BlueTrap

OP -- My dad has a similar situation: naturalized in 1984, and has no passport or proof of surrender. He need to urgently go to India -- my grandfather is sick. I tried e-mailing both the Embassy and Travisa (Visa Processing Outsource Company) to figure this situation out, and they provided the following response:

Please visit our website for the application, fee's and list of required documents. visit www.TravisaIndia.com. In regards with the actual Indian Passport, please complete the affidavit form attached and get it notarized then submit it along with your Visa application.

Thank you and we look forward to assisting you.

Sincerely,

Jan Marisse Reyes

Travisa Outsourcing - Washington, DC

http://www.travisaindia.com- Show quoted text -

Please PM me your e-mail address, and I will forward the document they e-mailed me.

Also, be warned -- this will only work for the Embassy in Washington DC. The Consulate or Embassy serving your jurisdiction may have it's own form -- for example, I know both the New York and San Francisco Consulates have different forms readily available on their respective websites.

Good luck!

Blue

Haha! VJ stopped e-mailing me to tell me there were more responses to this thread! Sorry, guys ...

It ended up being a lot of worry for nothing. Either the Indian officer wanted a bribe, or there was some technical glitch in his computer. My fiance said he honestly did go in the officer's cube in Kolkata (who was being really nice about the situation), and saw his computer say "photo mismatch".

Well, once he got here -- the American officer just said "hey, what's up", asked a few generic questions about his visit (and our relationship), and said "OK, have a nice day". They did photograph him and take his fingerprints, but no "photo mismatch" was ever mentioned.

I was asking my brother at the airport: "How do you know if someone DOESN'T pass through customs?", and he came waltzing out.

Thanks for checking up on me, guys

I need help with information!!!

As you guys know, my fiance obtained his K-1 visa, and is flying to me right now -- scheduled to land in Washington, DC at 4pm tomorrow (local time). He was almost denied boarding in Kolkata a few hours ago -- the officer said that the "photo recognition software" in "registration information system" was not reconciling his current face with his passport photo or visa photo (all recently taken, of course). The officer let him go "this time"; however, told him to be ready to turn around in the US.

Has anyone ever heard of this? Has anyone ever heard of someone being denied entry based solely on photo recognition software issues (WHICH ARE PHOTOS OF HIM!).

Please help -- I'm freaking out! Next 24 hours are going to be rough

Robert,

My fiance just went through the K-1 visa interview on June 14th at Mumbai, so we are quite familiar with the process.

About 7 - 10 days prior to the interview, have your fiance turn in all her documents at the nearest VFS office. They have a checklist they run through, take the papers from you, give you a receipt for everything they have taken, and ask you to bring any missing documents to the interview. Very stress-free. They charge Rs. 387 courier fee (to get the passport and visa returned to you after the interview), and try to push "lounge access" -- Rs. 250/person. Could be good if you need to store stuff in their lockers, but, if not, standing in line outside the consulate is not too bad.

At the interview, they will collect Rs. 16800 ($350) bank draft. That is it. The "IV" fees listed are "Immigrant Visa" fees, and the K-1 is a NON-immigrant visa. Those fees do not apply to us.

Good luck, and please let me know if you have any other questions!

Blue

And, yet, we seem to be the ones suffering the most out of this process: they are changing the rates back to $1 = Rs. 48. Argh!

There goes the visa fee from Rs. 6026 to Rs. 16800!

More and more, I think we should have gone the CR-1 route ... for a few more months of waiting, we could have save a few thousand dollars!

Just venting my frustration ... of how they keep gouging us more and more every day ... and we have no other choice ...

Hopefully, they don't raise the AOS on us this summer, after all this ...

Yup -- I applied for K-1 on October 27, 2009 -- wayyyy before this fare hike was announced. Fiance's interview is scheduled June 14th in Mumbai. We received a call from the Consulate warning us of the fare hike, and telling us to bring a check for the full $350 amount (even though interview letter and Mumbai Consulate website still say $131).

We got royally screwed by the system, but, as my mom says, we are at their mercy and there is nothing we can do about it. I went the K-1 route because we wanted to be together ASAP, and it wasn't possibly for me to visit India for a few months to get a marriage license. Now, in hindsight, should have probably gone for the CR-1. MUCH less hassle and random fees ... but, also much less time with loved one ... ARGH!

Hey Sachinky --

You're probably in the US by now -- WELCOME!

Well, we were able to get the passport (under "Tatkaal"). The Passport office is saying 30 days for PCC (but our interview is 6/14). Also, we called the travel agent you suggested -- and they are saying they are very busy. PCC will take 15 days and cost Rs. 2700. They asked who refered us, but, of course, I did not know your name.

Does this amount sound right to you? Do you know any other travel agents? Any way to convince Passport Office to process quicker?

Thanks!

Kajal

YeS!!! It got Increased..from $131 to $350, for B1/B2 It would be $140.

you can check it out with this link.

http://travel.state.gov/news/press/press_4603.html

But this is just a PROPOSAL. I don't see any place where they ACTUALLY turned it into law and officially changed to $350, including the Department of State and Mumbai Consulate websites.

ARGH.

My fiance just got a phone call stating that he should bring Rs. 16,100 to his interview -- because they have raised their rates starting June 4th. No written confirmation or any other form of official documentation, just a cryptic phone call from an Embassy official. Department of State and Consulate website still say $131, also.

Anyone else hear of this? The documents with the visa packet say $131 = Rs. 6026. Should he take checks for both amounts, and see which one flies? I'm so frustrated by this entire process and this REALLY adds to the pile

My fiance also has no middle name, so we just put a dash in all locations. USCIS and US Consulate have had no problems yet. Just make sure any legal documentation (birth certificate, etc.) also reflects no middle name.

Good Luck!

Congrats! If you can, please post questions they asked and a review to help those of us in line next

Also, was the CO aware that you were there with your fiance?

Star's approval bumps our Mumbai approval rate to 97.5% since Jan 2008 -- yes, an optimistic view, but helps the mind relax!

For all of you going to your interviews in India in May and June -- GOOD LUCK! And, please, after your undoubtedly successful interviews and subsequent celebrations, please come back and share details for those of us waiting. Since my fiance will be going to the interview alone, I will try my best to get as many details out of him as possible (but, you know men and details ... hehe ... )

All -- For those of you with interviews after May 1, 2010 in India, please be advised that they have changed the Dollars-to-Rupees exchange rate: https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/USIndia/news.html

The news link says:

April 30, 2010

U.S. Embassy Adjusts Consular Exchange Rate

NEW DELHI - Effective Saturday, May 01, 2010, all United States Consular Sections in India will adjust the consular exchange rate from Rs. 48/- to the dollar to Rs. 46/- to the dollar.

This rate of change is effective for all rupee-denominated costs of applying for visas and passports, including the nonimmigrant visa application fee paid at HDFC bank branches prior to the scheduling of visa appointments. The new application fee for nonimmigrant visas is Rs 6026/- (equivalent to USD $131). Receipts issued by HDFC Bank prior to May 01, 2010 that reflect a payment of Rs. 6288/- will be honored.

Just tryin' to save people ~Rs. 250

Awesome, Sowmyak!!! A BIIIIIG CONGRATS! Must be an awesome feeling -- I myself keep daydreaming about the moment I get the good news about my fiance's visa.

Thanks guys! That makes us feel better that the VFS Kolkata people are nice. We will have to contact them to make sure it's OK if PC and medical can be hand-carried to the embassy.

AHHHHHH, you guys are soooooo close to your interview dates. GOOD LUCK!!!! I'm starting to get nervous / excited, too

Anwesha -- My fiance just received Packet 4 from Mumbai yesterday, and those fees confused him, also! (He said, "Rs. 37900!??!" ... haha ...). I think Sachinky is right -- we only have to pay $131 and courier fees. Did you get any confirmation from Mumbai?

Sachinky, how was your experience with VFS? My fiance is afraid he may not have all documents by May 24 (three weeks before interview) -- so he may have to hand-carry some documents with him (medical, passport clearance). Do you think that's OK?

By the way, did you guys notice how OUTDATED that Packet 4 is? They should just direct everyone to their website for all forms, documents and information, instead of relying on the Indian Postal Service to deliver outdated, irrelevant mail. (At one point, it says "as of 2000, K-1 visa fees are $100".)

Congrats!!! Finger crossed (Com'on ... wanna boost the Mumbai K-1 success rate to 97.5%!)

That's good news, Star -- although I understand your confusion and hesitation!!!

From your previous posts, it seems as if YOUR documentation is all correct and checks out, but they are following some background check protocol (in my opinion). Almost seems like you are victim to racial profiling, but -- they don't want to name it as such -- so they keep telling you "AP". From experiences I have read on these boards, if the name sounds remotely like something on someone's "Check" list, they will run thorough background checks to have their bases covered.

Fingers crossed that you hear something from Mumbai by the end of the week!!!

All, I agree with Jim. These are the statistics from the Department of State (not USCIS), dicing the total applications into "issued" (VISAS ISSUED) and "refused". When added together, they equal the total applications. I am assuming the "waived / overcome" numbers are coming from the "refused" column; however, I could be mistaken -- they could be from the "issued". Regardless, 95% worldwide makes me feel a *bit* more comfortable.

These statistics are ONLY for nonimmigrant visas (including K-1 and K-3). This goes along with a general study I read, stating that about 20% of nonimmigrant visas (work, religious, fiance, tourist, etc.) are refused by the United States every year.

In my obsession, I tried to find these same statistics by country (or consulate). The only thing I've been able to find is the NUMBER of visas issued by country in each category (see original post). If anyone else uncovers statistics or approval rates, please post!!!

@Star: I'm soooooo sorry about your situation! Though I do not write, I try to get an update on your journey daily and pray for the best. I would think AP would go into the "overcame" category, but I may be mistaken.

All,

Need your opinion: if my fiance has his passport renewed ("reissued" in India's terminology), does he still need to get PCC, or will the one from the Passport Office suffice?

In my opinion, technically, his passport was "issued" within the past 6 months, so he only need Passport Office clearance; however, I thought it better to check.

Thanks!

Blue

Regardless, congrats on your recent approval!!!

All,

For those of us stuck in the same boat -- all-consuming paranoia and nervousness from the K-1 visa process -- statistics are on our side! While no one can guarantee a successful interview with immediate visa approval, I did a search for visa approval statistics. I posted the official Department of State statistics in the K-1 Visa forum: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/253246-k-1-visa-approval-rate-95/

I also did a VisaJourney search (which I understand is not a representative sample), and it made me feel better: http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/filterlist.php?cfl=

If you search Mumbai K-1 interviews between 1/1/2008 and the present, you will get 40 hits. Of those, you can see 30 visas issued. Of the remaining 10, a few got approved and did not post (but posted their success elsewhere on the site). Others stopped coming to the website (which I assume means they got approved and no longer need VJ support). Only 2 are stuck in 4+ months of AP.

That equates to a 95% approval rate! (Taking out my assumptions, it is still a 85 - 90% approval rating.) The statistics are on our side! Yes, I am an engineer -- can you tell?

While this does not quiet the butterflies in my stomach and heart, it does give my logical brain some relief.

Hope this helps you guys, too!

Blue

All,

For those of you stuck in the same boat as me -- the all-consuming nervousness of the K-1 visa process -- statistics is on our side! While no one can guarantee us a successful interview with immediate visa approval, worldwide, they are approving 95% of K-1 petitions: http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY2009NIVWorkloadbyVisaCategory.pdf

If I'm reading this correctly, 95% of petitions are initially approved. Adding in the "Waived / Overcome" column, there is a 99.37% approval rating. There are similar statistics from the Department of State in recent years:

2008 -- http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY2008.pdf

2007 -- http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/FY2007.pdf

The State Department website also has many other statistic one can sort through, including information by country: http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/statistics/statistics_4582.html

While this does not quiet the butterflies in my stomach and heart, it does give my logical brain some relief.

Hope this helps you guys, too!

Blue