Successful H1B and H4 stamping at London Embassy Jan 14th 2013

221g_blue_np

By 221g_blue_np,
in H1B : Visa Stamp

Recommended Posts

221g_blue_np Advanced Member

221g_blue_np

Posted
Posted

Friends,

First of all thank you so much for the amount of information exchange that takes place in this forum. It's extremely useful. My turn to give back to the community now.

H1B AT LONDON EMBASSY 2013 EXPERIENCE CLEARLY MENTIONED

Date Of interview - 14th Jan 2013, 9:00 AM

Consulate - London

Type of Visa - H1B for me and H4B for my spouse and kid (2.5 year old) together. I had taken appointment for all of us together.

Type of Employment - Full Time Employment

Petition Processing - Mine was premium processing

Previous VISA history - Never traveled to the US. H1B denied once in India under section 221g (blue form), New Delhi long back in 2008.

We reached the consulate by 8:45 AM. After security clearance, we went for fingerprinting and document collection window.

The officer was extremely polite. He took mine and my wife's fingerprints and collected passport and I-797 and asked us to wait to be called for the actual interview.

In the next 15 minutes, our token number was announced and we went together to the actual interview window

Visa Officer - Good morning sir

Me - Very good morning

Visa Officer - Can I verify your fingerprints

Me - Sure. Mine and my wife's fingerprints were verified

Visa Officer to me - Which company you are going to work for sir?

Me - XYZ

Visa Officer to me - Where will you be working from sir?

Me - ABC city, XYZ state

Visa Officer to me - How long you have been in the UK sir?

Me - XYZ duration.

Visa Officer - Do you know your rights as a temporary worker in the United States sir?

Me - I had a glance at them online

Visa Officer - Handed over a pamphlet to me and set "I am approving your VISA sir, please handover the blue slip to courier desk and pay the fees"

We - Thank you so much, you have a nice day!

The officer didn't ask a single question to my wife.

Status in CEAC website

14th Jan 2013

Administrative Processing.

Application ID or Case number : XXXXXXXXXX

Case Creation Date: 14-Jan-2013

Status Updated Date: 14-Jan-2013

Your visa is currently undergoing necessary administrative processing. This processing can take several weeks. Please follow any instructions provided by the Consular Officer at the time of your interview. If further information is needed, you will be contacted. If your visa application is approved, it will be processed and mailed/available within two business days.

The status remained like that until 17th Jan 2013 sometime around 14:00 hours GMT and after that it was showing it as:

17-Jan-2013

Issued.

Application ID or Case number : XXXXXXXXXX

Case Creation Date: 14-Jan-2013

Status Updated Date: 17-Jan-2013

Your visa is in final processing. If you have not received it in more than 10 working days, please see the webpage for contact information of the embassy or consulate where you submitted your application.

And around 16:00 GMT on the same day, i.e. 17-Jan-2013, I received a text from DX Secure, the courier company that they are dispatching my package from the embassy.

I opted for the standard service for courier. I received the courier around 17:00 GMT on 18-Jan-2013.

All of our passports are stamped with VISA (mine with H1b and spouse and child with H4 visa).

One question - They have also sent the original I-797 that they had retained during the interview. Is that expected?

Thank you so much again for all your support.

Please let me know if I am missing any information that's relevant to any of you and need to mention, I will update the thread.

Link to comment
H1B_info_please Newbie

H1B_info_please

Posted
Posted

Hello Sir (@221_blue_np),

Thank you very much for sharing your valuable experience. You really made me confident now.

Coming to me I came to London in 2008, I finished my Masters here itself, now I am working as a IT professional in a IT company. I have been trying to apply for H1B from 1 year in London but I didn't dare. My brother is working in USA and he wants to file H1B for me through his employer(Indian Company). Could you please let me know whether do I need to do anything before filing H1B in London.

Awaiting for your reply.

Thank you

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
H1B_London_Info Newbie

H1B_London_Info

Posted
Posted

Hello,

Thank you very much for sharing your experience.

I need some help regarding my H1B visa stamping interview. My I-129 petition is approved and the consulate notified on the approval is London as I am working here. However, I now have plans to travel back to my home country India. Can I go for the visa interview in Hyderabad instead of the notified consulate which is London?

Awaiting for your reply,

Many Thanks

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 3 months later...
forspam.jas@gmail.com Newbie

forspam.jas@gmail.com

Posted
Posted

Although I didn't post and questions/queries here but I still feel that its my moral responsibility to post my experience for the benefit of others.

I applied for my H1B stamping today at the US Consulate at London.

My application was approved.

Following are my case details:

- First H1-B visa stamping. Visa sponsored by my direct employer Big4 accounting firm.

- My previous employer was also one of the Big4 accounting firms. I never had a stamp on my passport since I never left the US.

- Prior to this I had an L1 visa stamp from an ITES firm.

- I was in London since I had to attend some client meetings and thus had to get my stamping before I returned home in United States.

 

Things that I understood:

- It does not make a difference where you get your visa stamped since its a centralized system they use to verify your credentials

- It matters who you work for

- Having another US visa stamp on your passport helps... B1/B2 or L1 as it eases the verification process

- Carry the right papers with you

 

Questions asked:

- Is this a new visa or a renewal?

- How long have you been working for your employer?

- Were you hired in UK?

- What's your role?

Link to comment
h1b1st_time Newbie

h1b1st_time

Posted
Posted

Hi

Thank you very much for sharing your valuable experience.

 

I am a SAP consultant with 9 Years of experience. From last 2 years I am staying in London on Work Permit Tier-2 (ICT) from India. During this period my wife has got Sponsorship Tier-2 General from UK employer. I resigned from my position and came back to UK on Spouse visa (Valid till 2016). From 2 months I am not working and still looking for job in UK.

I just got my H1B petition approved from US employer. Now my US employer want me to apply for visa stamping. They have sent all the documents to me except Client letter since I will work from my employers Development center and will support/work within in house projects. My queries are :

1. How about going for stamping from London ? Any experience/advice on the same.
2. Since from 2 months I am not working will that effect my H1B stamping from London Consulate ?

Looking forward for valuable advice.

Link to comment
  • 1 year later...
RA2014 Newbie

RA2014

Posted
Posted

Hi forspam.jas@gmail.com,

 

I am in the same situation as yours

 

- First H1-B visa stamping. Visa sponsored by XYZ firm (one of the big firm)

- My previous employer was a small consulting firm. I never had a stamp on my passport since I never left the US.

- Prior to this I had an L1 visa stamp from an ABC firm

- I am going to London since I had to attend some meetings for XYZ firm (London branch) and thus have to get my stamping before I returned home in United States.

 

Did you have a US degree?

 

I enquired in Canada consulate & it seems - Canadian Consulates will accept first time H-1B applicants if the applicant has a US degree. 

 

Do you know if London office accepts first time H1B  applicants who don't have US degree? (My complete engineering degree is from India)

 

Thanks

RA2014

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
  • 3 months later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing