Interview Tips for Chennai/ Mumbai/ Delhi/ Calcutta

[Dave and Kinnari 31]

My wife has scheduled the medical in Ahmadabad,this Thursday (9/16). We plan on getting the Passport Clearance Cert. at the RPO office.

I'll be sure to try and get as much info from her as possible.

[Navyk 78]

My wife has scheduled the medical in Ahmadabad,this Thursday (9/16). We plan on getting the Passport Clearance Cert. at the RPO office.

I'll be sure to try and get as much info from her as possible.

Dev, I have a question for you. Did you/ your wife get just the email apponiment letter or any physical letter?

[Dave and Kinnari 31]

Dev, I have a question for you. Did you/ your wife get just the email apponiment letter or any physical letter?

She got the e-mail appointment letter.

If you have e-mail address' exchanged with NVC ALL communication will be via e-mail. If you do not they will mail it out via physical postal mail.

We both got this e-mail as well, so you should expect the same when you get the interview date.

Edited September 12, 2011 by Dave and Kinnari

[VisaJourney2011 14]

So CR1 people need 2 Clearance certificate?

1) Police Clearance Certificate

2) Passport Clearance certificate

My wife has scheduled the medical in Ahmadabad,this Thursday (9/16). We plan on getting the Passport Clearance Cert. at the RPO office.

I'll be sure to try and get as much info from her as possible.

[Dave and Kinnari 31]

So CR1 people need 2 Clearance certificate?

1) Police Clearance Certificate

2) Passport Clearance certificate

It depends.

Read here. http://www.***removed***/immigration/police-certificates.html

My wife's passport is less than 6 months old. This is also her first ever passport. As the local clearance cert. (local police) is not necessarily needed it is beneficial to have as to anything they might ask at the interview.

It's also needed (to my understanding) at the RPO office in A'bad to get the Passport Clearance Cert.

If it were me, I would get both even if both aren't needed.

[VisaJourney2011 14]

Thanks.

It'll be Delhi for me.

Another q's:

1) If the beneficiary lives in 2 places (diff state). Does he/she need Police Clearance Certificate & Passport Clearance Certificate from both places, so the total 4 Clearance certificates?

2) Is the Passport Clearance Certificate also called or known as Exit Permit?

It depends.

Read here. http://www.***removed***/immigration/police-certificates.html

My wife's passport is less than 6 months old. This is also her first ever passport. As the local clearance cert. (local police) is not necessarily needed it is beneficial to have as to anything they might ask at the interview.

It's also needed (to my understanding) at the RPO office in A'bad to get the Passport Clearance Cert.

If it were me, I would get both even if both aren't needed.

[Ankitc 0]

For submition of docs to VFS ---It says submit orignal interview letter .

what is the orignal letter ?

Is it the same we got in email or will we get one in MAIL (Postal).

We should take the copy of the email ...would that be enough ?

Whoever submited their docs to VFS or has already passed the interview can answer this .

you just need email appointment letter and take an extra copy when you go for submission at vfs.

[I_love_my_hubby 0]

Hey everyone!!!! Sorry guys it took such a long time to write a review on my husband's interview since he is trying to get everything done before he comes to US. Here are the steps that my husband has gone through on the day of his interview in Mumbai.

1. Reach VFS Mumbai @ 6:30 am

2. They will open at 6:45

3. For the entry into VFS office you need to present the interview letter and receipt they gave you while submitting the document to VFS earlier.

4. You need to get into the lounge. Remember if you have luggage with you then you need to pay Rs. 275 in order to leave your luggage with them.

5. In consulate you cannot carry bags or anything. You are only allowed to carry plastic bags or document folders. You must keep the entire extra luggage at VFS.

6. At VFS office they will call you inside the lounge. After checking your interview letter and luggage they will board you in a bus. Bus will drop you at the US consulate office.

7. Here you need to go through one more security check. For gents they ask to remove belt, watch and wallet. You need put all your items in a tray for scanning. There will be line on the right hand side of the entrance for the finger prints. They will give you a wooden token if you are CR1 visa applicant and pink token for rest of the applicants.

8. After getting done with finger prints you need to wait in the hall. Once they announce your name and ask you to go to a specific window, you need to go there. Here they will return all your original documents. They will ask your preferred language for the interview. They can ask few questions while returning your original documents.

9. The questions that they may ask are like name of your sponsor and co-sponsor, occupation of your sponsor, relationship between you and your sponsor etc.

10. Once receiving your original documents you need to go back to your seat in the hall and wait for the next announcement for actual interview.

11. They will announce your name for the interview and ask you to go to a specific window. Once you enter the window they ask you to take oath that whatever the information that you have submitted is true and whatever you will answer will all be true.

12. The kind of question that they might ask during the CR1 visa interview are:

- Who is calling you to US?

- Who is co-sponsor?

- What does your life partner do in US?

- What is the occupation of your co-sponsor?

- What is the relation between you and your co-sponsor?

- When did you meet for the first time?

- Who made you meet each other for the first time?

- When did you get married?

- Where did you go for honeymoon?

- Where did you stay at your honeymoon place, name the hotel or resort?

- When did he/she go back to US after marriage?

- Show some wedding pictures with family and mangal phera.

- Show some post marriage pictures.

- What is your occupation?

13. The whole purpose for the interview is to check whether your relationship is genuine or not. If your relationship is genuine and if you have submitted the complete set of necessary documents, you don’t need to worry. You will definitely get the Visa as I did. My interview lasted for about 5 minutes.

14. At the end of the successful interview they will let you know whether you have been approved for a visa or not. I was told by the consulate that the visa will arrive to the address which they had on file between 3-5 business days.

15. If you want to collect your passport the same day you can collect it from VFS office between 5:00pm to 5:30pm. They will return your passport with visa stamp on the same day if it is ready. There is a possibility that passport may not be ready with stamp on the same day due to the holiday or other pending files. You can send SMS to 57333 and write “VISA US your passport number”. This will activate your request for passport status in their system. You will receive and SMS between 4:00 to 4:30pm informing you whether your passport is ready or not.

16. If your passport is ready and you are collecting it from VFS the same day, make sure you reach VFS with copy of photo identity proof (PAN card, license, passport ) and your interview letter.

17. VFS will let you enter with these two documents. Once you enter VFS office they will give you a token with a number. Once your token number will be announced you can go to the specific window to collect a grey color envelope. They give you instructions that inside envelope you will find your passport and a yellow color envelope. You cannot open yellow color envelope. It will only be opened by the immigration officer at US airport.

18. It was a pretty smooth process for me and I got my visa approved without any hurdle.

Hope everyone gets their visa approved without any sort of issues. Good luck and best wishes from Nilu & Bhakti

[I_love_my_hubby 0]

For submition of docs to VFS ---It says submit orignal interview letter .

what is the orignal letter ?

Is it the same we got in email or will we get one in MAIL (Postal).

We should take the copy of the email ...would that be enough ?

Whoever submited their docs to VFS or has already passed the interview can answer this .

You will only get an email for your interview letter. You won't get anything in postal mail from NVC nor an Embassy. It's best if you tell your spouse to make several copies of interview letter so you will have it on hand when needed.

[jaan 0]

You will only get an email for your interview letter. You won't get anything in postal mail from NVC nor an Embassy. It's best if you tell your spouse to make several copies of interview letter so you will have it on hand when needed.

thankyou all

[Navyk 78]

Chennai Bound, we can either take the medical reports to VFS and submit those at VFS, if ready or we can take themedical reports to the interview. Here is the clarification from VFS (Chennai Consulate gives link of VFS for any clarification). We also know that one of the Chennai bound had submitted his/her medical report at interview without any issue.

Dear Mr. xxxx,

Thank you for writing to us,

Kindly note that you are advisable to carry the medical documents at the time of the submission of the courier fees along with relevant documents. Further, if incase you are not able to produce the medical documents on time then you may carry the medical documents at the time of the US visa interview.

Regards,

Shazia

U.S VFS Helpdesk Team

[joggerspark 0]

Nilu&Bhakti/Someone

For Mumbai consulates,

Are you suppose to go to VFS or directly to Consulate for the interview?

[Dave and Kinnari 31]

Nilu&Bhakti/Someone

For Mumbai consulates,

Are you suppose to go to VFS or directly to Consulate for the interview?

For the day of the intreview?

[joggerspark 0]

For the day of the intreview?

Yes, on the day of the interview where are you suppose to start , at VFS or at consulate itself?

[Navyk 78]

Hey everyone!!!! Sorry guys it took such a long time to write a review on my husband's interview since he is trying to get everything done before he comes to US. Here are the steps that my husband has gone through on the day of his interview in Mumbai.

1. Reach VFS Mumbai @ 6:30 am

2. They will open at 6:45

3. For the entry into VFS office you need to present the interview letter and receipt they gave you while submitting the document to VFS earlier.

4. You need to get into the lounge. Remember if you have luggage with you then you need to pay Rs. 275 in order to leave your luggage with them.

5. In consulate you cannot carry bags or anything. You are only allowed to carry plastic bags or document folders. You must keep the entire extra luggage at VFS.

6. At VFS office they will call you inside the lounge. After checking your interview letter and luggage they will board you in a bus. Bus will drop you at the US consulate office.

7. Here you need to go through one more security check. For gents they ask to remove belt, watch and wallet. You need put all your items in a tray for scanning. There will be line on the right hand side of the entrance for the finger prints. They will give you a wooden token if you are CR1 visa applicant and pink token for rest of the applicants.

8. After getting done with finger prints you need to wait in the hall. Once they announce your name and ask you to go to a specific window, you need to go there. Here they will return all your original documents. They will ask your preferred language for the interview. They can ask few questions while returning your original documents.

9. The questions that they may ask are like name of your sponsor and co-sponsor, occupation of your sponsor, relationship between you and your sponsor etc.

10. Once receiving your original documents you need to go back to your seat in the hall and wait for the next announcement for actual interview.

11. They will announce your name for the interview and ask you to go to a specific window. Once you enter the window they ask you to take oath that whatever the information that you have submitted is true and whatever you will answer will all be true.

12. The kind of question that they might ask during the CR1 visa interview are:

- Who is calling you to US?

- Who is co-sponsor?

- What does your life partner do in US?

- What is the occupation of your co-sponsor?

- What is the relation between you and your co-sponsor?

- When did you meet for the first time?

- Who made you meet each other for the first time?

- When did you get married?

- Where did you go for honeymoon?

- Where did you stay at your honeymoon place, name the hotel or resort?

- When did he/she go back to US after marriage?

- Show some wedding pictures with family and mangal phera.

- Show some post marriage pictures.

- What is your occupation?

13. The whole purpose for the interview is to check whether your relationship is genuine or not. If your relationship is genuine and if you have submitted the complete set of necessary documents, you don't need to worry. You will definitely get the Visa as I did. My interview lasted for about 5 minutes.

14. At the end of the successful interview they will let you know whether you have been approved for a visa or not. I was told by the consulate that the visa will arrive to the address which they had on file between 3-5 business days.

15. If you want to collect your passport the same day you can collect it from VFS office between 5:00pm to 5:30pm. They will return your passport with visa stamp on the same day if it is ready. There is a possibility that passport may not be ready with stamp on the same day due to the holiday or other pending files. You can send SMS to 57333 and write "VISA US your passport number". This will activate your request for passport status in their system. You will receive and SMS between 4:00 to 4:30pm informing you whether your passport is ready or not.

16. If your passport is ready and you are collecting it from VFS the same day, make sure you reach VFS with copy of photo identity proof (PAN card, license, passport ) and your interview letter.

17. VFS will let you enter with these two documents. Once you enter VFS office they will give you a token with a number. Once your token number will be announced you can go to the specific window to collect a grey color envelope. They give you instructions that inside envelope you will find your passport and a yellow color envelope. You cannot open yellow color envelope. It will only be opened by the immigration officer at US airport.

18. It was a pretty smooth process for me and I got my visa approved without any hurdle.

Hope everyone gets their visa approved without any sort of issues. Good luck and best wishes from Nilu & Bhakti

Wow, this is interesting - going to VFS first. How did you come to know that you need to go to VFS and not to Consulate for interview?

Are all Mumbai guys required to go to VFS first and then are sent to US Consulate? What about guys going to Chennai, Delhi and Calcutta Consulates (I know the Chennai VFS is also very close to Chennai Consulate - do the Chennai guys are also required to go to VFS office)?