Successful H1B and H4 stamping @ Vancouver on April 04 2014

[gopalakrishnach]

First of all Thanks to murthy forum and to for helping me in my visa interview process,

 

Let me give you my background details. This is my second visa stamping. First one I had in Feb 2012 at Vancouver Canada and this time it is my second at Vancouver Canada for my H1B renewal ( first H1B extension). This time Me ( H1B ) and my wife ( H4) went to Vancouver Canada on a family appointment. We both went to visa interview together. Mine is EVC model and my employer is same in my first H1B stamping and this H1B renewal stamping.

Me and my wife had interview on 04/09/2014 @ Vancouver. I had 4 H1 approvals. One is first initial approval and second is H1 B amendment for which I went to visa stamping for first time. Third is my first H1B extension approval and fourth is my H1B extension amendment since in Feb 2014, I changed my client. Mine is F1 to H1 and also took copy of my I140 approval notice. My is wife is on H4.

 

There were lot of changes I noticed this time and this time it went smooth. I entered consulate at 9:15 am and came out by 10:15 am.

I went to consulate at 8:00 am but security guard said that I need to come and stand in line at 9:15 am, So, we waited in adjacent Starbucks for 70 minutes. So my advice is come to consulate 15 minutes before your appointment time. If needed you can tell to guard and he/she will allow you to move forward.

First, security personal will come and check your DS 160 confirmation, passport, and visa approval notice. He will ask us to go to other guard where the person will check our name and appointment time and confirms that we have an appointment. After this we will be standing in another line which leads to security check. Same thing happened to my wife also.

Then we had your security check. It's same like the one which you have in airports. But here they will also check your folder and make sure you donot have any sealed covers.

We came to room where they took our passports, DS 160 confirmations, and my H1 B approval notice. She crossed checked them and gave us a token and asked to sit. After sometime we went to counter 1 where they did ten printing. They gave our documents back and a guard took us to 20th floor. We waited for 5 minutes and our token was called. VO was a guy. He was issuing visas but was somewhat serious not laughing and joking.

 

Interview was like a rapid fire round. Questions and answers session was just 2 to 3 minutes. Total interview time including his typing and questions and answers was around 5 minutes.

 

ME : Good morning Sir and gave him our DS 160 pages, passports, my H1B visa approval notice

VO : Good morning.

 

VO : location of client?

ME : xxxxx

 

VO : Who is your employer

ME : xxxx

 

By this time he saw my old visa and said "Oh same employer"

ME: Yes

 

VO : When did you join your employer.

ME :xxxx

 

VO : Give me your LCA and client letter.

 

I was looking for documents.

 

VO : When did you get married.

 

He asked this question to me but I signed my wife to reply since I was looking for answers.

 

Wife : XXX

 

VO: Any children

Wife : No

 

My client didnot provide client letter but I took email from Sr HR Manager explaining why they cannot issue client letters.

 

I gave VO my LCA and said that my client did not give client letter but I have email from Senior HR Manager telling why they cannot provide client letters to consultants.

 

VO : Oh this your client email. Thats OK.

 

It looked like he knows that I use 405 high way to my work.

 

VO: It must hard for you to commute on 405. How long it will take for you.

ME: blah blah.

 

VO : Thank god, It's horrible ride from xxx( my place ) to xxxxx( client place).

 

ME : Said blah blah reasons why I cannot move out of my current place now.

 

He gave my LCA, client email back and said Thank you.

 

He was typing for almost 2 minutes and then he got out of his seat and came back,

 

VO: It looks like there is a problem but no issues with you. I am approving your visas.

 

He gave me H1B employee rules pamphlet and said read it.

 

ME : I already came to know that we need to read it so I got that from online, took print out and read it.

 

VO: Thats really good. Keep this also.

 

VO: I am issuing you both visas. Take this slip ( white slip). It has all the instructions how to get passport. Normally it will take 3 to 5 business to get it.

 

ME : Thank you very much. Can you please let me know what is the problem. Is with you or with me.

 

VO: No it's with us. It looks like our systems are down. So its problem with us and if there is problem with you I will call you back.

 

At this time we all were laughing.

 

ME : I hope there is no problems with us. So me and my wife got our visas.

VO: Yes.

 

ME : Thank you sir. Have a wonderful day.

VO : You also have a wonderful day. ( To my wife ) Go, relax, and enjoy your vacation. Do site seeing.

 

Notes:

The key thing is confidence. Just keep eye contact, Tell them the truth, donot try to confuse and just answer exact to point of what they ask.

 

Donot come to consulate too early. They will send you back and ask you to come 15 minutes before your appointment.

 

Take all documents whatever you can.

 

This time me and my wife are doing site seeing and found out that Vancouver has good public transportation. Try to find information about it and use it.

 

You can use your hotel front desk and from airport to your hotel you can ask information booth. They will give you details about how you can reach hotel by using public transportation.
 

[gopalakrishnach]

On Friday night ( 04/11/2014) at 11PM we got mail from loomis that they picked up our passports. We will pick them up on Monday morning (04/14/2014).

[gopalakrishnach]

We collected our passports on 04/14/2014 and back in US on same day.