So, one fine day my wife and I decide to take an 8 day trip to India. We book our tickets, apply for leaves (YES - in that order) and then fly out on a nice Saturday. After a 14 hour - direct - ass killing - Air India flight, we land in Delhi. WOOO! The airport does look good, its sparkling clean and there are people who are 'actually' helping. Its clean, cool and not crowded - I'm lovin' it.
We are here to attend my wife's cousin's wedding and enjoy our DES to the max. We reach home, chill out, meet some friends and doze off. Next day is a big day, not because its Valentine's day but because my wife has a VISA interview lined up at the US Embassy. She applied for H1B Visa. Before launching into out trip, she worked very closely with her organization (ACS - Xerox - a multi billion $$$ company) to ensure she has all the documents in place for the interview. I drop her and wait outside expecting it to be a quick thing. It turns out to be quicker as she is out in 20 minutes - but I don't see her smiling. Turns out, they gave ger a 221(g) [I didn't even know what this is until I saw one in her hand]. Apparently, the interviewing officer isn't convinced that she is 'required' by the company and so they ask for more documents. Now, let's take a few things into perspective -
1. She joined this HUGE company 2 months prior to flying out of US. All of this happened after the company had filed a Labor Petition under premium processing and got it approved. She got an SSN, worked for 8 weeks and even filed the Federal and State tax return for this small a period.
2. She is working for a Fortune 500 (or is it 100?) company called XEROX. The interviewing officer asked her how many people work in your office. She said 'thousands'. Then, she was asked 'How many in your building?' She said 'I'm not sure - hundreds'.
3. She was asked to submit the Tax returns of the company. Now, we are talking about a publicly traded corporate behemoth here. Not a small time consultant. Companies of this size publish annual reports with their annual and quarterly SEC filings. Anyway, we thought we will take a print out and submit the same.
4. She was asked to provide the details of her client and prove the intentions of the end-client to hire her. Mind this - she is working as a Full Time employee of a company - not a project based part time consultant for an end client.
I can continue this list, but I guess the message ios loud & clear - WHAT THE HELL?!?!
She was given this list and asked to submit the documents at VFS. She put all of this together and submitted the next day at VFS. Fortunately, they send an email in a couple of days asking for the Passport to be submitted. We happily submitted the same and waited for it to be turned around. On our 8th day (last day in India), we thought that we will get the passport and fly out that night as per the plan. However, we get an email at 2:16 pm from the embassy asking for more documents ... WTF!!! In fact, the same documents once more and a few additional ones which by no means apply to ANY FULL TIME employee working ANY WHERE in the world. Look up a 221(g) on the WEB, if you want more details.
In a state of frustration, we cancel our tickets and she puts together an email for her company's top legal counsel and immigration team lead. They find the request made by the embassy to be 'ludicrous'. Still, somehow they put together a document that explains everything that my wife spoke during her interview and that hopefully drives home the point - that these things are not required in her case. We submit the same along with all documents once again and hope for the best. We can't call them or email them but can only wait.
Days go by, in fact a week. Finally, its the end of 4th week (from the time we landed in India) and we get a text from VFS that the application has been approved. That day is today and we are hoping to finally board a flight to go back to our routine life - the life that we thought, we wouldn't miss when we get to India. The life that we thought, will never even cross our minds while we will have fun in our home land. The life, that was just 'us'. However, thanks to the experiences we had with the US Embassy in India, this trip was one to be forgotten, even before it got over. I am so frustrated that I thought, Ill start a blog and vent it somehow... :)
I believe its high time they outsource the entire VISA process to some one who can THINK and not just read a list. The superpower of the world needs to understand that the days of glory are already fading away and would not last really long if they don't embrace globalization and above all common sense. There is a world outside America and its getting bigger. GET IT!
We are here to attend my wife's cousin's wedding and enjoy our DES to the max. We reach home, chill out, meet some friends and doze off. Next day is a big day, not because its Valentine's day but because my wife has a VISA interview lined up at the US Embassy. She applied for H1B Visa. Before launching into out trip, she worked very closely with her organization (ACS - Xerox - a multi billion $$$ company) to ensure she has all the documents in place for the interview. I drop her and wait outside expecting it to be a quick thing. It turns out to be quicker as she is out in 20 minutes - but I don't see her smiling. Turns out, they gave ger a 221(g) [I didn't even know what this is until I saw one in her hand]. Apparently, the interviewing officer isn't convinced that she is 'required' by the company and so they ask for more documents. Now, let's take a few things into perspective -
1. She joined this HUGE company 2 months prior to flying out of US. All of this happened after the company had filed a Labor Petition under premium processing and got it approved. She got an SSN, worked for 8 weeks and even filed the Federal and State tax return for this small a period.
2. She is working for a Fortune 500 (or is it 100?) company called XEROX. The interviewing officer asked her how many people work in your office. She said 'thousands'. Then, she was asked 'How many in your building?' She said 'I'm not sure - hundreds'.
3. She was asked to submit the Tax returns of the company. Now, we are talking about a publicly traded corporate behemoth here. Not a small time consultant. Companies of this size publish annual reports with their annual and quarterly SEC filings. Anyway, we thought we will take a print out and submit the same.
4. She was asked to provide the details of her client and prove the intentions of the end-client to hire her. Mind this - she is working as a Full Time employee of a company - not a project based part time consultant for an end client.
I can continue this list, but I guess the message ios loud & clear - WHAT THE HELL?!?!
She was given this list and asked to submit the documents at VFS. She put all of this together and submitted the next day at VFS. Fortunately, they send an email in a couple of days asking for the Passport to be submitted. We happily submitted the same and waited for it to be turned around. On our 8th day (last day in India), we thought that we will get the passport and fly out that night as per the plan. However, we get an email at 2:16 pm from the embassy asking for more documents ... WTF!!! In fact, the same documents once more and a few additional ones which by no means apply to ANY FULL TIME employee working ANY WHERE in the world. Look up a 221(g) on the WEB, if you want more details.
In a state of frustration, we cancel our tickets and she puts together an email for her company's top legal counsel and immigration team lead. They find the request made by the embassy to be 'ludicrous'. Still, somehow they put together a document that explains everything that my wife spoke during her interview and that hopefully drives home the point - that these things are not required in her case. We submit the same along with all documents once again and hope for the best. We can't call them or email them but can only wait.
Days go by, in fact a week. Finally, its the end of 4th week (from the time we landed in India) and we get a text from VFS that the application has been approved. That day is today and we are hoping to finally board a flight to go back to our routine life - the life that we thought, we wouldn't miss when we get to India. The life that we thought, will never even cross our minds while we will have fun in our home land. The life, that was just 'us'. However, thanks to the experiences we had with the US Embassy in India, this trip was one to be forgotten, even before it got over. I am so frustrated that I thought, Ill start a blog and vent it somehow... :)
I believe its high time they outsource the entire VISA process to some one who can THINK and not just read a list. The superpower of the world needs to understand that the days of glory are already fading away and would not last really long if they don't embrace globalization and above all common sense. There is a world outside America and its getting bigger. GET IT!
221(g)seems to be the flavour of teh season for the consulate GENERALS ;)
ReplyDeletehmm,don't know what to say but yes lot to think and always have a back up and a back up as don't know when to pack up!
ReplyDelete