is i797 (approval notice) needed for l1 stamping

[haka]

Hi,

My wife is currently in US on H4 and got L1 (individual petition) approved with COS (as seen in mycasestatus/USCIS).  Unfortunately, the approval notice  (i797) never reached the lawyers.  We have applied for a copy after talking to USCIS but the processing time is 5-11 months and we have a planned trip in a couple of months.

is i797 (copy or original) needed for L1 stamping interview (or) biometrics ? ustraveldocs seems to offer contradicting information ( http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-typework.asp ).

Has anyone attended visa stamp interview without having i797?

[haka]

Isn't PIMS the primary verification mechanism?  From the link i sent in my original message:

"The consular officer will verify your petition approval through the Department of State's Petition Information Management Service (PIMS) during your interview."