I am (H1) in US from March 2020 No EA. A single copy of each necessary document carries with you a precautionary purpose. We have organised the below list of US Visa Emergency Appointments and Visa Interviews in India experiences by Month, so that it is easy for your review. Mar16th appointment was at 9 am i.e. A the counter visa was approved, passport taken by the officer but after few hours, got a text to pick up passport with 214 (B) and visa refused . July 26 th drop box appointment submitted documents at Mumbai VAC, August 4th status Changd to refusedAugust 9th pickup passport and 221 g white slip to attend in person interview any working day between 10:30 AM and 11 AM and to bring all i20s. I believe it is wrongful refusal due to dual intent within scope of H1b beneficiary and spouses. CEAC status refused.16 June 2022- 4 PM received email asking details for resume, research, publication etc.21 June 2022- submitted all docs via email, received auto generated acknowledgment.8 July 2022- received passport with the same yellow slip again with comments for admin processing.9 July 2022- sent a follow-up email advising that I have received the 221g in my previous stamping too and the notes from the same may help in expediting my current stamping timeline. Or what steps should I take? How to Apply H1B after 6 Years to Recapture Unused Time. Sep 2nd: (Height to be on time) Chennai Embassy finally called to give an Appt date for the original EA declined reconsideration which we politely mentioned that we would like to keep our Delhi embassy appt. i797C is not a valid proof of approval. Experience 6: H1B with Dropbox at Kolkata 7. EA got approved on 21st August and I was asked to schedule an appointment by 24th of August. Document submitted for H1,Appointment ConfirmationDS-160 ConfirmationTwo Photos (they took one photo only)Employee Verification LetterClient letter (first they returned to me then I forced them to keep it)Latest I-797 and previous Visa stamped I-797 copiesPassport and previous Visa CopiesDocument submitted for H4 Spouse-DS-160 confirmationTwo Photos (they took one photo only)Previous Visa stamped I-797 copy (they asked my spouse latest I-797 copy but we dont have so they asked to write a letter to Consular for not having)Marriage certificatePassport and previous Visa Copies. I think applying with documents and other necessary proof could have been better since that way they definitely know youre married and the situation you are going through. Dont u follow the same religion? Why so many less peopleCan I see Wedding Pics? You can receive form 221g or a call for an in-person interview even when you are eligible for dropbox. Experience 4: H4 Visa Regular Appointment at Hyderabad. And what is the stamped date? If your visa is rejected, you will get a form with a refusal reason. Got a call back in the morning from the embassy asking me resubmit my wifes passport. On 28th Aug, I got an email from the Kolkata consulate to submit my passport, 221g form and the email to Kolkata VAC. My take away, UStraveldocs(vfs) people are as useless as it can get. Came out and got into an auto and autowala asked did you get your work done? VO: why are you applying now? Experience 5 : H4 Visa Interview (EA) - New Delhi 12. Does any one have similar situation? Appreciate your help. After raising my EA request in CGI portal earlier, I was not able to see EA request option in portal. Who ever is waiting for EA please be patient and wait for your turn. Do we need to raise the EA request as well ? I initially booked H4 interview for my wife on March 2nd and 3rd in Chennai. Request for suggestions. I too tried for regular schedule of appointment to submit documents as I am waived visa interview and when i tried to scheduled for document submission at chennai VAC center. There were around 100 people waiting outside the office (in the road). H1B, H4 Visa Experiences: Page 2 - Immihelp I am applying for H4 Visa. Got another email from consulate to book slots before Sep 5th.. (Since he was in India). Unfortunately, I did not carry one since it did not find it important. Stayed at the park. Rekha, Thant means your case is an exemption from presidential proclamation which is effect until March 31st for regular visa processing. We went there at 2.30 PM. My wife EA got approved on the 7th Dec but still, we are getting the same error Your group size is larger than the current allocation when we try to book slots for her. My Dropbox experience was very frustrating and long drawn! Have seen questions asked on what will the H4 application do after they reach the US. I think you can apply for EA just once and if you need to apply another time, you need to book a brand new appointment slot. Im looking for H4 appointment for my wife in Hyderabad. Finally VO said Your visa has been approved. My spouse and son went for interview and Biometrics at OFC on the same day. Consulate Officer put passport and visa on administrative processing. My advice, if you are stuck at any stage during the stamping process, try to establish a direct contact with the embassy/consulate officials. I think Im losing chances to book the slots. We will need to stand outside; pretty hot climate). My h1b first stamping was fine and was issue in less than a week (London) and second h1b stamping, 221g issue and took almost 80+ days to got it cleared (New Delhi)My advise- I got lost and been anxious all time in my first 221g however this time I didnt lost my self with these government working standard and tried best to spend some quality time with family. Visa Interview questionsAsked for passport, Ds-160 and Spouse H1 visa copy. Hi Indy, How long did it take for the passport to arrive once the visa was approved? Biometric was smooth enough, asked for appointment confirmation, ds-160 and passport. I havent rescheduled any further appointments, patiently waited for the EA approval.. yes, its confirmed for the 6th VAC and 11th Interview date. Also biometric will be taken for all 10 fingers. I raised an EA on 6 Oct, 2020 but never got a response. Visa operations are very limited. Many H1B, H4, and F1 students do get their US visa stamps in near-shore countries but this makes them ineligible for an interview waiver in the Indian US embassy. but Now, I am able to see EA request again without paying fees and cancelling existing appointment to raise EA request again. But the same day evening I received email from chennai consulate to submit my passport.Submitted my passport on last Sep-2-2022 and my status changed from refused to approved last WednesdayYesterday the status changed from approved to issued and collected my passports today. He asked for a marriage certificate and took the passport. 3) I797, i94, Marriage certificate 4) Spouse designation, Jan 20 CEAC : Refused Jan 20 Evening CEAC: Admin Processing Jan 21: Issued, US Travel Docs Jan 21: Passport has been received from the consular section, and is currently being processed for delivery Jan 22: Ready for Pickup. You got to take them in a folder, Youre allowed wallet . Even in this case they rarely respond and I think we just have to wait for them to do any additional processing thats required and cant do much. I was shocked. At that time, the 11am and 11.30am interviewees were lined up outside the consul. A: Answer truthfully. She received a call on Sep 1st that emergency request approved and scheduled for interview on Thursday. VO: Curious to know why the wedding took place during Lockdown, VO: Asked for work location details of spouse, VO: Asked for marriage certificate and wedding album, VO: Asked plenty of questions regarding previous F1 rejections which was unexpected, VO: Asked the reason to choose that specific university for the F1 visa, VO: Asked if the marriage was love/ arranged, VO: seems like you were in us previously what was the purpose. All are kept as anonymous for privacy reasons. Raised Emergency Request on the portal & got an approval in 12hrs ! Regular appointment got cancelled automatically on the portal once my EA was approved. Appreciate your help on this. Finally VO said Your visa has been approved & gave me the worker rights booklet. You can check US Visa Stamping Experiences for the entire collection Article Contents hide 1. Women are not subject to line, they can just get into front and get in (which was nice for me). Vishal, You should contact the customer service and see what can be done. Yes, go ahead and book your dropbox and plan for paperwork. I am kind of in a similar situation. They will send the cancellation notice via email. How are youMe: Hello Officer, Very Good Morning! Many of the H4 Holders are getting Emergency US Visa Appointments based on H1B & H4 Visa Exemptions from Trump travel ban. Appreciate your immediate response as I am in urgent need. There was some queue at VAC. Please email consulates directly rather than contacting ustraveldocs if you have EA approved. Then i told him my urgent travel plan and said that i have all the documents now and can share whatever is required. And typed something in computerOfficer: What is your salary?Me: $#### Per AnumOfficer: Nice, Do you have W2 with you? Your visa is approved and youll get your passport within a weekJuly 13th: received an email that my passport is ready for pickup at Chennai VACJuly 14th: picked up passport today2 month wait to get visa stamped is totally unacceptable.. they definitely need to change the system!Good luck everyone! (confirmed successfully) But i m in dilemma, that if proclamation is extended till march2021 then how it possible that we are able to book interview date before march.?? (Actual appointment confirmed at Chennai) Documents submitted alone, No dependents needed.Aug 10th 2022: Application Status changed to No Status (https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?eQs=WwjqOlbeRYzCYubaSQI+RA (https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?eQs=WwjqOlbeRYzCYubaSQI+RA==)==)Aug 11th 2022: Application Status changed to Application ReceivedSep 01st 2022: Application Status changed to RefusedSep 02nd 2022: Passport tracking status Passport has been received from the consular section, and is currently being processed for delivery(https://www.ustraveldocs.com/do/do-niv-passporttrack.asp)Sep 04th 2022: Received email from ustraveldocs Your document(s) have been collected from the US Embassy/ConsulatePassport tracking status Passport is ready for pickup (I have chosen Hyd VAC office for pickup)Sep 06th 2022: I collected passports (Mine & dependents) at Hyd VAC. You are here: Home. Thanks Jai. I hold a Canadian PR and did soft-landing on Jan 13, 2023. Did you apply EA based on Family separation ? Marriage certificate and photo album? Thanks to all of them for taking time share them with everyone. As soon as my employer responded. So much uncertainty and stressful days finally got the visa. Q: Why do you need a visa to USA? I wrote to them to have my profile removed from the travel agents profile. I said yes and he asked for 500 more bz your happy. Where are ur in laws? Your visa is approved. Questions consulate Aked me: 1) what is your marriage date? Most recent experiences are on the top, My visa got approved on 4th Sep in Delhi & received my passport today (11th Sep) in Hyd . After receiving my wifes passport, the embassy people called again the next day because no one there where her visa stamp actually went. VO: can you show marriage album and certificate. I am not able to find consular appointment slots for the regular appointment. He has 5 months of working experience in same profile. ME: Yes Auburn University VO: How did you know about the Auburn University? He said your visa will be issued in few days and kept my passport. Overall it took 55 days for the status to change. 4) about my previous f1 visa rejections 5) show me your marriage certificat and your wifes i-797. The interview was a breeze. About me overstaying previously, OFC and Visa date Aug 31st and 1st sept, Why you havent accompanied him when he was going, Status : congrats your visa approved you will get it by courier within 1 week, Applied for EA on Aug 12th got approval on Aug 17th. What was done to resolve the issue. Your spouse recently stamped? Does anyone have an idea on which appointments theyre canceling and will they cancel Jan 11th appointment as well? I have scheduled H4 visa appointment on March 10th, 2021. Please let me know if you are able to fix that issue and share what are the steps i need to follow to get it fixed. Glad the nightmare that began late last year is finally over.All the best to everyone still waiting for a stamp and thanks a ton to those in this group that provided helpful answers to my questions. What was the turn around time for the passport pickup after the interview? Sep 1st: Scheduled Interview apt on Sep 8th as earliest. Received system generated acknowledgment email.14 July 2022- received email to submit passport18 July 2022- morning submitted passport along with the copy of email and I797 at VFS new Delhi18 July 2022- evening, CEAC case last status updated with refused19 July 2022- morning, CEAC case last status updated with admin processing.20 July 2022- CEAC evening (around 10 PM)- issued, passport is still with embassy/consulate. We applied for an emergency h4 application for my wife on 31st Dec and got an email today (3rd Jan 21) saying it is rejected. Have a nice day officer.Officer: Thank you have a nice day.Completed at 9:46AMSep 12th 2022: Application Status changed to Approved. Hi Yogi, did you attend Alone the interview? VO asked us to use figure prints of both my self and wife.. finally told you visa is approved .. happy moments. But nothing electronic No pen drives or anything of that sort, Also mentioned to take a direct flight to US. but Now, I am able to see EA request again without paying fees and cancelling existing appointment to raise EA request again. I have submitted my documents at Chennai VAC for New Delhi Consulate.8/30/2022 Application submitted your passport is being delivered to post NO status8/31/2022 Chennai VAC Holiday your passport is in transit to post NO status9/1/2022 your passport is still with the US Embassy/Consulate Application Received9/2/2022 your passport is still with the US Embassy/Consulate Approved9/3/2022 Weekend Holiday your passport is still with the US Embassy/Consulate Approved9/4/2022 Weekend Holiday your passport is still with the US Embassy/Consulate Approved9/5/2022 US Labour Day your passport is still with the US Embassy/Consulate Approved9/6/2022 your passport is still with the US Embassy/Consulate Issued9/7/2022 Passport has been received from the consular section and is currently being processed for delivery9/8/2022 Passport has been received from the consular section and is currently being processed for delivery9/9/2022 Passport ready for pick up notification received at 10 am. It is issued to a dependent family member of H1B, H1B1, H2A, H2B, H3 visa holders. We will continue to curate and add more relevant Emergency Appointment (EA)experiences from users to this article. Can some one suggest please. Here is the story. Have you ever travelled to any other country? Jan 28 CEAC : case created Jan 29 CEAC : Refused Jan 29 Evening CEAC: Admin Processing Feb 1st CEAC: Issued (JAN 30 & 31st weekend), I had h4 (1st time) visa interview on 21-22nd jan 2021 at delhi consulate, Questions consulate Aked me: 1) what is your marriage date? Aug 17th: (After consulates reOpen) Raised query to all consulates to reconsider EA now that they have resumed H4 via EA. H1B, H4 Visa Add Your Experience All Experiences H1B Interview @Mumbai Consulate 2 0 Happy Diwali to everyone :) Special thanks to immihelp, great platform to every H1B aspirants to gain confidence before they hit the interview at US Embassy. Sending positive vibes for all who are in the process. As my parents also looking in hindi and nothing is available in Hindi, Is this a rejected email foe emergency ? My application was then put under Admin Processing without 221(g) the same day. After she saw my wifes i-797 document she kept my passport and my wifes i-797 doc too. No other document asked. My native language is Hindi and I do speak English also but not confident about understanding American accent during interview. US Visa Dropbox Eligibility 48 months Extended Indefinitley. My appt was at HYD VAC. Below are User experiences for January 2022, starting from January 11th to January 22nd, 2022 for H1B Visa and H4 Visa for both regular visa stamping and Dropbox. Got 221g Yellow Slip. Regular VAC appointment: scheduled for 23/02/2021, Regular Consular Appointment: scheduled for 26/02/2021, Raised EA on family separation ground on the same day : 13/08/2020, My husbands passport ( front and back page). On March 30th, I finally received my passport back with 221(g) asking for some additional documents from my employer. can someone please guide me on this and let me know if I can raise an EA before my spouse leaves? It does not mean much. DONOT WASTE YOUR TIME BY EMAILING AND CALLING THESE PEOPLE. US Visa status CEAC website on 01 Sep: Administrative Processing, US Visa status CEAC website on 02 Sep : Issued, Received an email on 3rd Sep to pick up my passport from the given address. After that I tried to reschedule for earlier dates but missed bulk slot openings. where is it located?8) When did he go to US recently? It went overnight from Mumbai to Pune, Aug 27 (Saturday): Blue Dart status showed that passport had reached regional distribution center within Pune, so went to the Blue Dart location in person, paid the Rs 650 fee, and picked it up before it was handed over to the last mile delivery person, only tracked CEAC website for application status, not cgi portal as it was often blank, once application status changed to issued, started tracking diligently on Blue Dart, VFS centers (for passport pickup) are closed on Saturday AND Sunday, whereas Blue Dart delivers on ALL days, so opting for Premium Delivery is best as you have a chance to receive passport even on weekends, Passports old and new (my F1 stamp was on an expired passport), DS 160 and appointment confirmation letter, Employment verification letter (this mentions my name, salary, job duties, that I am a full-time employee and company details with managers signature). H1B, H4 Experiences : Regular, Dropbox from January 11th to January Masters degree certificate (University). I got married on 26th OCT. Customer care asked me to keep checking slots. Has anyone faced similar situation? PMM, You cannot got for stamping with her as you would be dropbox eligible. July13th: Attended in-person interview along with updated client letter. Anyway, on June 30th, I received my wifes passport but it was without any stamp. h1b, h4-visa-stamping, dropbox, h1b-visa-stamping. Officer returned all the docs and kept passport with him. Took along a friend with me to carry my phone . Your Visa is APPROVED!!! H4 Visa Stamping - Experience & Documents - Immigration Cube Officer: What is your highest qualification? Recently US State Dept did mass cancellation of regular appointments. Scheduled normal appointment in Delhi for the month of October 2020. If you are eligible for exceptions from proclomation, then you need to raise EA. Reached VAC center at 8.45AM, they allowed inside, process completed in 15 mins.. Reached consulate at 10.30AM, they allowed inside at 10.55AM. What is the reason to visit India and did your husband came with you. Do you have H1B visa stamping on your passport? So he was asking these questions while he was trying to scan. I raised EA and got approved but NOT able to reschedule. BIO-METRIC TEST FOR H4 VISA. I am not getting any slots to book a normal appointment. Her regular appointment got cancelled for March 3rd today and we were in a lot of confusion whether the EA would be approved. Is she required to have my original h1b approved i797 or a copy of i797 is fine? Same as everyone situation, looking to book slot for H4 visa (not eligible for dropbox). Mobile allowed.Visit all applicants if the retake of the photo is required then its worth.Check the exact face size requirement in the photo.Retake photo service available on the same floor- 500 2 copies.Correction in DS 160, print, Xerox all services are available on the same floor but very expensive.The entry is given before 30-45 minutes of your appointment.Outside of VAC No Drinking water, No Waiting area, No food service, No washroom, No Xerox service, etc. Categorised in: indrani mukherjee dancer rick segall indrani mukherjee dancer rick segall Thanks to this group and everyone. Were you able to fix this issue? Once you have the MRV number, follow these steps to schedule the visa appointment: Visit the US Department of State's Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website: https://ceac.state.gov/genniv. Yatri, It is not rejected, they have put you in wait list. Dropbox Visa Interview Waiver Experience & FAQs - F1, H1B, L Visa Im happy with HYD Vac. Passport kept by VO and told me to expect the update in a couple of days. Drop Box Appointment Date July 18, 2022 10.45 am. Why US Visa Status on CEAC says Refused for 221g ? Raised EA request twice at Delhi and Chennai. Arrived by 7 am and left mobile at locker for rs 50 they allowed us at embassy by 07:45 am all security checks completed with in 30 mins.. entered counters and 10 more candidates standing infront of us its time 08:15 am waited in queue for 10 mins and by 8:25 am three visa officers started at three counters and they started sending 3 candidates to each counter.. one candidate directly to interview and 2 waiting in front of counter.. our turn stated.. VO : good morning guys, can I get your passports. Document Delivery Section on CGI portal was showing blank since Aug 23.It changed to Processing for delivery and Ready for pick up on 11 am and 3.30 pm on Sept 6. were you able to fix the issue? for Mumbai consulate pls dont plan your commute based on Google maps ETA i was staying near the airport, the ETA was 20 mins whenever i checked, but on interview day i started an hour and 15 mins before and was stuck in a very bad traffic.. i got off the cab midway and requested a ride from a bike commuter and was 5 mins late to the appointment, there were people who were half hour late and was still allowed for the interview.. After getting the normal appointment ,i can try to emergency visa . I contacted the customer care after my EA got approved regarding the error group size is larger than the current allocation. CA Officer: How many years working with TCS?Me: AnsweredCA Officer: What will be ur annual salary at US?Me: AnsweredCA Officer: Which location travelling?Me: AnsweredCA Officer to my spouse: When did u married?Me: AnsweredCA Officer to my small kid? whats ur dob?Me: Answered, CA Officer to my 2 kids- How old are you? Original Apt was scheduled for Biometrics and Interview for Mar 12th and Mar 16th in Hyderabad. Can I see your Marriage certificate and marriage album ? Submitted a help query. Do you plan to travel with him? I have raised for EA request on Oct-13, 2020 and got denied today. Liked by Sonia M. I was part of an interview . Experience 4: H4 Visa Regular Appointment at Hyderabad. I received my sons passport on June 28th. Me : gave my passport and my wife gave as well, Me : answered as I will be working in H1B, VO : Will you be working for end company or end client, Me : answered as end client, told client name and what they do, VO : do you have employment letter from end client, VO : handed over pamphlet, asked to read USA work related rights when have some time, VO : to my h4 wife, mam can I ask you few questions, VO : how many years were you married and can I get marriage registration, Wife : answered and showed marriage certificate, VO : can I see some of your wedding pictures. I dont have visa stamping. Got my biometric on 31st August AND consulate appointment on 1st September. h4 dropbox appointment availability Ankit, That is true. Done with the biometrics on March 15 but still they took the biometrics again on sep 2nd during the time of interview. Found ofc appointments for Jan 27th . h4 visa experience Purchased another MRV Fee. Any one knows the Customer care #? If you want to change it to Hindi, then you need to change the language of interview. Apr 19 USCIS News: H4, L2 Biometrics Suspension for I-539 Form Extended until September 30th, 2023. And finally beautiful words were your visa is approved and passed on the flyer stating the work rules and asked him to carry I797 for sure during immigration. If so then how long did it take? Can anyone provide what I can do? Please help. But better to be prepared about some basic questions regarding husband job details like company name, address. H1B Visa 2023, 2024 Community, Discussions | Visa interview experience And My Wifes H4 Visa has been approved today morning Sep 3rd IST. cutting kaizen foam for sockets / how to reactivate silica gel in microwave / how to reactivate silica gel in microwave Today I received the passports back with stamps. U.S. Consulate General Mumbai, India - BMB - United States Department Monitored the status updates here:https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx. VO was very friendly and interview went very smooth.. VO asked for Passport, DS -160, H1 visa copy of spouse, Marriage Certificate, Marriage Album, 2*2 passport photo. Please suggest. Reached by 10 (we need to reach only on time, no use of reaching early. Thats all, then he told me your visa is approved.. H4 visa approved. Full time employee, same location and employer as the previous renewal. They dont even take my salary slips. "There is no status update available for the passport number submitted" when i see with passportstatus site and when . Dropbox or Emergency appointment interview? Stayed at the Park Chennai..hotel is good. Scheduled both Biometric and interview on same day Sept 11th 9.00AM and 11.00AM. The system will automatically tag you for dropbox. Me: Gave the certificate. So I whiled away my time watching others go in and out, till 12pm. Should I go ahead with the dropbox appointment and schedule my wifes interview after the wedding (~June 2021 first week )? Watched one F1 candidate after another citing their sponsoring parents properties in crores, the parents were all realtors . Since even after I have contacted them regarding this, they have only asked me to keep trying every few hrs and nothing else was done. May I know some details of your visa? Apporv, No one really knows, as there is no clear pattern. You can add your case for community benefit too. Got 221(g) with no documents asked to submit.They kept my client letter only and asked me wait for Administrative Processing.I think they wanted to verify my client letter. 3) how you guys meet? Is this the first time youre applying for a H4? Has anyone recently applied for an emergency appointment after undergoing only the court marriage? Facing same issue. Mar 13th: Raised EA. 3: 478: March 12, 2022 Dropbox Eligibility : Approval using a separate petition after 221g scenario .