day our petition was approved and within a few days we received our NOA2 via mail. So hang in there if you called them already and keep checking the status of your application every once in a while.

I'm agreeing with the "in country" deal. It'll create a hassle-free trip haha. But what about the name change when it comes to flight tickets and hotel bookings? And what documents are necessary for us to bring when we travel by air in country?

Well we had Bahamas on our honeymoon-wishlist and it's kinda right off the coast since we would be living in Florida but we scraped it off the list after we figured all the name change, Advance parole, waiting for advance parole and travel document hassles. So yea like the others I'd suggest that you go for an in-country honeymoon too and go abroad after your fiance has her green card. But even then she can't leave States for more than 6 months at a time, that way she would abandon her green card.