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| Mumbai, India |  Review on March 2, 2009: |
CJ Vasani
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
so it turns out that the VFS screwed up by telling us that a third party can submit (on behalf of us) the courier fees and a copy of the passport with proof of submission of documents to NVC. We paid the courier fees on Feb 10, which was precisely within the guidelines that they gave us. They gave us a sticker to put on the passport and stamped the copy of the passport and NVC letter.
On Feb 25, we went for our interview as originally scheduled and found out that VFS had not forwarded any information to the Mumbai Consulate, so they officer behind the counter told us to come back the next day for the interview. We were scared at first, because we didn't know why this happened. Later on, we learned that if you do not visit the VFS office personally it will cause a problem. The consulate expects the applicant to be the person submitting the fees and documents to the VFS. It doesn't make sense for CR1 applicants whose documents have been already submitted, but this is what they want in order for the wheels to be set in motion. Otherwise, the cycle breaks and information does not flow through from VFS to the consulate.
On Feb 26, my wife reported again to the consulate with the new interview letter that they had given her the day before. They immediately took her in and took the fingerprints. An Indian Officer went through our documents and asked a bunch of irrelevant questions. She was asked to take a seat at 7:30 am after completing this and was asked to wait for the final interview call. My wife was finally called in at 10:00 am to a booth manned by an American officer and an Indian translator (they assume that all Gujaratis will need one...). They asked a bunch of questions, but the interview was finished in five minutes and they didn't ask for a single document or photograph for the proof of relationship. Please bear in mind that we both were previously married.
Questions included:
1. How did you meet your husband?
2. Who proposed and when?
3. What does your husband do for living?
4. What is your husband's ex-spouse's name?
5. Did he help her get resident status in the USA?
6. Did he have children with his first wife?
7. When did he immigrate to the USA?
8. After marriage, how often have you guys met?
The last question sealed the deal, when my wife informed them that I had visited her in July 2008 and that I am standing outside the consulate as they spoke. No further questions were asked and my wife was informed that she has been approved for the CR1 visa and she will receive it via the courier in the next few days. Since we had planned to fly out soon, we requested if we can pick up the passport the same day. They affirmed that we can pick it up at VFS between 5 - 6 pm.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #4023