ELW

Great news, thanks for the replies!!

I have a friend, Sudhir, a USA Citizen Indian descent, who is considering an arranged marriage with an Indian girl. However, her father has an ongoing court case due to fraud regarding a caste certificate (he got his govt job due to caste reservation, but turns out his grandfather had forged a fake certificate for a lower case than they are). The father is probably going to lose his govt pension (he got booted out for fraud).

My friend is wondering if this will affect his soon-to-be wife getting the visa? Of course she has done nothing, but her father's in trouble with the law, which may come up in the background check. Does anyone have similar experience?

As for the tourist visa, how do the 6 month entries work? For instance, I am planning on visiting my fiance in January 2012, then coming back for his interview which should be in April/May 2012. Would it be possible for me to re-enter India using the same 6 month entry or would I still have to wait 2 months due to the restriction?

Unfortunately, the rule that you must stay out of the country for two months after visiting India on a tourist visa, is strict regardless of time spent in the county. So, you could come to spend only one month in India, then you would have to leave for two months, then you could enter the country again. The irritating rules were made after some terrorist activity some time ago. There is a provision for special permission to enter again before two months are complete, but you would have to deal with the Indian authorities for that. You could always inquire about that while you are on your Jan 2012 visit - if you get the permission, you could make your stay longer, and if you you aren't successful, leave earlier so you can return for the visa interview. Good luck!

The Ministry of Home Affairs compiled a FAQ regarding the Tourist Visa restrictions:

FAQ-TVisa170510.pdf

My understanding is, you can easily apply for a 5- or 10-year tourist visa to India. The only problem is, you can only stay six months at a time, then you have to leave India for at least two months before re-entering India for up to another six months. It is the longer-term Entry Visas which are limited to those of Indian descent.

After you are married, as a spouse of an Indian national, you can apply for a PIO (Person of Indian Origin) card, which is valid for 15 years and you can stay in India as long as you like and leave and return whenever you want - so, be sure to get that once you are married!

They want to prove you are not married because K1 Fiance visa is easier and faster then getting the spousal visa. Also, if both parties have many relatives in USA, they are afraid it is a fraud relationship and the person just wants an easy way to arrive in USA to be with his relatives.

I don't know why they ask for that extra proof, may they just ask just to scare the people who are frauds away! I hope others who had experience answer, but I know that many people who submit the extra proof get the visa later (and some do not, no matter how much proof they submit). I also haven't heard about them contacting anyone on the list.

Anyway, get that info to them ASAP and good luck for the approval!

Hooray! That's great news, congratulations!! :dance:

Yours is a different situation then ours is so I'm not sure how to answer your questions about the , but if you go to the "Example Forms" link above and look at the I-864, your questions may be answered.

Example Forms

Tax transcripts are the best and enough to satisfy the requirement of tax forms, so don't worry about it. If you have any doubt, doesn't hurt to have ready your 1040 and any supporting documentation you have.

Employers in USA issue a W9 stating how much one earned during the year, and with the info on the W9, the tax form 1040 is filled out. It is just backup info to support what is on the 1040 form. 1099s are forms giving the taxable interest on money in bank accounts, etc. So again, they are back-ups to the info filled on the 1040.

Anyone who filled out a 1040 should have the backup W9s and 1099s also. Of course, if there is a private business or no taxable income from a company, then there would be no W9s and if one doesn't have money in savings accounts or CDs where there is interest, there would be no 1099s, either.

Submitting a 1040 is OK but they always want the W9s and 1099s that go along with that, so be sure to include them. The tax transcript is best and you can order by phone from the IRS but it takes a week to come so probably you don't have enough time for that now.

Just submit the few marriage photos you have, that is enough! We only had 5-6 photos of our entire relationship and we still got approved with no problem. Of course, also show the phone and email records. Good luck!

I think it will be OK because after communicating with the Senator, they will not want to make more trouble!

The formal request you made is enough - after all, even on the example form here on VJ, it is not really a form, just a request letter!

They usually grant the extension with no problem but because you had problems with the approval, never know if they will make an issue of it. Hope all will go well. You are doing all the right things!

Sorry you are having troubles, but sounds like the process is on track to be reconsidered this time.

The only thing I know of to officially extend the validity of an application (though as you said, it is at the discretion of the consular officer to re-validate it, which usually happens) is to send in a formal request to the Consulate: please see the "Example Forms" on this site and under "K1 Visa Related Forms", click on the last one, "Request to Extend Approval of I-129F". Good luck!

Request to Extend Approval of I-129F

Easy enough--I never found that stuff drinkable.

Ditto!

Oh! Obviously not the ones we are using, then.

We LOVE and use jeera in practically everything we eat! In fact today my meal was greens stir-fried in jeera, mustard seeds, urad daal, curry leaves and a dash of tumeric (another great seasoning with healing properties!).

But why do they call it 'bitter cumin'? It is not bitter! Or is that another variety?

Since you plan to stay in India indefinitely, why not just delay your trip by a month or two and immediately file for PIO card here itself? My husband just got his OCI card, it took only two months exactly and I believe the PIO card is quicker though I'm not sure. In fact I plan to send for my PIO card soon.

Thanks for the news - Uncle Pai Rest in Peace!

I love Amar Chitra Katha, what a great service he did. So many of us are now familiar with many stories of Indian culture because of him.

FINALLY added Blessed to our list! Congrats on your Naturalization!!

Updating oath ceremonies for guitarboy53, intelman1717, LisalovestheUSA and c&v. Congrats everyone!

Waiting for updates from the others...best wishes for fast processing for those STILL waiting for interview or oath dates!! Especially upover, hang in there!

Buxton Babe: wasn't your wife paying taxes before?! Anyway congrats on the upcoming Oath Ceremony!

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USCIS Arizona Lockbox

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UserName..........Sent.......ChkCashd....NOA.....Fprints...Int Ltr...Intview.....Oath......Office

FUTUREAMERICAN...07/06/10....07/16/10..07/16/10..08/12/10..09/30/10..10/20/10..10/20/10..Denver, Colorado

Hicham&Darlene...07/06/10....--/--/--..07/27/10..08/30/10..09/08/10..10/15/10..01/05/11 .Saint Paul, MN

ktoste...........07/06/10....--/--/--..--/--/--..09/02/10..--/--/--..10/14/10..11/15/10..Fresno, CA

ravi_niu.........07/07/10....07/20/10..07/24/10..08/06/10..08/25/10..10/13/10..11/02/10..Chicago, IL

Var..............07/14/10....07/22/10..07/23/10..08/30/10..--/--/--..11/03/10..--/--/--..Phoenix, AZ

ELW..............07/15/10....07/23/10..07/23/10..09/02/10..09/09/10..10/15/10..11/15/10..Fresno, CA

Reeses16.........07/17/10....07/26/10..07/23/10..08/30/10..09/07/10..10/14/10..10/18/10..Seattle, WA

Maimouna.........07/19/10....07/23/10..07/23/10..08/31/10..--/--/--..10/12/10..11/18/10..Milwaukee, WI

guitarboy53......07/20/10....--/--/--..07/24/10..08/21/10..--/--/--..10/07/10..11/18/10..Seattle, WA

intelman1717.....07/21/10....--/--/--..07/28/10..--/--/--..--/--/--..10/19/10..10/19/10..Seattle, WA

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USCIS Texas Lockbox

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UserName...........Sent......ChkCashd....NOA.....Fprints...Int Ltr....Intview....Oath.....Office

lucylulu07.......07/01/10....--/--/--..07/14/10..07/29/10..--/--/--..09/21/10..10/20/10..Norfolk, VA

sisibisi.........07/02/10....--/--/--..07/09/10..08/03/10..--/--/--..09/14/10..--/--/--..Albany, NY

pn_ric...........07/06/10....07/15/10..07/13/10..08/03/10..08/23/10..09/23/10..10/13/10..Norfolk, VA

LisalovestheUSA..07/04/10....07/09/10..07/12/10..09/03/10..11/01/10..12/09/10..01/05/11..New York, NY

lailaa...........07/06/10....--/--/--..07/13/10..11/26/10..12/08/10..01/13/11..--/--/--..New York, NY

(((Blessed)))....07/15/10....--/--/--..--/--/--..08/03/10..10/19/10..11/22/10..12/23/10..New York, NY

CVB..............07/16/10....07/28/10..07/26/10..09/03/10..10/22/10..11/23/10..11/23/10..Newark, NJ

c&v..............07/19/10....--/--/--..07/26/10..08/11/10..--/--/--..11/09/10..12/08/10..Newark, NJ

kim11............07/22/10....07/31/10..08/02/10..08/18/10..08/30/10..10/04/10..--/--/--..Providence, RI

Buxton Babe......07/22/10....08/03/10..07/30/10..08/09/10..11/01/10..12/06/10..01/11/11..Tampa, FL

Jay&Nardi........07/27/10....--/--/--..07/29/10..08/10/10..--/--/--..11/01/10..11/02/10..Washington, DC

Upover...........07/28/10....08/04/10..08/04/10..--/--/--..--/--/--..--/--/--..--/--/--..Philadelphia,PA

YGETH89..........07/30/10....08/10/10..08/06/10..08/31/10..--/--/--..--/--/--..--/--/--..Washington, DC

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USCIS Nebraska Lockbox

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Ariesgurl/Lhiz21.07/28/10....08/06/10..08/08/10..09/10/10..09/08/10..10/14/10..10/14/10..Seattle, WA

Yes you could do that, but why? Apply for a PIO card NOW and then no troubles!

Here is a post I found of a native citizen of America getting a PIO card through his Indian-national wife, you might be able to find more recent ones if you search online:

PIO Card Experience

PIO card timeline for US citizen spouse, Houston Consulate

Hi all,

I sent my docs to the Houston Consulate on 10/10 (they arrived on 10/13), and I received my shiny new PIO card yesterday (11/13). That's pretty much in line with the four weeks processing time stated on the website. Here's what I included:

Documents included per the CGI-Houston website:

• Application in duplicate (both with original signatures)

• Notarized copies of:

-- My birth certificate

-- Wife’s Indian passport (all pages)

-- My US passport (all pages)

-- Marriage certificate

• Four passport sized photographs

• Money order for $385 ($365 fee + $20 courier charge)

Additional documents (not notarized):

• For validation of my wife’s current address:

-- Copy of bank passbook main page

-- Copy of credit card bill

-- If needed, her mobile number in India is +91 ***** *****

• For validation of my current address:

-- Copy of driver’s license

-- Copy of electric bill

-- Copy of cable TV/broadband bill

I sent a cover letter including the above with the intention of making it as simple as possible for the person processing the package -- who knows if it helped, but it made me feel better about it...

My wife is in India (we're still doing the US visa stuff), and they did call her to confirm some details, but they didn't call the two references I provided on the application. I started the process just after our one-year anniversary, as they turned us down when we tried last fall just after the marriage.

Cheers,

Curt

I've read tons of these last few years so I'm the expert here.

You are eligible for a PIO card. They will send you a card. That is like a visa for 15 years. No need to get any seperate visa or do any sort of application or pay any other fee for 15 years. Just bring your US Passport and PIO card and hop on a flight to India!

SF Consulate says PIO card processing takes 15 working days.

Recently the rules changed regarding tourist visas for India (and it seems like this applies to Entry visas also, from what you've read), because of terrorist activities. Even if the visa length is 5-15 years, you have to leave the country after 6 months and they will not let you return for at least 2 months. No such rule for PIO card, you can stay as long as you like! Also, it looks like Entry visas are only issued to people of Indian origin.

Did you read the site? A SPOUSE of an Indian citizen is eligible! So YES, even if you were born US Citizen you can get the PIO card because you are married to an Indian. I'm going to get my PIO card soon, too!

PS One requirement is you two have to be married for at least a year, that cuts down on fraud cases. In case you want to go to India before you've been married a year, then you can get an Entry visa and apply for a PIO card while still in India, as soon as the one year marriage requirement is fulfilled.

A PIO card is the way to go! Any spouse of a citizen (or former citizen) of India is eligible. It is a 15-year multiple-entry visa with no time constraints. You could even stay the whole 15 years! Check out your nearest Indian Consulate site for details, here is the San Francisco one:

PIO Card, SF Indian Consulate

Pick "Consular Services" link on the left side of the page, then pick Person of Indian Origin card.

You may fall deeply in love with India and never want to return (like I felt).

Yes but during 2008 I was collecting forms (and even practicing filling them out) to be used in 2009!

And from 1984-2005 I was constantly filling out visa forms several times a year during my long stay in India!

Hopefully 2012 will be my first year with no govt visa/immigration forms since 1983! If the world doesn't end first...

Thanks for the info! Yes it's true, things are constantly changing. Pages we sent, besides the application itself, included a cover letter, the OCI Application checklist, copy of surrender certificate, copy of Naturalization certificate, copy of green card, copies of Indian and American passports, and a copy of drivers license (required). I ended up just paper-clipping it all together, they can do with it what they want! The SF Consulate says it might take two months and no one should attempt to call before 60 days have passed. Also there is an online list of granted OCI applications. They require our original US AND Indian passports so hopefully they will send it back without us calling them about it!I guess I'll have to re-read the Indian Consulate site to see if any further action is required after we see our name on the online granted list.