Hi All, Sorry for the slight delay in posting this - things were a bit crazy with me packing and travelling back to the USA... My DCF experience went GREAT - details follow: My husband and I arrived in Delhi on April 10th. We stayed with relatives who don't live too far away from the consulate area, so they were able to drop us and pick us up... We reached the consulate at about 8:00 a.m. on April 11th. First there was a long line snaking around the building. Don't worry about this, this is just the general security check line and it moves pretty quickly. So we got on line (lugging our heavy photo albums of course ) and pretty soon reached the front. Most people are showing their appointment letter, but obviously DCF applicants don't have one. Have your US passport ready - the guard will check it and the date you entered India (to make sure it is at least 60 days). You are then asked to go to another security officer who will check your belongings - two things were asked - do you have a cell phone and do you have perfume in your bag. You can either go there without a cell phone or you can check it in with the guard inside and retrieve it later. There is a public phone booth not far away that you can use as well if you need to make a call and don't have your cell phone on you. After the general security check, the long queue is separated into 4 groups: non-immigrant visas, immigrant visas, general USCIS services, and general american citizen services. We were sent to the USCIS queue. There were about 10 couples (and one child-parent DCF) ahead of us in the line (I wonder if they ALL read Rahul's experience!! ). We waited on this line until about 9:30 a.m. (yes a pretty long wait - standing up - bring something to fan yourself with - you can bring water, but bring a sealed bottle, or they will ask you to drink it in front of them.) At 9:30 a.m., they started sending the people in batches - we were in the second batch. First thing when you enter, the guard asks to see your bags again, and takes away any cell phones - you are given a token that you can use to retrieve your cell phone later. Then another guard takes you through a outdoor pathway into a separate room (reserved for USCIS services) and they take your US Passport from you. As soon as you sit, a lady comes out. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUR PAPERS IN EASY ACCESS. She rattles off an order of papers - you haev to submit it in this order. She is very quick and only gives you a few minutes to re-order the papers before she starts calling people (by reading out the US Passports in the order in which she received them). Here is how I ordered the papers: I-130 G-325A (with a color photo stuck on the bottom left corner) for me and my husband - PAGE 1 ONLY - they don't need pages 2-4. Marriage Certificate copy My US Passport copy His Indian Passport copy Loose wedding photographs in an envelope Copy of Vermont NOA It never hurts to take extra materials: 2 copies of everything above Husband's Birth Certificate + 2 copies Drafted letter of cancellation (for Vermont application) + 2 copies Scotch Tape Glue Wedding Album She called our name and quickly went through our papers and stapled it. She looked through the loose pictures and picked out a few (we had all the important points of the wedding, plus family pictures, and a picture of the guests - to show that it was a large-scale wedding). She said the pictures were beautiful and gave us a yellow letter that stated our petition was accepted and that we would be hearing from our local consulate within 3 months. She also gave a us a note to pay $185 at the cashier. Also, she gave us a letter instructing us on how to cancel our Vermont application. I have to note, if you go unprepared, the officers are quite strict. People went without passport copies, or without loose wedding photos, and they were asked to get the materials and come back. We were directed to the cashier's office and paid in USD cash - TAKE EXACT CHANGE - the day we went the cashier was running low on small bills and had no change for anybody. He exchanged large bills with us (we had taken $300+ in small change) so he could get our small change to pay back the others! The cashier gives you 2 receipts, one white and one yellow. You keep the yellow. On the back of the white, note your name and your spouse's name, and your US phone number and spouse's Indian phone number. Give the white receipt to the guard outside the cashier's office. You can then go out and take an auto-rickshaw to "Malcha Marg Market". Ask the driver if he is willing to wait a few minutes and then take you back. They might charge some extra money but it's worth it. This is where the post office is. At the post office, we sent to Vermont: 1) A letter stating our withdrawal 2) A copy of the Vermont NOA (again on this, state reason for withdrawal) 3) A copy of my US Passport Biographical page If you don't have extra copies - opposite the post office there is a shop where you can make photocopies (this is near the local phone booth as well if you need to make a phone call). Make 3 copies of everything. Mail this as a registered post to Vermont Service Center. Come back to the photocopy place and make 2 copies of your registered post receipt as well. Go back to the USCIS and stand in the long security queue again. This time, tell them, you have come to hand in the receipt. You don't have to stand int he 4 internal queues - you can walk straight in. Give the ORIGINAL receipt plus a copy of what you sent to Vermont to the guard. Keep one full copy for yourself. That's it - we had called my uncle to pick us up at the Market and we went home! I think the volume of DCF applicants has really shot up. So I am not expecting my timeline to be as quick as Rahul's. But like he said, the 2 months spent in India were absolutely precious - I would have done it anyway, regardless of how fast the DCF is. Good luck to everyone trying DCF over the next few months! DISCLAIMER: Looks like Rahul's experience and my experience were slightly different - so they may change the procedure again, at any time. Don't take my experience word-for-word on what to expect. Don't stick your photo on to the G325-A for example - keep it loose and use the glue or tape you take with you to stick it if they ask you to. For more information on this topic click here
Folks, Yes its true. Ever since I met my wife to be in Sept 03, I was waiting for this day. The day she could join me in the US. Today is the day this dream becomes a reality. Today is the first day of the rest of my life! My wife's CR1 interview experience on 2/22/05 at Chennai,India - in her own words The interview was scheduled for 8 a.m. and I dint want to be late. I started from home at 7.10 a.m. and reached the consulate at 7.20 a.m. there was a long queue as usual and applicants of all categories of visa were standing together. After about 5 min a security guard called us all and made us stand in separate lines (immigrant visas and non immigrant visas). I had a huge bag with me containing all the documents and another huge luggage… u must have guessed it… my wedding photo album. I waited there till 8.15 a.m till we were all called inside. Well… there was a hurdle here, I had my perfume and a calculator in my purse, and cosmetics are not allowed inside the consulate, so I had to call my driver (who was waiting nearby) to come and take it from me, as I was not allowed to trash it anywhere near the entrance, there was no dustbin too. Moreover no one had a cell phone from which we could call and ask someone to come and pick up the things. Lucky there was a passerby and I asked him if I could borrow his phone. I called my driver and handed the things to him. Then I entered and there was another security check, the lady there opened my bag and started handling my papers roughly. I got so irritated I asked her to be careful with the papers and told her not to mess up my papers. What an idiot she was. Then I entered and was directed towards the non immigrant visa queue without any further questions asked to me, after about a min I asked a lady in charge there if this was the line for immigrant visas too and she said “sorry” and directed me to the other building. As I was waiting there, my name was called and an Indian told me that she would ask me for my papers and that I should hand it over to her in the same order in which she asks me. She asked for all the papers specified in Packet 4 (but not in the order that they have printed). As she was checking the papers these were the questions she asked me. 1. When did you get married? 2. Where did u meet your husband? 3. How old are you? 4. Is this your first marriage? 5. Is this your husband’s first marriage? 6. Have you ever stayed outside India for more than a year? Then she noticed the demand draft (DD) that I had taken was not of the correct amount, she gave me a gate pass and asked me to get the DD and come back as soon as possible or if it was not possible she would give me another date when I could come for the interview. I told her I would come back soon and left the place with all my documents and entire luggage. FYI : the amount specified in the Packet 4 letter and the DD that I had taken was the same but since there was a change in the exchange rate they expected me to have brought a DD with the present exchange rate. Most of them wouldn’t have done it as the original amount specified was Rs. 15410/- but the actual amount that she wanted me to give her was Rs. 14,740/- Well since the interview was in the morning hours I was able to get to the bank and get another draft. After I came back I was asked to pay the fee in Counter No 1 and then give the receipt to her. I was also asked to write my name behind the DD. I waited for a while and my name was called. One has to really pay attention while the names are being called. The American officer was unable to pronounce my name properly and I was not able to make out if it was my name. I got it only in the second announcement. The Officer was a good guy and he was quite pleasant. He greeted me with all smiles and asked me how I was etc… then he moved on to asking me the following. 1. Where would you stay in USA after immigration? 2. Have you visited the place before? 3. Do you have anyone else (relations) other than your husband staying at US? 4. What are you doing now? Are you working? He then exchanged a few words with me regarding the climate in VT and mentioned about my husband’s company too as he wanted to show that he had read my papers and knew that my husband was working there. After a little waiting he called me once again and asked me for my fingerprints. Once this was over he asked me to promise that all information I have given is correct. He then asked me to wait again. Within a few min he called me to say that everything was fine and that I would get my papers within 2 working days and said that I could leave. He also wished me luck. I was so happy that everything went on smoothly. All our waiting was over. As soon as I came out I had a feeling of accomplishment. God was on our side. Points to be noted. 1.When I was waiting in the line, I noticed that no one except me had at least 3 files with me. I had a file which had documents in the order specified in Packet 4. and I had another file which was a duplicate of all those documents. A third file, which had all my educational documents and a fourth file which had all the miscellaneous papers like a copy of my passport, copy of the paper advertisement (matrimony) which was the way I got to meet my husband, copies of all my educational documents, a copy of my husband’s Passport Bio page a copy of the demand draft, to name a few. This itself made me confident that all my papers were in order, yes they were in order as I had checked it at least 25 times. 2.The DD amount, please do verify from the consulate about the exact amount to be taken. Please do this as the last step in getting the papers organized, as the exchange rates have to be monitored. Moreover, this does not get updated in the website. Only the visitor visa section had published the change in rates in the website. 3.People having interviews in the evening please be more careful in taking your DD as u have no option to even go to a bank in the evening as it would be closed. 4.Be as confident as possible ( I think that would be automatic when u have all papers in order). 5.Answers only if a question is posed to you, do not unnecessarily give out information thinking you are helping them. 6.Don’t be over confident, check your papers again and again. I used to do it every morning and night 2 weeks before the interview. 7.Pray to God and Trust in him For more information on this topic click here
I contacted the USCIS regularly from Jan ‘ 04 (I applied in Aug) and was told my security check is pending. I contacted the FBI directly who told me that they received no request for a name check from the FBI. I did this on 2 separate occasions. I had no idea if my name check was submitted or not. By March I was fed up and I contacted my Congressman who initiated a request on my behalf to the VSC Congressional Office. Initially they told all my security checks were completed. However it was not so. The name check’s status was visible in a separate screen and not the main screen from where most people usually look to see. Aha! I found that out also. Also, the agent at the VSC showed me a copy of my file which had “Indices-Popular” as the result for my name check. I later understood this meant it was not completed and that my name had too many matches. After 2 months I was able to independently confirm that the FBI received my name check request in Oct 03. In the meanwhile I convinced my Congressman’s office to contact the FBI liaison and that person too confirmed this. I asked the Congressman if he could send an expedite request (this was in May ‘ 04) as the name check was pending from 7 months already . The liaison told him that the department was overburdened and was not accepting expedite requests. The basis for my request was congressional testimony of Agent Hardy/Garrity that 98% of name checks are completed in 120 days at the most! I called the FBI’s office (Agent Hardy’s office) and spoke to the secretary Ms. Gertie Goldsmith. She was just able to tell me that my name check was pending and faxed responses are taking well over a month to be responded to and that its common to see people wait over 1 year. I was not willing to take this for an answer. I started searching the newsgroups, both Deja, and forums like this for answers. I searched and searched. I found out one phone number of an analyst – Diane Berger. I called her a few times (tried 10-15 times before I could speak to her). She was very vague too and asked me to contact USCIS to send an expedite request. No answer on why it was delayed or what i could do about it. I also got hold of a voice mail where one could inquire their name check status. They were supposed to respond within 48 hrs. Never did. I called this hotline EVERY SINGLE WEEK. Many times the hotline would not accept messages and I would call the main office and complain. They would take it down and then – do nothing. I was so desperate I started making statistical predictions as to when this analysts would pick up their phones. A few times when I called I would get a buzy message indicating she was on the phone. I knew that if I called immediately after she hung up, I could speak to her!! Most of the time the phone would just ring and ring and ring! In the meanwhile I filed a FOIPA request (Freedom of Information and Privacy Act) with the FBI. This tells you if the FBI has any records on you or not. Not all the information they have on you will be made available as they are exempt from this law. I got a response in 10 days saying that they had no record on me and the result was a “No-Records”. This FOIPA is also handled by David Hardy’s department and this proved to me that they both go off the same records and my delay is purely administrative and provided me with ammo to fight my case. Anyway, my Congressman finally wrote to the FBI Congressional office headed by Asst Director Eleni Kalisch who forwarded my plea to Asst Director William Hooton. I had written a personal letter to my Congressman begging him for support with my case as I had such valid reasons and everything to lose. I also cited reasons and facts (mostly from congressional testimony). I later wrote personally to both these above mentioned Asst Directors by certified mail and made my strongest plea for help. 12 days after I wrote this I got word my name check was completed. Now who’s letter made the biggest difference (mine or my Congressman’s) ? I don’t know. I don’t want to know. As far as I can see I owe my Congressman who is one of the few politicians I have the greatest respect for. It took about 277 days for my name check to get completed. I faced great hardship mainly as I wanted to get married to my fiancé in India and this was causing delays . I was not willing to take no for an answer and I knew I deserved an speedy name check – I had never been in any kind of trouble with the law. I have to thank people in this forum as most of my knowledge is from here. Thank You all. Wish you the best of luck with your name checks and Citizenships.
PLEASE DOWNLOAD ENCLOSED PDF FILE for Name Check Info Attached Files NameCheck.pdf Name check addendum.pdf NameCheck vs FOIPA.pdf To discuss more on this experience click here
