221g 2017 experience

The Nightmare of 221g

Hi! I cordially welcome all frustrated people to my blog. I totally feel you and understand what must be running in your mind. This blog may be one of the tabs in your browser. Stop googling around and I shall tell you clearly whats going to happen next in your life. Just sit back and relax, you are going to be in India atleast minimum of 2 months. No magic or fasting or visiting holy places is going to change this fact!

Not a fortune teller! I am sailing in the same boat and currently one step away from the shore. 

My visa background: I went to US with F1 visa on Sep 2012. After multiple attempts, my case was finally picked up for H1 on June 2016. 

Below is my visa stamping experience in detail when I visited for 1st H1 visa stamping at Chennai.

Jan 1st : Landed Chennai at 8pm from NewYork. Checked in at GRT Grand.

Jan 2nd : Had awesome breakfast and headed for finger print appointment at 10.30 am. Was out in just 20 mins. Had fun at the beach and enjoyed amazing food.

Jan 3rd : 

• Visa interview at 8am. Once I got in, there was longgg queue. So got the counter with VO at 9.30am. 
• He asked basic questions : Client Name, Location, Letter. Salary details and my job designation. Then silence. 
• He then said, I will have to cancel your F1 since its not valid anymore and attested some seal on F1 visa in the passport.
• He left the counter for nearly 5-10 mins with all my originals. Once returned he gave me a yellow slip and asked me to wait.  
• While waiting, I recollected the mistakes I made. Probably I should have dressed more professionally (was in t-shirt, jeans and sneakers). I should have explained him about my project and role when he asked for my designation. Should not have given him an opportunity to even look at his computer and have second thought about me. I was litterly crying in my heart.
• At 1.30 pm, my name was called and when went to the counter; I was given my passport back along with blue slip. VO said my case requires additional processing and he avoided to answer questions on timeline. He kept all my original documents LCA, Client letters, i-797 etc,
• I came out crying so loud at 2pm. Highly disappointed.  

Jan 5th : At 11.30am; got an email to collect documents from nearest Blue Dart. With so much of anticipation, I reached Blue Dart. After waiting for 3 people who were ahead of me, I finally got my turn. When opened, the package had all my originals : LCA, Client letters, i-797.

Life has to move on.

Jan 20: I was supposed to leave to New York this day but changed my flight with Etihad to open ticket.

First beam of the light came after 19 days..,

Jan 23rd: Since I have good relationship with end client; he pinged me around 8.30pm IST (10 am EST) to say he received an email from US consulate asking to verify my employment. He did not specifically mention those questions, but said not to worry.

Second beam of light after 18 days..,

Feb 9th : At 1.45 pm, I received an email to submit my passport. With joy overloaded, I booked return from Bangalore to NewYork for February 18th assuming visa stamping takes only 2 -3 business days and another flight to Chennai for next day.

Feb 10th : Reached Chennai at 7.30am and went straight to Chennai biometric office and submitted my passport at 9.30am. They just asked for email copy which requested to submit my passport.

Feb 18th : No update! Since I did not receive any email asking to collect my passport nor the online status has changed from "Delivered to Post" so I had to again change my flight as open ticket. (500$ charge) 

Feb 24th : Online status updated to "Document Delivery Information" and automatic email status says" There is no status update available for the passport number submitted"

Final beam of light after 16 days..,

Feb 28th : Online status updated to "Passport has been received from the consular section, and is currently being processed for delivery"

Mar 2nd : Collected my passport

Mar 4th : Reached NewYork.

Hurray!!!!!

TIPS to relax

Now that you know, you are going to be in India longer than you anticipated, then why not plan some trips with family? Though I was disappointed to core, I understood that nothing is going to change the fact. Rather than making my family uncomfortable by being moody all the time, we visited multiple short trips to Mumbai, Shridi, Kerela, Bangalore. I tried various cuisines. Most importantly I shopped till I dropped! Offcourse, I knew I will be going back someday, so I shopped so many traditional clothes and loads of traditional decorative items for my home in US. Visited my cousins and grandma. My mind was totally relaxed. However, it was hard to sleep in the night with the fear of not knowing if I will be able to go back or not. But as sun and moon changes its position, my mood swings too. 

TIPS to follow up

When you google, you will find lots of suggestion where you can track 221g. The truth is, none of the sites will provide you the actual status. Start checking your email after 3 weeks from the date of your visa interview. One common procedure I have noticed in every phase is that they take 2 weeks to update. So start tracking in the third week of every update.

You wont get updated info even if you check at CEAC, which can be accessed from here. All you can do is to bite your tongue and wait for that magic email!

Or you can take of the frustration by giving a call to the US Embassy customer service who equally knows nothing at 01204844644 between 9am to 5pm IST. (Select these options : 1 for English then 3 for NIV then 1 for scheduling an appointment. Wait for the boring message until the automatic voice says "connecting to customer service executive").

Once you receive that magic email to submit your passport, you can check the status by sending an email in below format.

To : passportstatus@ustraveldocs.com

Subject : <Passport number>

Body: <Passport number>

(Do not add anything else in subject or body of the mail)

When not to worry?

1. You have a genuine job 
2. Your education and the job you are currently in are in same field.
3. You have client letters
4. Client is cooperative to address questions from USCIS 

Conclusion: It will take 2 months from the date of your interview until you receive your passport. 

When to worry?

You don't satisfy all points mentioned above. 

Conclusion: It will take 6 months for sure.

How to avoid 221g?

I can read your mind. Yes! Perhaps, we need a remote control with rewind button. But as you and me know, it does not exist. Based on my experience, I feel above situations can be escaped by following few suggestions below,

• Dress professionally
• Keep a smiling and confident face
• The moment you get the chance to talk to VO, wait for the right moment and just start explaining your project and the role you perform.
• Don't worry too much thinking what will VO think if we keep talking about our project and job responsibilities before he questions. 
• Just explain what important role you are playing at work even though the truth is other wise.

ALL THE BEST.