Travel within USA: Why SHOULD you carry Passport, US Visa, I-94. H1b stamping drop box eligibility. or do we need to pay again to schedule? US Consulates in India processed about 130,000 Immigrant and Non-immigrant visas in February and March 2022. Everything is as in the previous week. It may happen, due to the change in situations, many of these are not known until like the day of the interview or drop-off date of documents. One thing to note during creating a profile is that you need to select the country where you plan to get your H1B visa renewal. You must carry both old and new to avoid confusion too. Still no date on when they will resume fresh B1/B2. Why dont they just put a stamping on a passport when we do extension in US. Prathyusha, Yes, if your I-797 has changed, you can get it updated by calling support, also you can fill out new DS-160 as well and update the same. We need to wait and see for official update on this. H-1B non-immigrant visa holders in the United States. US Embassy has released 3 videos that emphasize the previously announced Dropbox appointments eligibility for anyone with a previous US Visa and details about F1 visa appointments planning. Am I eligible for interview waiver as my expired F1 visa stamp is more than 5 years old. Please reply here if anyone found a resolution to this. Rohit, Usually for kids to apply for interview waiver, the parents both of them should have the visa. The Visa Status shows as Refused for all 3 of us on the CEAC Website and have received the Passports for mine and Spouse with the 221G letter stating that we need to appear for the In-person Interview at the Kolkata Consulate office. At present, working in Singapore on Employment pass. There was a large batch of F1 visa student appointment slots that were opened over the weekend (May 15th). Also, when you submit the DS-160 form, you will get a confirmation number. No date was mentioned when they will open. They continue to be operating in a limited fashion. Question : Is your previous H-1B visa (temporary occupation, temporary worker or trainee) still valid?. All US consulates in India continue to operate in limited fashion with limited number of appointments. H1B Dropbox appointment dates for extentsion not available By MHim, November 20, 2020 in H1B : Visa Stamp Followers 0 Reply to this topic Start new topic MHim Members 1 Posted November 20, 2020 Hi All, I am eligible for dropbox but I am unable to find any open dates for last 2 weeks or more for Mumbai. Even though the text says Schedule OFC Appointment, what they mean is the appointment for Dropbox to drop off your documents. Arvy D, I doubt, if we would have users sharing with timings. Also, to confirm the above, when you fill out the visa details and answer the questionnaire on US Visa CGI Federal Website, you will not be asked for your previous employer information or what your visa stamp annotation says. Pathetic, Dont know what to do and who to escalate this to. The below screenshots highlight the changes. Many assume that they may not be eligible for H1B Visa using the dropbox option. its always same OFC appointment i can select/pick some dates, when navigated to next screen for consular in-person appointment there are no dates available message Im missing anything ? Raj, The irony is US Immigration software and processes are even worse when you apply for something with USCIS, and it not just the Dept of State website. DS-160 form is a very lengthy form and asks for a lot of information. You can make a Visa fee payment using that option. Sandeep, We have very less data points as it is very new. No change in the overall situation of Consulates in India, they continue to be operating in limited fashion like in the previous weeks. Can we write to the embassy and check in any way possible? Thanks in advance! if in doubt, reach out to support. The lifting of the travel ban to the US does not mean that you can get an appointment to get visa stamping. If you want to travel to the UK in time for the summer, you may have to apply for a priority visa. Today the status changed from Application received to refused.. is this a 221 g? No significant updates or new guidance by US Consulates in India in the last week. There was no Visa Fridays Q&A by US Embassy in the last two weeks, which was supposed to be on March 11th and March 18th. September 29th, 2022: US Consulates organized a Facebook Live today with Mr. Don Heflin. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I am still waiting for my dependants approval (Wife and kid). They say that H1B and L visas are treated the same in their system, with exception of Blanket L visas processed only at Chennai. Do you know the estimate next available dates for H1B visa stamping (drop box) if i want to schedule? travel.state.gov site shows too much delay. Anyone with same H-1b Visa Stamping - Admin Processing Inquiry. Depending on your choice, pick the relevant option and click on continue. US Embassy organized Visa Fridays on May 6th. There are two sets of documents they suggest. Thats another confirmation that you are eligible for dropbox stamping, even if you have done a change of employer using an H1B transfer. But I have not received the Passport of our Daughter and not able to trace the same at the Bluedart Courier Website as well. I am not able to see any slots. To avoid issues, get yours and your wifes dropbox stamping done and then apply for your sons dropbox. Check the. Regarding F1 visa stamping slots, there are fewer slots available. We have removed all the timeline of updates before November 2021 to keep the thread clean and up to date. This is very sad my kid was so excited to meet his grandparents this summer. They say that applicants can book Regular B1/B2 Appointments ( not placeholder slots) all the way through 2023. Also, to add, we have many users on our blog and social media channels, who have got stamping done after the H1B transfer. What was your experience ? are they still eligible for dropbox, pleaseeeeeee answer ?? Are slots not open or they are already taken? If that happens, the dates are not available, thats why. U.S. Consulate Mumbai will contact applicants who were refused under section 221(g) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) due to Presidential Proclamation 10199 as soon as possible with instructions on how to continue processing their cases. Below is a short summary of all updates from the US Consulates and Embassy in India from December 2021 until January 17th, 2023. when they do is it also available for reschedule ? You can read below updates for previous guidance. Read below and the timeline for weekly updates. Also, under the Petitioner section, you need to enter the USCIS approved H1B visa petition details including the H1B Case Receipt Number on the same page. I know these are commonly listed on this website but Im looking for experience from folks who got it approved. 100K H and L Visa Appointments to be released in October in India. No other country is allowing non residents to get a stamping at this time and the earliest drop box slots available for H1 in India are in March I think. It can take time to complete this form. It will be listed as Step 6 and looks like in the below screenshot. If you have Telegram, you can view and join H1B/H4 Visa Dropbox slots . It can be different from the city where you actually go for stamping or submitting documents. My B1 B2 Visa expired last June in 2021. You can collect your passport or it will be delivered to your address if you have picked that option. guidance given by the Head of US Consulates in India for the rest of 2022 and 2023. What is the usual processing time for new B1/B2 visas? The originals can be verified as needed by them when they take copies. Keerthana, You both have to be eligible for dropbox as well to go with him. No change in the overall situation of consulates, they all are operating in limited fashion. Did you all get a new appointment slot before Feb 2023? Why US Visa Status on CEAC says Refused for 221g ? Will there be a problem with that? See below the video links, US Embassy also updated their Facebook page saying they will not entertain any Emergency Appointments for F1 students applying for Fall 2022 now as it is really early and there is time to book slots. Here are some of our Consular officers providing updates and information on current consular services. Looking for visa appointments for b1/b2 for my parents . Locking out for 72 hours if the portal *thinks* the user is a bot 3. However, if there is a scenario that I-797 gets expired is there a way we can use the same receipt by updating the new DS 160 in the CGI profile ? The below history information is not applicable now ( after Nov 8, 2021). This will reduce and some hassle and we may see more people traveling to India. There was no Visa Fridays Q&A last week. So, if you have an appointment, you are good, otherwise, you would need to defer your admission. You need to select the option that says H-1B Temporary worker in specialty occupation and then click on continue at the bottom. Also there are several ongoing changes to the DropBox process which we need to be aware of. See the above timeline in article for the most recent update. You do not need a new US Visa if you are already in the US. Ashish, You can get the stamping done 90 days before from the start date on the petition. After that you will need to complete personal data like passport, address info, contact info, mailing address, DS-160 info, etc. It is difficult for Jul/Aug, as per them they can only open some in Sep. When I reached out to help desk, they replied Please follow the timings and instructions on your appointment. If any issues, call support. This can vary due to the COVID situation and they may ask to visit after the regular operations are started for the consulate. Many of our readers in our. For B1/B2 , the update from Consulate mentions all slots open in 2022 / 2023 are NOT Placeholder slots, which means they are actual appointments. The list of documents to be carried will be given on the rest of the pages by Visa type. I have submitted my USA B2 visa application.. You will enter the DS-160 confirmation number or Application ID in the next step during the appointment booking for dropbox stamping. US Consulates in India continue to be operating normally despite the recent COVID-19 cases increase in the country. Hi Archana, I am looking for drop box but I dont see any appointments. They said it can take anywhere from 10 to 30 days to get a passport with a US visa after the submission of documents for B1/B2 renewal. It will usually be 6 pages. RedBus2US.com 2010 - 2023, All Rights Reserved. You can start your DS 160 application and you're able to make an appointment before completing the application. F Khan, Well, it is likely. What is the process now? Generally, the criteria to qualify to use the U.S. Visa DropBox is: You are renewing your visa in the same visa category Your most recent visa was issued in your home country (same country as renewal) You received your visa after January 1, 2008 Your visa should not have annotations like "Clearance Received" or "Department Authorization" I have appointment for July mid for dropbox. Hey Sidx, Even I got the earliest dropbox appointment for May 2023 and seems like no earlier than this month is open for now. Nikhil, You may need to update the DS-160 or create a new one with the new passport. Also, if you are over 80 years of age and applying for an H1B Visa renewal, then you need to only meet one condition, which is your most recent US Visa application was not refused. I am trying to schedule an appointment for visa stamping in India. Response: Check your previously issued US Visa annotations section. In this day and age hard to imagine something so badly developed and always broken. I am in the same boat. Response: For this, most of them would answer Yes, unless your visa was issued before Jan 1st, 2008. After you make the payment and the receipt is activated, you need to enter the Machine Readable Visa(MRV) Fee payment receipt number. are those payments valid? They did not mention the exact dates or times, when the additional 20,000 slots would be released. You will be asked to select a location for the visa stamping or interview when you start the DS-160 form. Are you looking for any specific location. Gauri, If he plans and keeps looking, he should be able to get a slot. I have an invitation to present my research papers (3 papers) for world Congress in August 2022 I have applied for B1 visa for the first time I have attempted emergency application but it was not granted . They also said they cannot guarantee getting a slot. I am not seeing any slots mostly. I have read that for interview appointments it can be done at the time of biometric appointment by submitting an updated/corrected DS-160 form. Turned to Refused status on Oct 31. latest update by Mr. Don Heflin in Facebook Live on September 29th, 2022. US Consulates and Embassy continue to be in limited operations status and there is no estimated time when they will start operating with full capacity. December 6th, 2021: Below are the latest updates from Nov 29th until today. US Consulates continue to be operating in a limited fashion as in the previous month. The next question has also changed to reflect the new H1B dropbox option for certain new applicants. Question 2: Was your prior visa annotated Clearance Received or Department Authorization?. I (Malaysian citizen) just checked time slots for H1B stamping today, the earliest for in-person is July 29th. Well, this keeps changing, very hard to say. They say that wait times for H and L visas for both first-time applicants and dropbox have been cut into half. Now all the appointments are in English. If my H1-B visa renewal start date is 29 October, can I take any appointment after July 29 which satisfies the rule that I can get my H1-B stamping done 90 days prior to my start date? Swetha, 1. It is a nightmare. They updated in late September 2022 saying that, previous rules of 365 days to book apply now and everyone should book an appointment within 365 days from the issuance of the MRV receipt. US Embassy had Visa Fridays Q&A on December 2nd, below are the updates from the same session. I am planning to visit in Jul/Aug and need to book tickets and apply for leave for both me and my spouse and all that will happen based on the appointment dates. Thanks. The calendar app does not even open. See below screenshot or check the tweet below. Now he want to visit india for visa stamping for the first time.can he get appointments? They say they are trying to incrase the capacity, but say to expect significant wait times for quite some time. If your H1B visa was not approved by the US Consulate for some reason with the dropbox option, then you will be notified that your visa was not approved. The U.S. Mission in India has issued a record-breaking 82,000 #studentvisas in 2022 to date, higher than any other country. They did confirm that renewals for B1/B2 slots are opened on a rolling basis. Have anyone seen Interview slots in Hyderabad for the month of Sept yet? They suggest to attend the interview, if they have a slot confirmed. DO NOT cancel appointment or restart the process. V, They can file an extension when closer to the expiration. Chand, First you need to be clear on what company you want to work with using the new visa that they will issue using dropbox. Seriously they should just ask us to send our passport when they issue i797 and take whatever time they want to stamp and return. Does first h1b visa stamping also qualifies for Interview Waiver. They plan to open first time B1/B2 in the upcoming weeks to start interviews in September. In the confirmation letter, only passport is mentioned as the required document to be taken for dropbox. Yes, they are the most available slots. I am unable to schedule b2 visa appointment for my parents even after selecting 2025 jan dates, biometric appoitment is available but not for interview.. anybody in same situation or any luck with booking slots for the appoitment? Visa dropbox slots got it approved keeps looking, he should be able to trace the at... 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