New Interview/Post-Interview Process

[lukoktonos]

Visa Interview Day-April 1,2013

 

Document Intake and Visa Interview Same Day:

 

Our Visa Interview Letter said our appointment was for 7:30am on a Monday morning. Only one time was written, so we weren't sure if that meant document intake only or what. While I was waiting (at the overpriced coffee shop) I saw a few people come out and talk to the ladies trying to promote their lawyer or airplane ticket shops--I overheard they were told to come back the same day in the afternoon for their interview. Y wife and several others had the interview the same morning, directly after document intake without leaving the consulate. So I guess both are possible for anyone with a 7:30am time.

 

 

 

No more Blue Slip?

She passed the interview, but we needed to submit a couple more things (I accidentally checked that I was the first joint-sponsor instead of the petitioner, oops, and I had to submit my joint-sponsor's W2s for the past 3 years)

 

The slip they gave her, however wasn't blue--I guess they changed it. It's a letter written on white paper that explains their new system. They are adding IVs to the already in place NIV website (ustraveldocs.com).

 

New ProcessSubmitting Additional Docs After Interview:

 

Ours said our visa has been approved, but we need to submit the forms I mentioned. It gave instructions to go to the website and choose a CITIC bank to retrieve her passport and documents after her visa has been processed. Apparently you can do this before the visa interview as well, and it replaces the filling out an EMS envelope.

 

It also gave instructions for submitting additional docs, which we needed to do. After printing out the docs that afternoon, we looked on the website (immigrant visa section) and it said to bring them to a CITIC bank to hand over to a courier to take them to the consulate. My wife and I decided to try to drop them off in person since we were already so close to the consulate, but they wouldn't let her in and vaguely said to use the online system. The security guard talking to the IV guy seemed confused about it all, but anyway we left and went to the official CITIC bank listed on the website (it's not just any CITIC bank, and not every city has an office that can do this, according to the website. Our city, Wuhan, didnt have one, so we wanted to make sure to get it done while still In Guangzhou.

 

We went to the bank and they said they don't do this service for immigrant visas. Finally we made our way upstairs to talk to a manager, and he said they've only ever done non-immigrant visa cases. He called CGI Stanley, the company who runs the website and courier service, and they said they should accept immigrant visas. That wasn't good enough for the bank, though, who didnt want to take the docs without word first from the consulate. They tried to call, but the very nice and helpful manager, Mr. Wang, was still waiting for a reply when the bank closed. We filled out the courier sheet as if it were a non-immigrant visa and left our stuff with him. He said he'd check the next day and submit them if the consulate approved, else inform us to come get the stuff again.

 

The next day he called and said they accepted it. Apparently we were the first case to have documents accepted this way, at least from the CITIC bank in Guangzhou.

 

This was even more confusing since the lady at the consulate who explains the "blue(white) sheet" said to just "send" the documents in to the consulate, underlining the address, making it sound like EMS was wanted, which contradicted what the letter itself said. My wife didnt think to ask for clarification at that time--she assumed it was supposed to be EMS without reading the whole letter carefully. Also, she had a friend with a similar "white sheet" (approved visa, needing to submit something else, but not colored blue) who interviewed the previous week. Her letter was different with specific instructions to use EMS, however.

 

So TLDR; they have a new system; "blue sheet" is now a white letter; go to ustraveldocs.com and use one of their CITIC banks to send in forms if needed after the interview.

[Randy W]

Yes - the color of the slip is immaterial. Usually blue, but what matters is what it says, not what color it is.

 

The USTravelDocs web site is new for both IV and non-IV visas as of March 16. Sounds like you got to be quite a guinea pig for the operation. Excellent work getting through that maze. They are apparently trying to follow their new procedures, but apparently not everyone is up to speed on it.

 

The Monday morning document intake seems to be new also - previously, they had scheduled this for Monday afternoon, with the interviews scheduled for Tuesday morning. I wonder if they're adapting a new schedule?

 

EVERYBODY - be careful to follow the PRINTED directions you are given, until the kinks are worked out of the procedure. We can't be entirely sure of what's going on until we get more feedback.

 

Congratulations, good luck, and please report back when you've got the visa in hand. Thanks!

[warpedbored]

It may be helpful to give the location of the bank you went to now that they know how the new system works.

[lukoktonos]

Sure--they are listed here: http://ustraveldocs.com/cn/cn-loc-documentdropoff.asp

 

(Ustraveldocs.com > immigrant visa > application pending further action > "CITIC bank offices") will lead you there

 

We went to the one in Guangzhou. You can see the Chinese address by choosing Chinese as the language in the upper right corner

[lhp]

We used UStraveldocs to sign up for our interview after being notified by email rather than a letter via EMS. I was quite impressed by the whole thing, to tell the truth. We could have picked any day from the day after we got the letter (early May) until the end of June.

 

We, too, were only instructed to pick one day, and my wife has instructions to arrive at 0730 – I'm hoping that means that we'll do doc intake and the interview on the same day. (Also, it doesn't say whether I can/should go in with her.)

 

There seemed to be some changes from what others have mentioned – most notably, we only had to turn in two photos with P4.

[Randy W]

We used UStraveldocs to sign up for our interview after being notified by email rather than a letter via EMS. I was quite impressed by the whole thing, to tell the truth. We could have picked any day from the day after we got the letter (early May) until the end of June.

 

We, too, were only instructed to pick one day, and my wife has instructions to arrive at 0730 – I'm hoping that means that we'll do doc intake and the interview on the same day. (Also, it doesn't say whether I can/should go in with her.)

 

There seemed to be some changes from what others have mentioned – most notably, we only had to turn in two photos with P4.

 

Yes - the interview day procedure seems to have changed. Please let us know how it goes for you the day of the interview. For document intake, follow the instructions you were given.

 

American citizens are always allowed inside the consulate's American Citizen Services area on the 5th floor, but are not allowed to attend the interview.

[Randy W]

Be sure to check out the threads on the consulate closure this week - no word yet on how this will affect the appointments that are currently in the pipeline.

[helen20092001]

The status of my passport is still Issued ever since May 24. Maybe it really takes about 20days.

[china123]

Did you check your passport status through ustraveldocs.com? I checked my passport status about 1500 and it changed to "origination scan." Anyway, I had my interview on May 22, 2013.