ProfsnlOCMan

For all those coming through Mumbai or even India. There is hope !

My fiancee's K-1 was approved in 30 minutes !!

NOA 1 (CSC) - Oct 24, 2002 (I used Holmes&Lolly attorneys.
www.finaceevisas.com)

NOA 2 (CSC) - Dec 13, 2002

File reaches Mumbai - Dec 30, 2002

Proactive visit to Mumbai consulate - Jan 5, 2003. (They hand over
Packet 3)

Return Packet 3 to consulate - Jan 6, 2003

Interview - March 6, 2003

Visa received - March 7, 2003 (they asked her to return next day to
pick it up)


Some Tips:

1. More paperwork, not less is advised. Our list included
- Our birth certificates
- Certified Marriage and CERTIFIED divorce certificates
- Certified USA Tax returns for 3 years
- Certified/ORIGINAL USA Tax Transcripts for 3 years
- Indian College leaving certificate (never asked for but just in
case)
- Indian ration card (ditto)
- LOCAL police certificate & Passport Police Clearance. Be
prepared to pay
AND be persistent to get the local police certificate. Lots of
hassles
but worth the peace of mind
- ALBUM of pictures - NOT loose pictures. The LOVE albums at the
consulate
- Phone Bills
- Emails
- Greeting Cards WITH envelopes showing the USA and India
postmarks
- Ideally, give your fiancee an extra card under your name
immediately
- Show credit card statements with transactions in India and USA


2. BE IN MUMBAI for the interview.
- The consulate will not let the USC in. But the moment they ask
your fiancee, "when did you last see him/her?" imagine when they hear
the answer "About 30 minutes back, he/she is standing outside the
consulate".

- My attorney advised this, and it turned out to be invaluable


3. Indian Income Tax clearance
- The new Indian national budget rules makes this unnecessary but
only after June 30, 2003. IDEALLY, try to get one from the IT officer,
and be prepared to bribe him.

- Alternatively, atleast prepare a notarized affidavit on a Rupees
20 stamp paper and be prepared to hand it over if its asked by either
the airline or at the airport emigration counter.

- My fiancee did NOT have an IT clearance, nor was it asked for by
the way.

4. Interview at Consulate (Demeanor)
- Do NOT get pissed off. Be sweet but also BE FIRM. Don't let them
push you around. Especially the Indian pre-interview officials

- Be prepared to answer things like
- Exact date of engagement
- Parental consent even if its a love relationship. Ideally
both parents are in pics together or atleast an affidavit from them
stating their approval of the relationship. This affidavit can be a
plain statement, doesn't need to be on stamp paper or notarized.
- How did you meet ?
- What does he/she do in the USA ?
- Where does he/she live ?
- How do you know you love him/her ?(weird question, huh ?)
- What about the fact he/she is divorced already once/twice
?
- What about the fact he/she is older than you ?

BASICALLY BE COOL, POLITE AND FIRM AND HAVE ANSWERS THAT ARE LOGICAL
AND/OR BELIEVABLE.

Good luck to all !!!

soleil

Thanks for posting - very useful information.

Congratulations!!

Sunny

kadeshpa

When you provided the tax returns, did you provide 2002 also? Or was it just 99-01?

ProfsnlOCMan

kadeshpa wrote in message news:...
    > When you provided the tax returns, did you provide 2002 also? Or was it
    > just 99-01?

JUST 99 TO 2001 AND MY 2002 W-2. IF THE INTERVIEW IS AFTER APRIL 15,
YOU CAN EXPECT THEM TO ASK FOR 2002 TAX RETURN TOO.

HOWEVER YOU WILL NOT GET AN OFFICIAL COPY FROM THE IRS - IT TAKES THEM
2 TO 4 MONTHS TO SEND THE OFFICIAL TAX RETURN (ATLEAST FOR CALIFORNIA
FILERS LIKE ME) SO MY SUGGESTION IS

99 TO 01 GET THE OFFICIAL TAX RETURN COPIES (IT HAS A NICE GOLD SEAL
ON A BLUE COVER PAGE)

02 W-2 AND A NOTARIZED COPY OF THE RETURN YOU FILE FOR 2002 (SINCE THE
OFFICIAL ONE WILL TAKE MONTHS AS NOTED ABOVE).

GOOD LUCK

kadeshpa

Thanks for the update. That's pretty much what I have and my wife will be providing. We are scheduled before April 15th so the 2002 tax return will not be possible. And I also got just the tax transcripts, which the consulate said will be fine (its actually on the Packet 3 checklist).

Thanks again.

goya0002

One more question.
For 99 - 01 do we need notarized transcripts or offical tax returns?

Thanks,
Rohit

ProfsnlOCMan

goya0002 wrote in message news:...
    > One more question.
    > For 99 - 01 do we need notarized transcripts or offical tax returns?
    >
    > Thanks,
    > Rohit

Rohit, you are abit confused..

a. TAX TRANSCRIPTS - These are free, ordered from the IRS, mailed to
you. They are the computer INPUTS the IRS done after you send them
your tax returns every year. They do NOT need to be notarized. They
are original computer printouts from the IRS.

b. OFFICIAL TAX RETURN COPIES - These too can be ordered. A special
IRS form has to be filled out and its 23 dollars for each year's copy.
This comes with a blue cover page with a gold IRS seal on it. Again,
no further need to notarize it. HOWEVER, this can take months, so go
ahead and order it. But as a backup, take your own copies that you
have preserved, and have them notarized.

And one piece of advice if I may - Read my long post above. I TOOK
EXTRA, EVERYTHING.... Do NOT depend on someone who says "Oh I only
took this and it was OK...". India is consular hell for K1 and K3 -
the MORE paperwork, the safer. I speak from experience. My entire K1
process took just 4 1/2 months to get to the visa stamp, and the
MUMBAI interview took just 15 minutes for my fiancee.

Good luck !!

goya0002

Hey thanks. But clear this up for me.

You stated that you had the following:
- Certified USA Tax returns for 3 years
- Certified/ORIGINAL USA Tax Transcripts for 3 years

That is not notarised. What does it mean to have them certified?

Thanks for all your help.
Rohit

ProfsnlOCMan

Goya

There is a form one has to fill up, and pony up $ 23 for each year's
return, and then send it with the check to the IRS. They in turn, send
you the actual xerox copy (certified by them)of the returns they
received for those years. These are called Certified copies of tax
returns.

You can/should also get TAX TRANSCRIPTS - these is the data input by
IRS clerks into the IRS computer, based on the tax return they
received. What you get, when you request this (it is free), is a
printout that says Line 3, Line 4, Line 46 etc etc.. This is ordered
from a separate place than the tax copies mentioned above.

For item 1, contact your CPA, for item 2, search this newsgroup with
the search term "Transcript". Unfortunately, I threw away the 800
number I had called for the transcripts.

FOr copies - 1-4 months after request by mail.

For transcripts - 1-4 weeks after request by phone

For India, at a minimum, take the transcripts, and YOUR copies of the
tax returns (if you cannot get the IRS certified version in time)-
just make sure your version (that you have hopefully preserved) is
duly notarized by a notary public. This is next best to the IRS
certified copy mentioned above.

Good luck !

goya0002 wrote in message news:...
    > Hey thanks. But clear this up for me.
    >
    > You stated that you had the following:
    > - Certified USA Tax returns for 3 years
    > - Certified/ORIGINAL USA Tax Transcripts for 3 years
    >
    > That is not notarised. What does it mean to have them certified?
    >
    > Thanks for all your help.
    > Rohit