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I just came back form my FP appt. I wanted to share my experience with you.

The process of E-filing was easy !!. The ASC took only 10 min for the photos and Finger Prints.



Advantages of E-File:

- Enter the data yourself => so NO chance of Typo errors by TSC. Make sure YOU do not make typo / name swapping errors : See : http://forums.immigration.com/

- Pay by CC ; => you can immediately see that the Money has safely been charged. (Hey earn some credit card miles ..or points !! See Below : about Security Code when using Credit Card ) http://forums.immigration.com/

- Get Recipt # instantly.

Appointments' procedures for all non-immigrant visas are the same. This is from my personal experience in Nov 2005.



Step 1.

Make the two payments - either by DD or cash at the designated branch of HDFC bank. Take copy of passport along. Get receipt of the payment. There'll be a barcode sticker on the receipt which will also have the number which will be your receipt no. for all future references. This can be done by the individual applying for the visa or any representative but should carry the Passport copy of the individual travelling.

My in-laws have been issued visitor's visa on 28th at Chennai.



Some points:

* I have sent the sponsor documents.

* Advised them to take special care about arrangement and presentation of the papers

* I have sent two sets of originals/copies for them.

* Trained them on the possible questions and the answers.

*They are both around 70 years of age.

*This is their first interview and they have never visited any foreign country.



The questions they faced:

I thought this info might benefit some people.

My FIL entered US end of July '04. His 6months stay expired end of Jan '05. Our request to extend the stay was denied and he left within 10days of receipt of that letter. But he returned in 4 wks from India (he left on Feb 6th '05, returned on March 3rd '05). At POE in Los Angeles, they questioned him, but finally gave him 6months stay on I-94. He has a multiple entry visa.

Hi All,

My mother got her visitor visa approved at Chennai Consulate. I'm also including the questions that they asked my Mom. The interpreter(requested for one) was already there in the cube with officer it seems.



1Q. Since how long your son is staying in US ?

A. 5 Years



2Q. Where is he staying?

A. YYYY City.



3Q. How many months you're planning to stay?

A. 6 months.



4Q. Did your son applied for Green Card?

A. Yes.

am sharing the following info for all, i am sure it helps:



my parents came to US in mar2004, got 6 mon entry. 6-mo extn filed early aug, website showed approval late sept, approval letter recd early oct. they have come to US 2 times earlier (2000 for 1 month and late 2002 for 5 mo). Note that we sent photocopy of I-94, NOT the original.



DOCUMENTS SENT WITH APPLICATION:

3 LETTERS: 1 from my father requesting extn, 1 from me saying I will take them around and will support them, and 1 similar letter from my brother.

First of all my thanks to everyone who posted their comments and precious suggestions to help ppl makin their ways easier in immigration process. Below is my complete timeline of applying and getting J1 waiver.



Nov. 8, 2006 - Forms and affidavits got notarised to be sent to CGI Houston

Nov. 9, 2006 - Sent to CGI Houston for attestation

Nov. 10, 2006 - CGI Houston Recieves Documents and passport

Dec. 5, 2006 - Attested Documents return back to me (to be sent to authorities in India)

I start my experience first with a big thanks to Rajiv who helped us through the process of getting F1 visa stamped. Without his encouragement we would not have done it.

I had applied for an EAD for a L2 Visa. Although I entered the information correctly, USCIS rejected the application stating that I applied under a wrong category. I called them multiple times to explain this and there was no proper response. Some even suggested me to reapply and start all over again. I sent a mail to Rajiv and he suggested contacting the local Congressman's office. I explained these details to a member of my local congressman's office and she was able to contact USCIS and get the EAD approved.

I got my first TN in 07/96 and was content working with that until the Pigeon River point of entry decided that the TN for health care worker was good only for 6 months with the second one at no charge. Back then, dual intent was either ignored or didn't exist for TNs so I started the immigration process. I was in Kansas, so my labor cert took 2 years because there was only one person in Topeka working on them. If I lived in New Jersey, it would have been approved in a month. Once it was approved, I filed the I-140 and after that was approved, the I-485. There was no H1B involved.

I've been in the US for 13 of the last 14 years and over the years I've obtained 6 different TN's and I've been on an H1b for a total of 8 years. I was voluntarily out of the country for 1 year about 5 years ago, which reset my H1b clock.



The last status I had was a TN and that was after I was married to a USC (we were still deciding what country we'd live in) and finally I filed for my GC. My EAD was approved 2 weeks prior to my TN expiring and now I am just waiting for my GC Interview in 4 weeks.

When an I-485 is accepted at the Service Center, requests for FD-258 FBI fingerprint checks, fingerprint fees, and G-325A consular background checks are made by USCIS. Responses to these requests come back to USCIS and must be matched up with the appropriate files held in staging. File Maintenance "file connects" these responses to the corresponding files.

My wife and I had our passports stamped after a 6 hour ordeal that started at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 2:30 p.m. Here are some tips based on what we experienced,



1. For an 8:40 appointment, get there before 8 if at all possible. They were not checking appointment timings, so people with 9/10 a.m. appointments were ahead of us in the line. All they care is that you have an appointment for that day.

I got my medicals done in Chennai in early November, thought I would post my experience while it is still fresh in my memory.Note that I am not a Chennai resident - I reached Chennai at 6AM on the test day, and had booked my return the same night. I wanted to finish both the lab and the checkup the same day.



A)Procedure at Lister

Here are some experiences with regards to my entire track from NIW I-140 petition to I-485 approval. I had somewhat of an unique case, so if anyone here is in the same boat, this may be of help to you. I have done the entire process by myself, without an attorney, and long hours of research in the law library on U.S.C. Section 8.



Arrived to US in 1991 on J-1, not subject to section 212e, changed to F-1 on arrival. Became an H-1 in 2001 and filed for NIW in March of 2002, case was backlogged due to 9-11.

Based on the advice of some of the members at immigrationportal and being an eternal optimist, I went to Vermont Service center on Aug 23rd taking a dayoff. The lady in the counter told me that my file is in queue for FP scheduling. I told her that I got the same reply even two months back when I made senatorial enquiry.

It tooks around 827 days.

Filed in TX and later moved to Ohio.

letter for interview was issued to me and my wife, but duing interview they asked kids to be present, So please make sure kids are with you. Asked for six fmily photos with kids and some school reports( Grades and mark or award) for the file - Please consider this to be with you, during interview.

Thanks...

I contacted the USCIS regularly from Jan ‘ 04 (I applied in Aug) and was told my security check is pending. I contacted the FBI directly who told me that they received no request for a name check from the FBI. I did this on 2 separate occasions. I had no idea if my name check was submitted or not.

Dear Readers,

My experience went really well perhaps due to changes in the immigration procedures meant to make some applications process faster so that one can go on with life while waiting to gain finally permanent residence status?



I applied for a permanent residence through marriage to a US citizen while in F-1 status. Please note that I applied after our two year anniversary so the conditional permanent resident status would not apply. Here is the time line for my application process:

I am originally from Maryland and I met my husband when I was attending college in Houston, TX. After I completed college, I moved back up to Maryland to spend time with my family and I also got a very good opportunity to work, in Washington D.C. My husband and I decided to get Married in February 2002, and I decided to move back to Houston so we could start our lives together. By the time I could wrap things up in Maryland and finally move to Houston it was August 2002.

As I got my approval/551 stamp this week, I thought it would be best to share some experience to help others; This may be applicable in Texas and

Atlanta, so read with caution and use accordingly.



Texas SC

485 rcpt date 2/2002

FP done 4/2003

Approved 5/2004



My online status never changed, except when approved (No change during FP etc). This may help some who are worried like me when online status never changed.

hey people,

I  will begin with a sincere thanks for all the information I have got from these forums over the last few months and the amount of confidence I have gained through it.
Now, its my turn give back something by sharing my experience and hope this helps in giving some information to the others like me.

My visa was scheduled for 08:15 AM I reached the car parking in the nearby Malcha Marg parking by 7:45 AM. It is few minutes walk from there. I reached embassy by 7:55 or so. I was with my wife who would get an H4.

 

My status: on H1, visa expiring in September 2007. Rajiv's team applied for my H1 extension and I had I797 approvals till 2010. I had an H4 extension approval done for my wife as well. There is no employer change from first 3 years on H1 to second approval.