I recently submitted my documents for H1B and H4 visa (for my wife) at the US Visa Application Centre in Chennai and wanted to help others who have appointments at . My need is for a regular dropbox appointment. The H1 and H4 stamping for me, my wife and kids (below 14 years) have expired in October 2019. Yes, it is mandatory. The criteria for the US visa interview waiver or dropbox option have not changed with the introduction of appointment booking. You still need to book an appointment for your drop-off, and it has to be done at the location you designate. Their previous 10yr B1/B2 visa got expired in April 2016? Tel: (91-120) 4844644 We will remember that, to you, a visa interview may be a new or intimidating experience and that you may be nervous. Only Temperature was checked, signed in. Check, On December 23rd, 2022, the US Dept of State again confirmed the continuation of the 48-month dropbox interview waiver rule. Hello, I got my biometric appointment in Mumbai, India for November22. I need to renvue c1 visa cattagery for drawbox thats possibl.? Applicants for Delhi Consulate: Drop off at New Delhi, Chandigarh, or Jalandhar centersApplicants for Mumbai Consulate: Drop off at Mumbai, Ahmedabad, or Pune centers. Good thing is in New Delhi it is showing 1 calendar day waiting. Manish, Check with USTraveldocs they will help. India Mexico Canada Browse by Country. Posted May 16, 2018. It is normal to work like that. This is a single appointment for 2 applicants (me and my wife) at the same schedule. Hi, I had a valid H-1B visa till 31-Dec-2021. I am on H1B and my wife is on H4 and we are eligible for drop box as we have done before. Thanks to Rajesh for taking time to share their experience. I have to get my spouses H4 visa stamped for the first time, when I booked appointment, it only let me book OFC/drop box, not sure if she is eligible for the first time? H4 Visa Stamp Copy from passport ( expiring soon), Copy of my spouses H1B Visa stamp ( expired ). Did you book appointment? People will be removed whoever posts any messages other than slots and will not be added back. I had a visa denial on B1/B2 visa long time ago. As Im planning to get them to US as earlier as possible, I paid the fees again and this time I found a slot for Feb 6, 2023 . Hi all, I am not seeing any appointments available for Dropbox in Chennai. Current passport and any old passports with a U.S. visa. Also, some from the past are at H1B Dropbox Experiences in India and H4 Dropbox Experience in 2019 to get an idea of how they were processed until Aug 30th, 2019. No H1B VISA stamping in passport was done as my spouse after moving out of school is yet to travel to India. How to Check US Visa Status Online? Can you please guide me whats the next step? If so, you should not be getting the second one. I am having F1 visa now my H1b papers are approved , i have to go to Consulate. September 1st in the below screenshot corresponds to September 1st, 2019. I have the dropbox appointment at Mumbai at May 24th 2023 so If I wish to dropoff my documents at Ahmedabad vac, then at what time and date I need to dropoff at Ahmedabad. The eligibility rule says that you are not eligible if after rejection you didnt receive visa in that category. Did you get any information? Hi, This is an urgent question. What documents I need to submit? I am in a similar situation. Check USTravelDocs website. Select a U.S. Embassy or Consulate: Wait Times for Embassy/Consulate See details on appointment availability and processing times Global Visa Wait Times Wait Time for Interview Do I qualify for the recent interview waiver program? 20,000 New Dropbox Appointments Available In India In a welcome move, The US State Department has announced an additional 20,000 dropbox interview waiver appointment slots in various US consulates in India. Please help if anyone cam across similar situation. Anshitha, Check H1B Dropbox Guide Article, question number 7. Check the CGI Federal website and do the wizard, you would know. You can then drop the documents at your convenience. sangita, Yes, you can, if the system prompts for the same. Check Step by Step Guide to H1B Dropbox, it has full details with screenshots. It will be free of charge for Consulate locations and there is a fee of Rs 650 INR, if you are submitting in other locations. My son Birthday 03/02/2008 (14 years/5 months). Check the below screenshot and. Ketki, You would very likely be eligible, if you meet all other criteria. What is the Dec 31st deadline for? H1B/H4 Visa Dropbox Chennai. > Yes. Alekhya, Well, this one is not interchangeable, You should only go to Mumbai. No, the process is straightforward, the USTravelDocs system does the eligibility check automatically based on your information. If you are going to be called for interview for whatever reason, then it will be chennai. The Visa section of this website is all about U.S. visas for foreign citizens to travel to the United States. US Visa Dropbox Appointment Booking Process - Complete Steps Complete DS-160 form : First you need to compete DS-160 form and then print confirmation page and save it. If you are paying, you should send the bank statements and pay stubs. In general, you need to apply for Biometrics & US Visa Interview appointments, if you need to get a US visa stamping on your passport. See our Directory of Visa Categorieson usvisas.state.govto determine which visa category might be appropriate for your purpose of travel to the United States. Give it a try after few days. And when I have tried to book on the CGI site, at times I have been able to find available drop box slots (OFC) but then as part of the process post selection it forces me to also book a consular appointment. It never prompts me to book the actual visa interview slot. It still means dropbox appointment booking, if you were given the dropbox confirmation screen. My h1b expired in 2016. You just need to answer the questions truthfully. The U.S. Embassy/ Consulates in India offer free document pickup/submission services at the OFC where the Embassy/Consulate is located. Photocopy of form I-797. Curious to know what happened to your case? our kid is 2 years old and he has not travelled to US and he does not have any visa stamped in his passport. Please advise. Do we need to update our new Home Address anywhere in relation to Dropbox Appointment schedule ? The Consul General directs the activities of the United States Consulate General in Chennai. Hi, Please help me out with B1/B2 dropbox eligiblity, I have applied renewal for my old parents and paid MRV fee on August 23rd 2021. I traveled to US through employer B in Jan 2017 and the visa was valid until Nov 2019. Rahul, Yes, you can do it now or even later. For travel to the United States on a temporary basis, including tourism, temporary employment, study and exchange. You can check B1/ B2 Visa Stamping Experiences to see more from real experiences. Copy of currently approved H1B of primary beneficiary. Now, with this 48-month eligibility change, you can apply for Dropbox Visa stamping, if your visa has expired on or after November 1st, 2018. They changed the system this week for a few things, so could be hiccups too. You can read more at US Visa Dropbox Changed to 48 Months FAQs and US Visa Interview waived for certain H1B, L1, and other Visa holders until the end of 2022, The standard process to book an in-person US Visa interview appointment is to go to CGI Federals website to register for an account and then schedule a general US visa interview appointment. B1/B2, H1, F1? Listen H4 Dropbox eligibility for kids under 14 year age. See the below screenshot on the same. References : USTravelDocs.com Visa Waiver official Page, Can someone please help me? How to Check US Visa Status Online? Important Notice: Interview Waiver Processing. Employment verification letter 7. US Visa Appointment Wait Times. You can continue with Dropbox by selecting the Drop-off button. My last US visa was valid till Jan 2018, which is beyond 48 months, and I have never received 221G. I am seeing few available in Delhi after August. Im eligible for dropbox. Note: Please be sure to select an interview waiver submission date at least 7 calendar days before your visa has been expired 48 months., Below is the screenshot of the confirmation you would get on the USTravelDocs CGI Federal Website, if you qualify for the Interview Waiver or Dropbox option for US Visa Renewal. I have my appointment booked for VAC..just VAC, not sure how should I proceed. As soon as I knew what date I have to be there in India, I started looking. Are we eligible for drop box if we want to apply. I am also in the same situation as you and was able to book a dropbox appointment in April 2022. Appointment letter 4. I had originally booked drop box appointments for June 12, 2023 for my Mom & Dad (B1/B2 Visitor Visa) for Hyderabad location, and then later after a week I found that slots had opened up for February 2023, so I changed the date to Feb 12, 2023. Does anyone know why it is saying that? On H4 Visa I have Annotation NIE UNDER PP ON RISK TO LABOR MARKET. Student, we will make every effort to ensure that you get an appointment and, if qualified, a visa in time to start classes. If more than one person is included in your passport, each person desiring a visa must submit an application. India Mexico Canada Browse by Country Worldwide Wait Times Dashboard. So I decided to do an in-person interview(I see availability in all the consulates except Chennai during Dec/Jan). Yes, you should try to go back to dropbox, if it is really not an emergency. Business traveler, we will establish appropriate mechanisms to facilitate business travel and expedite cases of particular concern to American business. I am totally confused by this, also t did not show me appointments for any other locations just few for Chennai VAC. Will the docs be accepted if one person in group is missing. But, when you try to book the appointment, the online system shows Schedule OFC Appointment as in the below screenshot, which can be confusing as the same message is shown for a Biometrics appointment as well. GUIDE to Travel to US with valid Visa on Expired Passport ? I am eligible for drop box. We will post detailed and accurate information on visa requirements and application procedures on every Embassy and Consulate website. My passport is expiring in 5 months. I never pursued my 221(g) case that was given to me through employer A. I checked the status of that case few days back and it now shows Refused. Unless something changes, it will be effective even after December 31, 2022. Now I am trying to schedule the H4 appointment but it keep saying me that I am eligible for Visa waiver program. But when infilled the questionnaire it showed dropbox eligible and i had it yesterday. Thank you. Any update on this. Also, they are extending the interview waiver or Dropbox eligibility with the 48 months until December 31st, 2021. Please let me know what do I do, as VFS Support isnt helpful. Hi I submitted my application at Bengaluru dropbox vfs. Interview waiver letter printed during appointment booking. Pl help. There are other categories too . Below are some of the most frequently asked questions(FAQs) in the context of dropbox appointments. As we enquired on previous day at center they told no need to come on scheduled time. Vinod, No, it will not. Thank you !! Print and save two copies of your DS-160 confirmation page. Below is the screenshot of the news, you can check official news alert from US Department of State. B1/B2, H1, F1? What is the reality of US Visa Stamping Appointments? You will very likely get a decision on your visa stamping within 7 to 10 business days from the day you dropped off your documents. However, as soon as the system prompts me to book the OFC appointment, it shows that the documents will be delivered back to my pre-selected VAC location. The rule states 48 months within expiration (implies after expiry date, am I correct?). Is it possible to reschedule only the VAC appointment to get one closer to my interview appointment. ravi, Usually, not needed. The Consulate also provides an array of services to Americans residing or traveling to Chennai. can you share the details if u have already booked slots? I even contacted VFS Support, but they were not helpful, and they were pushing it on me mentioning I had made that change. ! nirav, They have to be below 14 years, your son is over 14 years. Will I be eligible for drop box appointment as I already had a H-1B visa which expired less than 48 months (Or) Am eligible for in person interview as my new H-1B Visa is applied from India but not an H-1B Extension? Please state them Thanks, Can someone please cite the source of information that the following eligibility criteria has been removed in mid 2021? It is not a required document. I am renewing my B1/B2 visa. 2. it will not be taken for dropbox. We got VISA dropbox slot in Mumbai. Satya. Two questions here: 1) What I am experiencing above, is that the normal process? I got a nov 2022 date for a dropbox for h1b, trying to understand if that is for emergency or regular. The actual I797 is still being shipped. Hi Please help me with the following situation. Q. This has come when there are scores of eligible visa applicants hesitating to travel to India for a lack of available appointments. This includes B1/B2, F1, and I also had an approval notice for an H1B visa as well but never got the stamp on account of an unfortunate situation with my employer. Please note applicants must only schedule their in-person or interview waiver appointment within the 365-day period. If you applying for EAD, that would be with USCIS and they just need copies. My parents have qualified for a drop box visa renewal. I am not sure what is going to happen. Can someone confirm the documents to be submitted is there anything besides all passports, DS160 confirmation, appointment confirmation page and 1 photo ? You need to ensure, that all the documents as per the checklist are in there. If you cannot submit as per the checklist, then you cannot submit on that day, you will need to re-schedule your dropbox appointment. During the first allocation, i was with a different employer. stamp still valid, but expiring in November 2019. In the past, before Nov 28, 2021, the last 3 letters in the dropdown used to say IW, which meant Interview Waiver and it was easy to identify the dropbox appointment. Your help in this regard will be highly appreciated. Will I be still eligible for dropbox? There is no rule in place that tells you cannot renew beforehand. Biometrics? It was your choice to pick dropbox or an in-person appointment. New, Renewal? Read Guide to US Visa Interview Waiver for certain H1B, L1, H4, others. i am in the same category my Visa expired 8 years back ..whether you have any update? December 23rd 2022: Today, US Dept of State issued a press release indicating the continuation of the 48 month dropbox interview waiver rule. New, Renewal? Can i reschedule drop box appointment to Mumbai? Regarding below question : Can someone else submit my visa application documents at the dropbox location? The question was 1) Do you have previous U.S. visa in any visa class issued? As already it was very tough to get the dates and I dont want to lose this opportunity. My drop box appointment is on May 2022. Check US Visa Dropbox: Can drop off documents at any VAC location. I am renewing H1b and my spouse is on H4 EAD approved initially it was H1b and now on H4 after job loss. 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