Chennai Bound

[Navyk 78]

Reached one day before the interview, stayed in a good hotel at T Nagar. That morning it was raining heavily, but fortunately the rain stopped by 10 AM. So me and my hubby started at 11:45 AM from the hotel and reached at 12:10 near the consulate gate. I was with my hubby, but wasn't allowed to go inside by the security folks. So I waited outside. As all the IV interview were scheduled at 1 PM, they will only allow to stand on queue only at 12:30. But it is always safe to reach early, that's why we reached at 12:00. So we waited half an hour outside and then at 12:30 the queue for IV Visa has started and there were around 15-20 candidates for the IV interview. Then security guys asked to keep the passport and interview letter ready. At 12:50 PM my hubby's turn came and he handed over the interview letter and passport to the lady in the security window, the lady gave him his token. This token was used for all the different interview process till the interview gets over. Then he was put into security checks. Pleasee do not carry any cell ph, CDs etc. He went inside after security check. At the first couner, another check will be done for all papers, enveopes, wallet. Then he was allowed to go to another building where actual interview will happen.

He went to that building, one person asked all the applicants to hand over the interview leter and he was also verifying about the passport size photographs if they are within 6 months or not. After waiting 15 mins his token number was displayed and he went to window 16 where one Indian lady interviewed her. Below is the conversation with the Indian lady(Pre-screening):

Who is sponsing you?

Answer: My wife

What is your wife's name?

Answer: My hubby told my name

What are you doing?

Answer: Working as xxx in yyy company

Is this the first marriage for both of you?

Answer: Yes

Give me your medical report and your passport

Handed over the medical report and passport. Took the report and returned the chest x-ray.

Have you paid the courier fees at VFS?

Answer: Yes, Here is the receipt. She told its alright. She did not take the receipt.

How did you meet each other?

Answer: It was an arranged marriage. So our first meeting was arranged by her maternal uncle. So we met at her uncle's house in presence of my parents, her mother and all the member of her uncle's family.

Can you please show me some marriage pictures?

Answer: Showed the wedding album through

Is your wife's parent related to your father?

No. This question comes to her mind as my surname and my husband's surname are same and we all belong to same district.

Thats it. She asked to sign the DS-230 part II and told to wait. The waiting period started now. He waited around 45 mins. Then one window was opened where the finger prints were taken by another lady. Then my hubby waited around 10 mins. His token number was displayed for the final interview by American CO. He was the second person to be interviewed on that day. The questions asked by the American lady are below:

Good afternoon.

She also replied the same

CO: Can we continue the interview in English?

Answer: Yes. (They provide translators to those applicants who opt to take their interview in regional language)

CO: How did you meet?

Answer: It was an arranged marriage. The meeting was arranged by her maternal uncle at their uncle's house in presence of all family members.

CO: When and where you had your engagement?

Answer: Told the exact date and place.

CO: Can you show some pics of your marriage?

Answer: The wedding album was too big to go inside the window. So she asked to show from outside and saw around 20 pics.

CO: What does your wife do for living?

Answer: She works as a XXX in YYY company.

CO: How long she is been US?

Answer: XXX yrs

CO: When did your wife get naturalized?

Answer: On XX month YYYY year

CO: How did she go to US?

Answer: With her parents

CO: How did her parents go to US?

Answer: Explained in detail

CO: How often you guys communicate with each other?

Answer: We speak more than one hour daily with MagicJack, Skype, Telephone. Can I show the print out of our chat logs. She said, no, its ok.

CO: Thats it. Returned all the original civil documents(Marriage and Birth certificate) then told You will receive your passport within a week.

My husband thanked her and left the window. So he was done with the interview in 10 mins. The CO was very nice lady.He was out of the consulate in 2 hours.

Then my hubby came out of consulate gate with a big smile in his face and I understood that we are approved. Thanks to Lord. Then we sent the SMS to VISA US Passport no to 57333. But it wan't ready. Still we went to VFS office and inqiured about it. But they told once it is ready they will send the SMS and can be collected otherwise they will send by courier. We got SMS next day that your passport is ready to be picked up or we will send it by courier. But we came back from chennai on that day. So waiting for the passport to be received by courier.

So finally we were done with the whole process. It would not have possible without the help of VJers. A big big thank to VJ Family. We are so happy to be a part of a this great forum.

Sesa, this is a great help for us, as we are planning to stay at Chennai to collect the visa/ passport. May the good Lord bless you both. Can you please provide me with the hotel details and let us know how far is it from the consulate. Appreciate if you can provide that.

Ganesh86, thanks for letting us of the risk with buses - buses are not reaching Hyderabad. By God's grace she reached Hyderabad by train. We requested for early medical schedule but no response from Dr. Songa yet. Do you have a telephone number for us to call him of the clinic? Appreciate if you can provide that.

[sesa 0]

Sesa, this is a great help for us, as we are planning to stay at Chennai to collect the visa/ passport. May the good Lord bless you both. Can you please provide me with the hotel details and let us know how far is it from the consulate. Appreciate if you can provide that.

Ganesh86, thanks for letting us of the risk with buses - buses are not reaching Hyderabad. By God's grace she reached Hyderabad by train. We requested for early medical schedule but no response from Dr. Songa yet. Do you have a telephone number for us to call him of the clinic? Appreciate if you can provide that.

Hi NavyK,

I am Sanju, husband of Sesa. Thank you for your wishes. We 've statyed in my company's guest house. The rate for one day stay was 1800 INR for a double bed AC occupany. Here is the details of the Hotel. Please call the concerned person and check the availability.

OLD NO 154/1, NEW NO 12,

HABBIBULLA ROAD,

T NAGAR,

CHENNAI 17.

Landmark: Near Nadigar Sangam

Contact Person:

V.SATHEESH 9677011591 04442606668

Regarding the Counter Passport collection at VFS. Mostly the visa won't be ready on the same day. But I strongly reccommend to wait for the next day and collect the sealed packet from VFS. The reason: For me the packet was opened. However, I put it again and it got fixed. The packets gets opened during transportation by the courier. Now I kept my fingers crossed for POE. You will get SMS on your mobile no next day by 12:30 PM. I would suggest to go and collect it from the VFS office. In that way you can check if it is properly sealed or not and raise your concerns to them if anything goes wrong.

Good luck to the interviews!

[Navyk 78]

Hi NavyK,

I am Sanju, husband of Sesa. Thank you for your wishes. We 've statyed in my company's guest house. The rate for one day stay was 1800 INR for a double bed AC occupany. Here is the details of the Hotel. Please call the concerned person and check the availability.

OLD NO 154/1, NEW NO 12,

HABBIBULLA ROAD,

T NAGAR,

CHENNAI 17.

Landmark: Near Nadigar Sangam

Contact Person:

V.SATHEESH 9677011591 04442606668

Regarding the Counter Passport collection at VFS. Mostly the visa won't be ready on the same day. But I strongly reccommend to wait for the next day and collect the sealed packet from VFS. The reason: For me the packet was opened. However, I put it again and it got fixed. The packets gets opened during transportation by the courier. Now I kept my fingers crossed for POE. You will get SMS on your mobile no next day by 12:30 PM. I would suggest to go and collect it from the VFS office. In that way you can check if it is properly sealed or not and raise your concerns to them if anything goes wrong.

Good luck to the interviews!

Thanks Sanju for your help.

[ganesh86 0]

Sesa, this is a great help for us, as we are planning to stay at Chennai to collect the visa/ passport. May the good Lord bless you both. Can you please provide me with the hotel details and let us know how far is it from the consulate. Appreciate if you can provide that.

Ganesh86, thanks for letting us of the risk with buses - buses are not reaching Hyderabad. By God's grace she reached Hyderabad by train. We requested for early medical schedule but no response from Dr. Songa yet. Do you have a telephone number for us to call him of the clinic? Appreciate if you can provide that.

Navyk,

I do not have the doctor direct contact number and all I have is VIJAYA DIAGNOSTICS CENTER phone numbers as mentioned below. Also please let me know if you have any further questions on Medical Exam with Diagnostic Center. Also advice your wife that there is a rail roko from OCT8th-OCT10th. I think you must be aware of this. Other folks who are going to Hyderabad medical test please feel free to ask me any questions that you have at this time.

Ph: 040 2342 0422 to 27

[Navyk 78]

Navyk,

I do not have the doctor direct contact number and all I have is VIJAYA DIAGNOSTICS CENTER phone numbers as mentioned below. Also please let me know if you have any further questions on Medical Exam with Diagnostic Center. Also advice your wife that there is a rail roko from OCT8th-OCT10th. I think you must be aware of this. Other folks who are going to Hyderabad medical test please feel free to ask me any questions that you have at this time.

Ph: 040 2342 0422 to 27

Thanks Ganesh86. We may have to go to VFS to pay the courier fee on 10/07. Since we need to submit a PCC from Kuwait, which expires on 10/03/2011, we are getting a new one today from Kuwait Police and wanted to submit it at VFS, if received before 10/11. Do you know till which date VFS accepts the documents for interview 10/25/2011!

[ganesh86 0]

Thanks Ganesh86. We may have to go to VFS to pay the courier fee on 10/07. Since we need to submit a PCC from Kuwait, which expires on 10/03/2011, we are getting a new one today from Kuwait Police and wanted to submit it at VFS, if received before 10/11. Do you know till which date VFS accepts the documents for interview 10/25/2011!

When my wife did visit VFS office, they specifically told her that they can accept documents until 15 working days prior to the interview. Else the least is 7 business days. Without confusion, why cannot your wife hand carry the PCC along with Medical Report to the cosultate? Just to be safer side because due to the agitation in Hyderabad nowadays, I would not rely on VFS or any courier services because protestors are burning most of the vehicles now a days and out of which VFS documents carrying vehile(possibly)is one of them and you never know. You made a lot of hard work and reached the interview stage and don't want to be risk.

Let us know your thoughts!

USCIS:

3/14/11 - I -130 sent to USCIS Chicago Lockbox

3/18/11 - NOA1

6/16/11 - NOA2

NVC:

7/19/11 - NVC Case Number

8/31/11 - Case Completed

9/13/11 - Interview Date received

9/23/11- Medical Test Scheduled

10/24/11- Interview @ Chennai Consulate at 1 PM Chennai Consulate

[Navyk 78]

When my wife did visit VFS office, they specifically told her that they can accept documents until 15 working days prior to the interview. Else the least is 7 business days. Without confusion, why cannot your wife hand carry the PCC along with Medical Report to the cosultate? Just to be safer side because due to the agitation in Hyderabad nowadays, I would not rely on VFS or any courier services because protestors are burning most of the vehicles now a days and out of which VFS documents carrying vehile(possibly)is one of them and you never know. You made a lot of hard work and reached the interview stage and don't want to be risk.

Let us know your thoughts!

USCIS:

3/14/11 - I -130 sent to USCIS Chicago Lockbox

3/18/11 - NOA1

6/16/11 - NOA2

NVC:

7/19/11 - NVC Case Number

8/31/11 - Case Completed

9/13/11 - Interview Date received

9/23/11- Medical Test Scheduled

10/24/11- Interview @ Chennai Consulate at 1 PM Chennai Consulate

That sounds good. Thanks.

[ganesh86 0]

That sounds good. Thanks.

Navyk,

Any luck whether Dr Songa responded back to your wife with an earliest possible medical test?

USCIS:

3/14/11 - I -130 sent to USCIS Chicago Lockbox

3/18/11 - NOA1

6/16/11 - NOA2

NVC:

7/19/11 - NVC Case Number

8/31/11 - Case Completed

9/13/11 - Interview Date received

9/23/11- Medical Test Scheduled

10/24/11- Interview @ Chennai Consulate at 1 PM Chennai Consulate

[Navyk 78]

Navyk,

Any luck whether Dr Songa responded back to your wife with an earliest possible medical test?

USCIS:

3/14/11 - I -130 sent to USCIS Chicago Lockbox

3/18/11 - NOA1

6/16/11 - NOA2

NVC:

7/19/11 - NVC Case Number

8/31/11 - Case Completed

9/13/11 - Interview Date received

9/23/11- Medical Test Scheduled

10/24/11- Interview @ Chennai Consulate at 1 PM Chennai Consulate

He didn't. She called Vijaya Diagnostics a couple of times but they are say that they are connecting to his office and then after sometime the call gets cut. However they said that they will be working on 10/08 also and hence it would be done on 10/08. So no option but to go on 10/07 at 9 AM. Hopefully the agitation doesn't inturrupt her plans.

I am looking at some hotels near Consulate. Hotel Park View (Rs 2300), The Spring (Rs 4000), Star City Service Apartments (Rs 2200), Courtyard by Marriott Hotel (USD 103) are close to the Consulate. Are you planning to stay in a hotel or do you have someone at Chennai?

[Navyk 78]

He didn't. She called Vijaya Diagnostics a couple of times but they are say that they are connecting to his office and then after sometime the call gets cut. However they said that they will be working on 10/08 also and hence it would be done on 10/08. So no option but to go on 10/07 at 9 AM. Hopefully the agitation doesn't inturrupt her plans.

I am looking at some hotels near Consulate. Hotel Park View (Rs 2300), The Spring (Rs 4000), Star City Service Apartments (Rs 2200), Courtyard by Marriott Hotel (USD 103) are close to the Consulate. Are you planning to stay in a hotel or do you have someone at Chennai?

By the way Us Consulate in Kuwait says that the Kuwait PCC though issued valid for 3 months is good for an year. But since we didn't want to take chances, we insisted on another form from them to get PCC from Kuwait Government. Hopefully we may not need to submit a new PCC from Kuwait, so wife will take it and will give only of asked.

Edited October 4, 2011 by NavyK

[ganesh86 0]

He didn't. She called Vijaya Diagnostics a couple of times but they are say that they are connecting to his office and then after sometime the call gets cut. However they said that they will be working on 10/08 also and hence it would be done on 10/08. So no option but to go on 10/07 at 9 AM. Hopefully the agitation doesn't inturrupt her plans.

I am looking at some hotels near Consulate. Hotel Park View (Rs 2300), The Spring (Rs 4000), Star City Service Apartments (Rs 2200), Courtyard by Marriott Hotel (USD 103) are close to the Consulate. Are you planning to stay in a hotel or do you have someone at Chennai?

The Rail Rako agitation begins on Oct8th-Oct10th. The good thing is it will not interfere your wife's medical test or VFS office visit. The only bad part is she may have to stuck in Hyderabad till 10th or 11th.

At this time we are yet to plan where to stay in Chennai during her interivew. Most likely my wife will stay at her relatives's place or else hotel near Consulate. We will know about her stay by the end of this week. Thank you for providing the hotel details and it surely helps.

USCIS:

3/14/11 - I -130 sent to USCIS Chicago Lockbox

3/18/11 - NOA1

6/16/11 - NOA2

NVC:

7/19/11 - NVC Case Number

8/31/11 - Case Completed

9/13/11 - Interview Date received

9/23/11- Medical Test Scheduled

10/24/11- Interview @ Chennai Consulate at 1 PM Chennai Consulate

[Navyk 78]

The Rail Rako agitation begins on Oct8th-Oct10th. The good thing is it will not interfere your wife's medical test or VFS office visit. The only bad part is she may have to stuck in Hyderabad till 10th or 11th.

At this time we are yet to plan where to stay in Chennai during her interivew. Most likely my wife will stay at her relatives's place or else hotel near Consulate. We will know about her stay by the end of this week. Thank you for providing the hotel details and it surely helps.

USCIS:

3/14/11 - I -130 sent to USCIS Chicago Lockbox

3/18/11 - NOA1

6/16/11 - NOA2

NVC:

7/19/11 - NVC Case Number

8/31/11 - Case Completed

9/13/11 - Interview Date received

9/23/11- Medical Test Scheduled

10/24/11- Interview @ Chennai Consulate at 1 PM Chennai Consulate

Thanks Ganesh86 for the info. Hopefully 10/08 may be alright in the city and she may received her report on that day itself (I hope Vijay Diagnostics is right). Haven't yet finalized Hotel at Chennai but booked flight for wife on 10/23 - can't take chances with any Rail Roko.

[Navyk 78]

The Rail Rako agitation begins on Oct8th-Oct10th. The good thing is it will not interfere your wife's medical test or VFS office visit. The only bad part is she may have to stuck in Hyderabad till 10th or 11th.

At this time we are yet to plan where to stay in Chennai during her interivew. Most likely my wife will stay at her relatives's place or else hotel near Consulate. We will know about her stay by the end of this week. Thank you for providing the hotel details and it surely helps.

USCIS:

3/14/11 - I -130 sent to USCIS Chicago Lockbox

3/18/11 - NOA1

6/16/11 - NOA2

NVC:

7/19/11 - NVC Case Number

8/31/11 - Case Completed

9/13/11 - Interview Date received

9/23/11- Medical Test Scheduled

10/24/11- Interview @ Chennai Consulate at 1 PM Chennai Consulate

Dr. Songa finally responded sometime back with a reschedule for 12:00 PM on 10/06. Planning VFS trip also on 10/06.

[ganesh86 0]

Navyk,

I am glad that finally Dr. Songa responded with 10/06 rescheduled date for your wife. Just a reminder that don't be surprised if they ask your wife to come following day for vaccinations. As far as my wife's medical experience, 1st day test includes: Blood test, Blood Pressure check, Height/Weight Check and Chest-Xray. 2nd day is mostly consist vaccinations and by the end of the day she will be given a sealed envelope by the doctor. 1st day she has to pay RS1000 plus for consultation fee and remaining fees should be paid on the following day after vaccinations.

Meanwhile she can still visit VFS office tomorrow and pay for courier fee of RS387. Keep us posted. I wish you all the best for your wife's medical test. Also advise your wife to carry cash only because Vijaya Diagnostics only accept Cash.

USCIS:

3/14/11 - I -130 sent to USCIS Chicago Lockbox

3/18/11 - NOA1

6/16/11 - NOA2

NVC:

7/19/11 - NVC Case Number

8/31/11 - Case Completed

9/13/11 - Interview Date received

9/23/11- Medical Test Scheduled

10/24/11- Interview @ Chennai Consulate at 1 PM Chennai Consulate

[Navyk 78]

Navyk,

I am glad that finally Dr. Songa responded with 10/06 rescheduled date for your wife. Just a reminder that don't be surprised if they ask your wife to come following day for vaccinations. As far as my wife's medical experience, 1st day test includes: Blood test, Blood Pressure check, Height/Weight Check and Chest-Xray. 2nd day is mostly consist vaccinations and by the end of the day she will be given a sealed envelope by the doctor. 1st day she has to pay RS1000 plus for consultation fee and remaining fees should be paid on the following day after vaccinations.

Meanwhile she can still visit VFS office tomorrow and pay for courier fee of RS387. Keep us posted. I wish you all the best for your wife's medical test. Also advise your wife to carry cash only because Vijaya Diagnostics only accept Cash.

USCIS:

3/14/11 - I -130 sent to USCIS Chicago Lockbox

3/18/11 - NOA1

6/16/11 - NOA2

NVC:

7/19/11 - NVC Case Number

8/31/11 - Case Completed

9/13/11 - Interview Date received

9/23/11- Medical Test Scheduled

10/24/11- Interview @ Chennai Consulate at 1 PM Chennai Consulate

Ganesh86, thanks for the info - I need to tell her to take cash only.