CP interview in Delhi (India) - tips and recommendations

CP interview in Delhi (India) - tips and recommendations

went for my CP interview in Delhi and am writing my recommendations here. These were written for Delhi specifically, but general principles are same for all places. Add ur suggestions to make it complete.

going for CP interview involves:
1. Pre-travel arrangements
2. travel from US to India
3. Pre-interview work (on landing in India)
4. Interview
5. Post interview/travel back to US/port of entry

1. Pre-travel arrangements:

1a. --- Air Tickets: keep a minimum 3 day buffer between landing in Delhi and interview date. Also ur return journey should be scheduled for atleast 6 days after interview (in case ur name check in Delhi consulate is delayed). Changing a travel date on an already bought airline ticket can be expensive. I had to shell out $470 per head. L

1b. --- Stay in Delhi: if you have no friends/family relations and want to stay in a hotel - check this website: http://www.hotelsnewdelhiindia.com
or … Ashok Samrat/Maurya Sheraton/Taj Palace hotels are located in Chankyapuri close to US embassy. Ashok: +91 11 2611 0101, rate apprx Rs 11250 ($244) daily; Maurya Sheraton: +91 11 2611 2233, rate apprx 13500 ($293) daily; Taj Palace- +91 11 2611 0202, rate Rs 16,000 (apprx $350) daily. Rates are taxes included

1c. --- Medical appointments: call up and fix ur medical appointments from the US itself. Keep a 3 day buffer between ur landing and interview date. You may choose between Apollo hospital/Dr Dawesar- Bhikaji Cama Place/ Dr. Chawla- Prithviraj Road/ Dr Khosla – Jorbagh. All in South Delhi. I went with Dr Dawesar and my friend went with Apollo, so will write these 2 experiences. Apollo gives you reports in minimum 3 (sometimes 4) days, Dr Dawesar gives reports in 2 days.

1d. --- Immunizations records: go to ur family doctor in the US and ask him/her to prepare an immunization card in which to write all ur immunizations. Or you can take the proof without getting it written in the card. If you don't take ur shot records with you, you WILL BE FORCED to get the shots in India. No exceptions. Here is USCIS link for vaccines needed: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigra...info_1331.html
for adults: MMR, Hepatitis B, Varicella (chicken pox), Tetanus/Diphtheria. You will need a TB skin test (PPD) and a chest x-ray. PPD test will delay results by 48 hours, so just ask the doctor for chest x-ray.

1e. --- Transit visa: if you, an Indian citizen, do not have a valid *unexpired* US/Canada visa stamp in the passport, and are going via any country in europe except Netherlands (Amsterdam), you WILL NEED a transit visa for that country.
(on your return journey, you will have either an immigrant US visa stamp or a non immigrant US visa stamp if your CP interview is unsuccessful/delayed)

1f. --- Police clearance certificate (PCC). Anyone going for CP interview who has been living in the US – needs only 1 PCC from the local Indian consulate. (NY/Chicago/Houston/SF) and you don’t need PCC from India for this person. If they lived in any other country, they need PCC from that country also. PCC is valid for 6 months (there are recent reports of US consulate Delhi writing that PCC is valid for 1 year).

1g. --- Documents: per your visa category. e.g. for employment based - original certificates, notarized current employment letter dated within 1 month of interview, all proof of legal status in the US, federal income tax return copies – last 3 years, proof of marriage, I-134 if you have a dependent spouse etc etc. (employer’s tax return is NOT needed), DS 230 part I and II are to be filled again even if you sent them earlier to the NVC.

1g(i) --- Birth Certificate is needed at the time of interview for every person. DOB certificate should have ALL of these:
* father's name
* mother's name
* baby's name, sex
* date of birth

- if DOB cert is N/A, then u need secondary evidence of DOB:
statement from local municipality that DOB cert is N/A (copy will be taken by Embassy after checking the original) + your Grade X cert that has DOB (copy taken after checking original) + affidavits from 2 parents/relatives (originals)
- if incomplete DOB is available, then u need
incomplete DOB cert (copy taken by Embassy after checking original) + affidavits from 2 parents/relatives (originals)
- to get a corrected DOB certificate from local municipality, u need affidavits from both parents sworn before a 1st class magistrate (not a notary), then submit them to the local municipality and then the municipality will issue the corrected DOB certificate.
- Affidavits: Both parents or 1 parent + 1 older brother/sister atleast 10 years older or 1 parent + 1 uncle/aunt or 2 uncles/aunts etc.

1h. --- Photos: You need 5 photos, 3 for medical and 2 for Embassy. Take atleast 3 passport size photos (not necessarily immigrant visa style, just frontal view) for medical exam, if ur medical exam is on the same morning as you land in Delhi, b’coz you won’t have time to go for immigration style photos before medical. Immigration style photos will be cost effective done in Delhi.
Those el cheapo ($6-9) disposable cameras that you get from any store in the US are good. A shot from this camera (film sensitivity ISO 400 or 800), with flash, and white background, done at a distance of 5 feet, and printed as a post card size (4x6) photo will give you great result. You will need to cut it to size. Take multiple snaps (there are 24 in each camera) and get many copies of the shot you like. (More on immigration style photo later).

1i --- Visa Interview letter: if you haven’t received your interview letter, send someone to US embassy (they just need your case number and Name) to collect your interview letter.
You WILL NEED this letter for your medical exam and to enter US embassy.
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3. Pre-interview work (on landing in India):

3a. --- send an email to US consulate Delhi, ASAP. if i remember correctly (recheck with US consulate New Delhi website):
* in the email header section, you need to write - "REQUEST SPECIFIC INFORMATION"
(yes, all caps. if you don't write this header, then your email will be delivered to the general email section and response will be delayed).
* in the body of email - write your Name, Case number and ask them to initiate a quick name check and that you have reached Delhi.
US consulate New Delhi starts name check (FBI name check) after the person has reached Delhi.

3b. --- Taxi cab. Preferably hire a taxi cab, for 1 day in Delhi, as you will need to go to many places. Rates are: Tata Indica (compact car) with AC: Rs 700 minimum for 80 Kilometers, then Rs 7 per Km; and Night charge of Rs 150 starts at 11pm. Where would you need to go?
3b(i) * medicals (1 place if going to Apollo, 3 places if going to other doctors)
3b(ii) * immigration style photo
3b(iii) * US embassy, to tell them to initiate your name check.
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3b(i) * Medicals:
Take your visa interview letter, 3 photos. Labs done are HIV test and RPR (Syphilis) test. You may need a TB skin test (PPD) and a chest x-ray. PPD test will delay your medical results by 48 hours, so just ask the doctor for chest x-ray.

- With Apollo, you get everything done at one place (medical exam, immunizations, PPD, labs, chest x-ray). they give you results in 3 days.
- with Dr Dawesar, you get medical, immunizations at her office. Labs are drawn at another place about 2 miles from her office, x-rays are done at another place 2 miles away. She gets a chest x-ray done, no PPD. you get reports in 2 days (save 1 day over apollo).
***** get appointment with her in the morning. After her appointment, go for Blood draw first and then for chest x-ray. so you can reach the blood collection office before 12 noon, otherwise you will have to wait until next day or go to Connaught place (Lal Labs, main office near Janpath, 10 miles away in traffic) to get your labs drawn on same day. x-ray clinic is fine.
Charges: Rs 800 per person for medical, Rs 400 for labs (HIV and RPR test), Rs 200 for chest x-ray, Rs 1450 for Chicken Pox, Rs 550 for Hepatitis B, Rs 100 for MMR, Rs 50 for Tetanus/Diphtheria vaccines.

3b(ii) * Immigration photos: Go to Malcha Marg shopping complex (5 min walk from US embassy). It is a convenience store (White Sales Corp.) actually, who takes pictures with digital camera. Good work. Rs 100 for 3 photos. It takes about 1 hour for the photos to be ready - during this wait, go to the US embassy (there is no parking place outside US embassy, just passenger drop off. Nearest parking is in this shopping complex).

3b(iii) * Embassy visit: In the 1 hour you are waiting for your immigration style photos to be ready, go to the US embassy and tell them to start your quick (FBI) name check.
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4. Interview:

- Visa interview letter checked outside the embassy. You may go earlier than your indicated time.
- You may carry a bag for documents/ladies’ purse to the inside of embassy. Cell phones and remote car keys are not permitted inside. Deposit them at the security counter outside with phone in switched off mode.
- go inside, hand over the interview letter to any of the embassy help people, sit in the lounge, and ……wait.
- after about 1 hour, you will be called for checking/collection of documents by a local staff person. You will sign DS 230 part II, sign a statement that you will not leave your prospective employer and will notify the consulate if your job is gone, submit documents and 2 photos. Make sure they take 2 photos (if they take 1 photo, then you will need to carry 1 photo to be given to the USCIS immigration person at your port of entry (POE)
- if any fee wasn’t paid in full earlier (e.g. visa fee etc), then you will have to pay them at this stage. They will accept cash, both INR and US$
- come back to your seat, and ..

……… wait …..

- in about 3 hours, you will be called for final interview by the Visa officer. The person will ask some questions about ur employment, ur family etc., and if satidfied, ask you to raise right hand and take oath. ……. congrats.
- if your name check is incomplete, the visa officer will let you know and give you the option of collecting your passport and documents in person or having them mailed to anywhere in India.
- get your passport and the sealed envelope, to be given to the immigration officer at POE. (x ray is not needed). Carry 1 photo extra.

5. Post interview/travel back to US/port of entry

- you don’t need to fill I-94
- go to the New immigrants line if there is one at ur POE.
- the officer will take the sealed envelope and open it right there. The papers will be the forms that you had filled at the embassy and 1 photo. If the photo is not there, be sure to give it to the person there, else ur plastic card will be delayed.
- Immigration Visa stamp will be endorsed and you will be allowed entry to the US.

>>> NOW, you ARE a PERMANENT RESIDENT <<<

- in 2-3 weeks, you will get a welcome letter with a case number. Do Case status check at the USCIS website for ur plastic card.
- 3 weeks you should receive ur new SS card
- 4 weeks you should get ur plastic card.
- enjoy ur new life as a PR.
- Remember, you are a PR, not a Citizen, so any serious offense may lead to deportation.
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