Consulate dilemma for first-time H1B stamping

[abhilash005]

I'm on OPT (F1) status now and will be going to India after October to get my H1B stamped. Do I have to compulsurily attend the visa interview at the Chennai consulate (Where I got my F-1 stamped, Bangalore is my hometown) or can I attend the interview at other locations (Like Delhi) as well? Will attending it at other locations cause any problems?

I looked at the link below (VFS website)

http://www.**********/us-consulates-in-india

and it says "Indian citizens resident in the US on work permit (H or L visa) and applying for a new visa to renew an expiring or expired visa can request an appointment at any of the five US consulates in India."

Will I come under the category they are talking about? I'm unable to conclude because I'm changing my status from F1 to H1B and not renewing. Or because my H1B will already be approved by the time of the interview, will it come under renewing category?

Any clarifications regarding this will be really helpful. Thanks for reading.

Abhilash

[Attorney_10]

Generally, Indian citizens are permitted to apply for a visa at any U.S. consulate in India. The restricition on applying only at the U.S. consulate in one's jurisdiction no longer applies. However, if one applies at a consulate other than the consulate identified on the I-129 petition, delays in visa issuance may occur.

[abhilash005]

Thank you!