EVC - Received 221g ; Direct Employment - Stamped successfully at Chennai Consulate

[appa.takkar]

Hello Friends,

I wanted to share my stamping experience so that others may benefit from it. I have learnt a lot from this forum myself and helped me clear this hurdle.

First-time Stamping:

Employer : Desi Consulting (200+)

Model : EVC

Interview Date : March 15 (Received 221g)

221g Docs submit date : March 28th

2nd 221 : April 6th ( With another Blue slip with AAP ticked)

Date Refused : June 6th (Date on refusal letter was March 31st)

Second-time stamping experience:

Booked my appoinment on Aug 30th at the Chennai Consulate. This time it was a direct employment with a Product-based fortune 500 company.

I went to the consulate at 8:30am for my 9:15am appoinment and was given a token number at the entrance. Walked into the building and had a seat. After 10 mins, my token appeared in the Monitor and went to the Counter. This is where the docs verification and finger printing takes place. Handed over the docs and the lady put my passport, ds-160 confirmation page(stapled my photo to it) and copy of I-797 into a blue pouch and asked me to go another window where they took my finger prints.

I was then asked to wait at the far end of the building close to Building-2 where the actual VO interview is done. I sat there for 15 mins and kept watching everyone who walked out of Building-2. If they had some colored slip or their passports in their hand, then they had got some sort of refusal. I tried hard not to look, but my curiousity got the better of me. There were definitely more people who came out with slips in the short time I was there.

I was then let into Building-2 and it was packed. I got a seat very close to the entrance and right next to the first 2-3 visa counters. I could hear, a VO lady grilling people with questions and handed out atleast 3 pink slips saying AAP and all of them were in some kind of consulting(cos the VO Was asking questions about the Client, location,etc). I sat there for almost an hr and saw a lot of people walking towards the entrance with all kind of colored slips. Atlast my number appeared on the monitor. Every counter that I could see while I was seated had 3-4 people in a short queue. So I thought my counter also would have a queue and walked very slowly with a huge bundle of docs in a plastic bag. Now the security guard starts coming towards me and asks me to hurry-up. I couldn't understand why. I walk towards my counter and there is another security guy who asked me to come fast and give the folder to the VO ( He kept repeating that). That's when I saw that the counter was empty and the VO was waiting. This is how the interview went..

Me : Good morning

VO: Good morning

Me: Handed over the Blue Pouch

VO : Scanned it and was looking at his computer for 10 secs.

VO : Have you had a H1 before?

Me : Yes. But it was refused in March because of petitioner not providing qualifying employment etc etc...

VO : That's fine. Not a problem. Asked me for my Letter to USCIS and LCA.

As I slipped it thru the window, he asked me to read the white pamplet oustide. I got a little confused and excited. From the forums, I had understood that if he says this then your visa has been approved. But the VO hadn't asked me any q's yet.

Me : I have read the pamphlet already..

VO: Looked at my latest experience from the USCIS letter and asked me what I did there.

Me : I said that work was not done in the US and it was in a different country after my visa was refused. I could see that the VO was not even listening he was seriously typing something.

He then flipped my passport twice and cancelled my previous expired visa. He then placed my passport on a pile of pink slips and again started typing something on his computer. In a few secs..

VO : Your visa is approved and will receive your passport within a week. Good luck.

Me : Thank you

I slowly started to put together all the docs into the folder at the VO counter itself. The next guy was already behind me. VO (slightly irritated) asked me to move aside and arrange the docs outside.. That was my 2 secs of joy for all the stress that I had taken in the past 5 months.

Collected my passport from VFS on Sep 2nd with Visa stamped and flew back the next day to the US.

Port of Entry:

Gave my passport and he gave it back with I-94 stapled. He did not open his mouth to ask even one question. Even for the finger-printing, he signaled only with his hand.

My perspective of this whole issue:

--I strongly suggest that you do not come for stamping if you are in a consulting model at this time. Obviously, people in other models also get their visa's refused, but the % is very less.

-- Take care of all the paperwork as much as you can while you are still in the US. Getting things done from India gets exponentially harder. Don't just come thinking that you will take care of it later if a 221g is issued. I had a hell of a time with the internet connection, scanning/printing docs etc inspite of being in Chennai. The smaller cities will be even worse.

-- If you are working for a desi consulting firm, then try to change to a more direct type of employment in the US itself and then go for stamping. I believe it is worth the effort, instead of coming here and getting the visa refused and then looking for a new petitioner.

To everyone who is going through this ordeal.. Do not give up or get depressed if your visa is refused. Be strong and take the challenge heads-on and you will all see success.

All the Best!

[gcsgc]

Congratulations my friend! Happy to see more people getting Visa stamping done with change in employment to either client or primary vendor.

[tusharvk]

congratulations.

Is it typical for chennai to give the passports back in a weeek? I thought it can be next day at the vfs counter.

[Siya]

Congratulations !

In your opinion, do you have any idea which consulate would be better to go for a 2nd visa stamping. ?? I went to Hyderabad consulate before. For the second petition I am contemplating Chennai. What do you suggest ? Thx.