{"id":15,"date":"2020-05-28T02:06:36","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T20:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ankitsharma.blog\/?p=15"},"modified":"2020-12-14T20:39:15","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T15:09:15","slug":"usa-visa-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ankitsharma.blog\/index.php\/usa-visa-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"USA Visa Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"USA-Visa-Appointment\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last 10 years I have been trying to steal a glimpse of the world outside India. Fortunately or less of the fortune, I was never given a chance officially and personal plans never actuated. But as they say life gives you surprises when you are least expecting it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was early this year when coronavirus was still trying to get a grip on the world and it was time to get the US Visa stamp for my upcoming business travel. I was happy but was no-so confident <\/em>on getting the visa and then making the travel happen after getting the Visa. But nevertheless I was excited to travel to Chennai just after a road trip from Goa<\/em> and then a sudden but grieving trip to my hometown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, you get a 2 days schedule for the USA B1\/B2 visa. First day it is the bio-metric process which is supposed to be quick and second day is the interview with the officer, supposed to be longer that the day 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had booked my stay in TAJ Coromandel, Chennai<\/em><\/strong> which was not so far<\/em> from the US Consulate. Though I had other cheaper and closer alternatives but I wanted to experience the royal treatment at The TAJ Coromandel. I would suggest staying there for a while, if you happen to get in the same process of Visa. You will love the royal room (depending on the type of room) and the food. Food as I would say was wonderful. More on that experience in another post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So it was time for the bio-metric process which was scheduled at 4 PM, day 1<\/em>. I was accompanied by a colleague of mine. We reached the venue, Nugambakkam<\/em>, around 3:30 PM which was way too early. I would suggest to reach 15 minutes before the scheduled time as the venue being in a narrow road and very crowded. The guard outside the gate allows you inside only when your time slot is available. He will ask you to form a queue based on your time slot. Slots are divided every 15 minutes.<\/em><\/strong> You should reach early enough to find your slot’s queue, though not too early. If you somehow miss your slot you will be clubbed with another slot but that entirely depends on the guard. He might decide to club you with slots which have fewer people and that might not be immediate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once your time slot is available, you will be asked to enter inside after checking your documents and confirming the time slot. There will be further slot based queues inside the consulate office. This is done to keep enough buffer for candidates to arrive. Only mobile phones are allowed inside the VFS office that too in switched off mode. Any other electronic \/ digital device , wallets , bags etc is not allowed. You will be asked to lose the belonging if you try to enter the office with any of those. Though there are few locker-kiosks available inside at a price, but my advice would be to just carry your phone along with some currency and your documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Documents that are required during the bio-metric process are your form DS-160 original copy<\/em>, if possible go for the colored print, a copy of your passport (front and back)<\/em>, the original Passport<\/em> and optionally your company ID card copy, if applying through your organization. You do not need the entire document stack<\/em> that you have prepared for the visa interview here.<\/strong> Form DS-160 will be stamped here<\/em> and you will have to carry this to the next day interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you are inside the VFS office, you would be asked to form\/join another queue. An invigilator will check your documents. After this you will be asked to go inside where there would be another queue maintained till the bio-metric counter. Queue-after-queue<\/em><\/strong> is how you will be greeted. Your documents will be verified again before finally approaching the bio-metric counter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the counter you will have to scan all your fingers along with the thumb. Your photo will be clicked by the person standing behind the glass separator and form DS-160 will be stamped. You will have to present this stamped form DS-160 to the consulate officer during the interview, the next day.<\/strong><\/em> This process takes 5-10 minutes depending on how fast you scan your hands. Yes you will have to do it manually, guided by the person sitting behind the glass. Volunteers are available for senior citizens and disabled. It takes quite some time to get all the fingers aligned on the reader. That’s it ! Voil\u00e0 you are done with the first round of scrutiny. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast-forward to the next day, my interview was scheduled at 8:45 AM. Reached the consulate at 8 AM just to ensure I get first in the queue (Experience from day 1). But the queue was already extending for about half a kilometer, starting from the consulate main gate till the nearby bus stop. Yes that many people are trying to get inside the States !!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We joined the queue and soon it started raining. Thanks to the umbrella sellers, who have made quite a business there to sell umbrellas to the applicants, we were protected from the rain which did not last long. This queue had applicants from all slots, 7 AM \/ 8AM \/ 9 AM and even 10 AM. After spending a tiresome 30 minutes in the queue, the guard called applicants who were scheduled for 8:45 AM and 9 AM. The time slots differ by 15 minutes here as well and applicants will be called just 15 minutes before their allotted slot. This queue served as a temporary measure, and we were called to join another queue which was on the opposite side of the main consulate gate extending for a few hundred meters. We spent 10 minutes in that queue and the guard checked our documents to verify the interview time. This check is done to ensure that if someone makes to this queue without the applicable slot then he\/she be filtered out. Yeah! The rules are pretty stringent here. Only if we imposed these rules in our political system<\/em>.<\/strong> From here we were asked to go inside where we had to undergo x-ray and body scanning. This is where you are checked for carrying electronic gadgets and cellphones. Please refrain from taking your phones and other electronic gadgets inside. Documents were rechecked here, and we were asked to join another queue which lead to another queue, fourth one, in front of the visa officer desk. Documents were checked while joining each queue, same as the other day for bio-metric process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fourth and last queue was the final one before the interview counter. Everyone seemed nervous, specially the H1 and L1 folks. There was an unusual tension everywhere, from the applicants to the helping staff. Some part of the staff was guiding the applicants to the counters in round-robin fashion. Different officers asking different set of questions. Some were fast others were asking too many questions. There were ladies and gents. Young and old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was our turn, and we were escorted to one of the window counter for the interview. We both went to the same counter because our visa application was made through our organization and the number of applicants were 2. Nervousness was accompanied by excitement.<\/em> Warm greetings and then she asked for our passports. Yes it was a lady in her mid 30s. Vibrant, beautiful with sharp eyes. I have no idea why I was noticing these details, probably in excitement. She was looking deep in her screen as if she was scrutinizing every bit of our life. She then asked few questions like where were we traveling to and for what purpose. Also, why only we are traveling from the team. We remembered all the lessons that more experienced folks at the office gave us to excel this interview, as if, this was supposed to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Though it was.<\/strong><\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After about 5-6 questions she asked our organization name and the moment we answered this, we were told that our visa will be provided & that we can collect the passport from the consulate office in the city applied in. We were happy. Bid greetings to the lady and left the complex in utter joy.<\/em> We both congratulated each other and were ready for the party<\/em>. After all this was the moment every middle class working engineer in an IT firm in India dream of.<\/strong><\/em> It was 10:30 AM then. The first queue outside the consulate had shrunk now to a few hundred meters. There were umbrellas dumped in buckets right outside the exit gate of the interview room inside the complex. Probably these are returned to the same hawkers outside the consulate building with a small fee. Nice business I must say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We headed back to our hotel. Had a sumptuous meal and sound sleep. Traveled around the city. And then a late night visit to Lord of the Drinks was realized. More on the later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last 10 years I have been trying to steal a glimpse of the world outside India. Fortunately or less of the fortune, I was never given a chance officially and personal plans never actuated. But as they say life gives you surprises when you are least expecting it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,6,8,7],"tags":[14,11,13,12],"yoast_head":"\nUSA Visa Interview » Ankit Sharma<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Experience of USA B1\/B2 Visa Stamping Process in Chennai Consulate. 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