I-130 wife's petition in New Delhi Embassy

[mneleventhirty 0]

Just got back from New Delhi after filing my wife's I-130 petition. We took a 6 AM flight from Bangalore to Delhi on 27/04. Reached the Embassy at 9:30 AM. I have been working in India since 2009, so I met the residency requirement a multiple times over, so I wasn't too worried. I got married in Dec 2009, my wife is Indian and our son was born in 2010 in India and has a US passport. Told the guard at the gate that I wanted to file an I-130 and showed him my US passport. We were ushered in through a back door into a secure area, where everything was scanned and checked. The guard spoke to someone on the intercom and asked us to wait in a waiting area, basically a shed with some benches. It was already very hot and my son was getting restless. We were then escorted through a pathway to the USCIS office there. This was a smaller room with a small waiting area and a window with intercom and another door, I guess leading to an interview room. We were glad to be out of the sun and in the comfort of an AC room. There was only one couple ahead of us filing their I-130, very unorganized, had their stuff all over the place. They were called in for an interview before us.

Then the Indian lady at the counter, called me. She asked for my passport and my wife's passport. She had a look and then asked me for my Indian residency proof, I showed her my PIO (Person of Indian Origin card) and the foreigner's registration certificate, she was satisfied and asked me for the copies. Then she asked for the I-130 application, I had the application and all the copies (my US passport, natz certificate, marriage certificate, wife's Indian passport, son's birth certificate, son's CRBA and US passport, wedding invitation, our medical insurance documents, wife's school certificate - for birth proof and affidavit by her parents) together. I handed her the bundle, with our passport size photos. She went through them, all the time asking me questions: like where I worked, where/when we got married, verified my DOB and wife's DOB, my date of divorce in the US, making helpful notes on the application at the same time. She then asked me for the copy of the divorce decree and attached it to the end. Then she asked me if we had wedding photos. I handed her a bunch of wedding photos, along with our son's photos at the hospital when he was born and our photos when my wife was pregnant. She was smiling a lot looking at my son's photos, apparently she also had a couple of months old son. Suddenly she said, do you have the draft.

I was like, wha...what draft? She said: the demand draft sir, fees for the application? I sheepishly handed her the demand draft. She took a look and gave me a voucher with the draft and said: "All the best sir, you will receive further instructions from the Chennai consulate, please pay at the cashier outside and you will get the receipt, the guard will escort you. Your wife and baby can stay here and you can come back and get them, there's no point inconveniencing them". I was dazed, didn't know what to say, just nodded and went out to look for the guard. My wife was like, what happened, I told her I don't know, I am supposed to pay, I will come back for you. I still had a lot of questions in my head, did this mean my application was approved? The guard said, sir cashier only opens at 10 AM, you still have a couple of minutes. So I went back in to see if I could talk to the lady at the counter again.

The counter was under siege by the unorganized couple, forms strewn around, the lady at the counter was telling them: ma'am take all the time you want, but please take all you forms outside, fill them and come back. I managed to meet her glance and gestured, she called me to the window. I asked her: does this mean my petition is approved. She said yes, I asked her, so I should be getting packet 3 in a month or so from Chennai, she nodded and said, sir I think the cashier is open now, you can make the payment.

So I went out, paid the cashier, who after, what seemed an eternity produced the receipt. I was escorted back to the room and was asked to leave with my family. I told the guard, I think the lady needs to see the receipt, but he said, no she doesn't have to, she will get a confirmation from the cashier.

For some reason, I sensed he was in a hurry to send us away and he escorted us out. When we were leaving he said, don't worry sir you will hear from your consulate after a month, I have been working here for over 2 years, this is how it works. It's sad you have to come all the way to Delhi, not sure why the consulates can't handle this. Sometimes people spend so much money coming all the way here only to have their application rejected.

So that's it folks, our I-130 was approved, no interview, only our passports were looked at, none of the other copies were verified, just like that. We were in at 9:30 AM and out of the Embassy by 10:20 AM. That was easy. Now for the tougher part: police clearance and I-824 domicile requirement.

[Deep2009 18]

Awesome... congratulations....

[digital82 3]

Awesome Congrats... Now get to working on I864 and ur original Visa applications...

congrats once again...

[himher 634]

Thats what I like about DCF. Once they take your money - your petition is approved. Congrats!

We are waiting for our Packet III they told us 6 weeks and we are in week 4....

[mneleventhirty 0]

Maybe I am a bit late in the game, but looks like Chennai consulate does not issue a Packet 3 at all. They hit you with a packet 4, basically a single page with instructions to download forms and the appointment date and time.

So I-130 petition was filed on 04/27 and we received packet 4 on 05/16 and the interview is scheduled for 06/14. This is insane. I need to really hurry on the police clearance and I-864.

[arjunan 0]

hello all

we also went through the same process described here by mneleventhirty

we went in at 10,45 and got out by noon .. but we waited for 30 min for the lady to come

the interview or scrutiny of application lasted hardly 10 min

thanks !

[aprilflower 0]

Mneleventhirty, first off congrats. It's good to hear a success story. I have been here for 6 years and we also have a daughter so I am hoping it will go smoothly. Did you have your original divorce document with you or just a copy? I am trying to decide whether to ask my parents to send mine over from the US or if a copy will serve equally well.