A Major glitch at Mumbai Consulate.

[giru]

Try to picture this, you are in US since 2.5 years and looking forward to go to India to meet you parents, somehow you manage to get 2 weeks of vacation, you also have to go for stamping in India those 2 weeks . You plan perfectly that once you reach India you will first get your visa stamped in Mumbai and then go meet parents friends and relative and come back to US , on time to join the job. But, what actually ends happening that you are forced to miss the stamping appointment in Mumbai , you have to wait for 3 days even take the next available stamping date , you spend those 2 weeks with a burden on mind about the Visa stamping , just stay 2 days with parents who haven’t seen you for 2 years , go all the way to Kolkata to get your visa stamped , get your passport only on the day you were supposed to leave for US, end up spending Rs. 80k more as travelling and lodging expenses !

Yes, I went through all this mental torture and financial loss in my last trip to India . I’m back in US but totally unsatisfied with my trip even after spending lakhs of rupees and 2 weeks of my vacation time. All this happened because I was forced to miss the stamping appointment of Mumbai , this what happened

My Stamping appointment was scheduled 11.00 am on 17^th April 2012. It was in the new location of BKC complex, we (me and my family) had never been there before . Fighting the traffic and chaos of Mumbai, we managed to reach Dadar at around 10.15 am , BKC it was supposed to be 20 min from there , but we again hit a bummer bummer when we had to stand in line to get a taxi there is where we lost 15 min , we managed to reach the consulate only till 10.50 am, at the gate the security person started grumbling – you should be reaching 15 min early , go fast , you don’t have any cell or CD right ? I had a cell phone, I need it to ask for help in case we are lost, he asked me to go the VFS some 400 meters away and submit the cell phone , I started for it then he called be back, saying the entry for the day is closed , take another appointment – WHAT , this can’t be happening !!! I tried talking to the personals there but they said the systems closes at 11.00 am as can’t do anything about it , you will have to take another appointment.

Now, some 3 years ago, at the old consulate, I remember they had allowed the cell phone as long as it is switched off and today also, in Kolkata center, the cell phones are allowed if they are switched off. Moreover, I remember that my appointment was at 10.30 but I was taken to the consulate by VFS guys some 45 min late.

Sure that the visa appointment letter had these instructions but I didn’t happen to read it , I didn’t anticipate that it would change, I was not going for the stamping for the first time , do I have to pay such a big price for this ?

I would like to ask US consulate, if your system closes at 11.00 am, why do you give out 11.00 am appointment? I know you want to stick to the time, which is a good thing, but you should consider the local conditions as well, if the GPS or Google maps in India says that you will reach in 30 mins , do you really reach at that time, you cannot have US rules in India because India is not US, not yet. Why do I have to pay a price for this, I don’t think it’s my fault!!!

After this , as mentioned before, I had to wait for 2-3 days so some status to get updated , then go to VFS , pay some money and then take another available appointment . Only available appointment date before my return date to US was in Kolkata . So we had to cut short my stay with my parents to accommodate this . I had to book tickets last moment so it was at their highest. We had to stay there for 3 days to get the passport which we didn’t receive till the day we were supposed to leave for US !

[svikram12]

Try to picture this, you are in US since 2.5 years and looking forward to go to India to meet you parents, somehow you manage to get 2 weeks of vacation, you also have to go for stamping in India those 2 weeks . You plan perfectly that once you reach India you will first get your visa stamped in Mumbai and then go meet parents friends and relative and come back to US , on time to join the job. But, what actually ends happening that you are forced to miss the stamping appointment in Mumbai , you have to wait for 3 days even take the next available stamping date , you spend those 2 weeks with a burden on mind about the Visa stamping , just stay 2 days with parents who haven’t seen you for 2 years , go all the way to Kolkata to get your visa stamped , get your passport only on the day you were supposed to leave for US, end up spending Rs. 80k more as travelling and lodging expenses !

Yes, I went through all this mental torture and financial loss in my last trip to India . I’m back in US but totally unsatisfied with my trip even after spending lakhs of rupees and 2 weeks of my vacation time. All this happened because I was forced to miss the stamping appointment of Mumbai , this what happened

My Stamping appointment was scheduled 11.00 am on 17^th April 2012. It was in the new location of BKC complex, we (me and my family) had never been there before . Fighting the traffic and chaos of Mumbai, we managed to reach Dadar at around 10.15 am , BKC it was supposed to be 20 min from there , but we again hit a bummer bummer when we had to stand in line to get a taxi there is where we lost 15 min , we managed to reach the consulate only till 10.50 am, at the gate the security person started grumbling – you should be reaching 15 min early , go fast , you don’t have any cell or CD right ? I had a cell phone, I need it to ask for help in case we are lost, he asked me to go the VFS some 400 meters away and submit the cell phone , I started for it then he called be back, saying the entry for the day is closed , take another appointment – WHAT , this can’t be happening !!! I tried talking to the personals there but they said the systems closes at 11.00 am as can’t do anything about it , you will have to take another appointment.

Now, some 3 years ago, at the old consulate, I remember they had allowed the cell phone as long as it is switched off and today also, in Kolkata center, the cell phones are allowed if they are switched off. Moreover, I remember that my appointment was at 10.30 but I was taken to the consulate by VFS guys some 45 min late.

Sure that the visa appointment letter had these instructions but I didn’t happen to read it , I didn’t anticipate that it would change, I was not going for the stamping for the first time , do I have to pay such a big price for this ?

I would like to ask US consulate, if your system closes at 11.00 am, why do you give out 11.00 am appointment? I know you want to stick to the time, which is a good thing, but you should consider the local conditions as well, if the GPS or Google maps in India says that you will reach in 30 mins , do you really reach at that time, you cannot have US rules in India because India is not US, not yet. Why do I have to pay a price for this, I don’t think it’s my fault!!!

After this , as mentioned before, I had to wait for 2-3 days so some status to get updated , then go to VFS , pay some money and then take another available appointment . Only available appointment date before my return date to US was in Kolkata . So we had to cut short my stay with my parents to accommodate this . I had to book tickets last moment so it was at their highest. We had to stay there for 3 days to get the passport which we didn’t receive till the day we were supposed to leave for US !

You were in India earlier before US, so you don't remember the condition of traffic in India if not then it is your fault not US Consulate.

Even I had stampng int this month and I reached at the venue 1 hr early. That too I am not from Mumbai, still I reached there well before time.

Don't blame US Consulate for your mistakes. Just thank god that you got the stamp, otherwise they would have given you 221g and you have to stay in India for next couple of months.

[RollingStones450]

Hello,

I am very much sympathize with your hardships that you faced @ the Consulate in India! Well I am with you when you say one "cannot have US rules in India because India is not US, not yet"!

Knowing that India is not US, I would have expected US-returned-people like you should take into account that US Consulate doesn't take Traffic congestion into account when they given an appointment at a certain time and that GPS/Google Maps times can't be depended upon!! ;-)

Hope you'll have a better experience when you visit India next time!

Regards,

RStones

"Rolling Stones gather no moss"

[caindian]

Dude...I think on US Consultate website and also when you take the appointment....Instructions clearly says that No Cellphone and make sure you arrive 15min before Interview.

And I am 100% confident that as Indian we all know hows mumbai traffic unless u never been thr or never heard about Mumbai Traffic....even in USA also if you want to go downtown in any major city during morning hours in any week day...it take lot of time.....

Well Lesson Learned....Be prepared next time ;)

[trivedi3377]

Man,

First of all , you should thankful to god that in first attempt you got your stamping otherwise you could stuck with 221(g) and

possible that you would have to wait for whole year for reply from embassy/uscis and all that stuff.

Stop complainning about small small things. Here people are screwed up with a major life changing curve.

[reluctantsnowman]

@Giru - I dont understand the logic behind this post!

[moral_help]

READ THE CONSULATE RULES BEFORE BLAMING US CONSULATE

[sg1010]

@giru - dude, seriously???

U should be happy that you got stamped! Sucks that you couldn't spend as much time with ur family as u wanted but this should teach you a lesson to manage your time better!

Sorry for being upfront abt it but thank god you didn't run into a 221g mess! Picture that!