Well I am writing this review to help out people who visit US Consulate at Chennai seeking the visas. I was also searching for some stuff about the happenings at the so called and dreaded US Consulate prior to my visit. Hope this helps.
Well it all started with the arrival at chennai. My stay was at Hotel Ranjith (booked by my company). Its at a stone throw distance from the US consulate ie on MG road itself. The hotel is decent and charges were somewhere around 1450 per night for single bed stay.
Now about the consulate. My appointment was for 1.15 PM. I reached there by 1.05 PM strictly keeping in mind that I am not supposed to carry anything other than docs else the nationals of the most powerful nation may have a security threat (I was even thinking whether I should staple the docs or not...;-) who knows they may say this is a pointed object). Well let me give some relief telling you that you can carry some file folders/ envelops to hold/carry ur docs. But no bags or nething else.
The experience begins with standing in a queue outside the Consulate door in the sun. First round of checks happen while you are standing in this queue. The private security gaurds checks whether you have an appointment through TTVisas and your passport. I stood there for about 15- 20 mins. After that the door opens. One by one people go inside again showing the appointment letter and the passport to the gaurd at the door. Once inside u pass through the metal detector. Next comes the scanning machine. Everything being carried by people needs to be put through it. Then you enter the consulate. Inside you find 4-5 queues. The process begins with standing in the queue for the payment of fees for TTVisas which is 400 INR. You get a reciept for the payment made which you need to show at the next queue along with the appointment letter and passport and have to submit interview fee of 4300 INR which has to be in the form of demand draft. You are then given a token number which in no way is your number in the queue.
The time by now is 2.30 PM. I was wondering what the appointment for 1.15 meant and also failed to understand why I paid 400 bucks to the TTVisas people.
After you have collected your token number you stand in another queue where your petition is verified along with the supporting documents u r carrying. Their were 4 such queues all of them long enough to drain you. The lady at the window was taking her own sweet time of 10 - 15 mins for each person. By the time my turn came it was 3.40 PM. The lady looked at my petition and asked for some original marsheets, returned half of my petition and kept the remaining in some folder and asked me to go for an interview. Phe http://www...my meeting with the lady was quick. Walked out of the window in some 4-5 mins itself. Though I was worried as she took my original docs and attached them to the petition...:-(.
Neways I went to another building where the interview was to be taken. Once inside I found 3 queues again with no clue as to which one must I join. After enquiring from a person sitting there, I was told that I sit and wait for my token number to be called after which I ll be told which queue I need to join.
There were 3 US nationals interviewing people. I found that 2 of them were very polite but one was pretty rude. And I was like oh god I don’t want this person to interview me plz.plz.plz...
The questions being asked were like whom are you going to visit in US/ How long will you stay there/ What does your son do in US/ Does he have a greencard/ How long has he been in US. These were the questions being asked to an elderly couple who seemed to be going to meet their son. Others were like why do u want to go to US/ why only u/ Where ll u stay in US/ Couldn’t ur company find nebody in US itself to do this work. A person who was an SAP consultant and from a well known company was asked why he was going to US. He replied something.. The interviewer shouted...R U GOING TO US TO TOAST BREAD...TELL ME WHY R U GOING TO US?...WHY CAN’T U TOAST BREAD IN INDIA...The person visibly shaken, replied something...to which the interviewer again shouted..THIS PETITION OF URS DOES NOT TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT U DO...The person quitely pointed to the copy of his resume in the petition. To his relief the interviewer asked him to submit the fee for the visa.
Finally my token number was announced and as my luck favoured me I was supposed to join the queue I never wanted to...:-(. There were some more people ahead of me. By now the interviewer seemed even more rude. A guy standing 2 places ahead of me had supposedly come for student visa. When he went to the window the conversation went something like this.
Counsellor: From where do you have the admit.
Requestor: National Univ.
Coun. : Which is this Univ...I never heard of it....Do u know neone there?
Req: Yes my frnd did his MS from there.
Coun. : Has he finished his MS.
Req: He is working.
Coun.: What is he doing. Has he finished his MS.
Req.: Yes he is working.
Coun.(Shouts): DO NOT LEAN. STAND STRAIGHT AND SPEAK IN THE MICROPHONE KEPT THERE(POINTING) AND SPEAK LOUDLY. I CANNOT HEAR U. WHERE IS UR FRND WORKING??...IN US???
Req.: No he is working in India...(names a well known company).
Coun.: What have u done.
Req.: I am an Electrical Engineer.
Coun.: When did u finish it.
REq.: 1997.
Coun.: How many courses did u fail?
Req.: Not Audible..
Coun.: I asked how many courses did u faiiiillll...?
Req.: I passed all the courses.
Coun.: u don’t understand it.. do u? I am asking HOW MANY COURSES DID U FAIL...
Counsellor starts counting...
Coun.:U have failed 62 courses and I have not counted absentisms.
Req.: Silent
Coun.: U took 10 yrs to complete ur Engineering. How many yrs u plan to take for MS.
Req.: Silent
Coun.: I am sorry sir.. I cannot grant ur visa.
The person walked away.
Obviously not a good experience when ur chance is about to come...:-((. The person ahead of me had come for some work visa. The counselor waved his hand rudely indicating him to come to the window for interview. The conversation was...
Coun.: Where do u work.
Req.: Speaks out the Initials of the company.
Coun.: PLZ SPEAK OUT LOUD INTO THAT MICROPHONE.
Req.: Again speaks out the Initials of the company.
Coun.: What is that?
Req.: Gives out the complete name if the company.
Coun.: I have never heard of this company before. How many people does ur company have.
Req.: 300 people.
Counsellor looks at the petition..
Coun.: I am not convinced about ur company. I am sorry sir. Plz furnish more information and apply through drop box.
Another one gone without an approval. Now was my turn. He waved his hand I went to the window.
Coun.: Who filed ur petition?
Me: Named the US office of my company (.....INC)
Coun.: How long have u been working for this company.
Me: 2.5 yrs.
Coun.: How much ll u be paid in US?
Me: named the figure.
He returned all the papers of my petition along with the originals and kept the passport and said.. Thank you sir... Plz submit ur fees at the next counter. I was looking at his face and thinking... is it over...???...phew...thank god...seems like my visa has been granted. I went to the next counter. This was the only place where there was no queue. Paid my visa fee of 2300 INR again in demand draft and left the consulate. I was out of the consulate at 4.25 PM wondering whether it was worth all the effort and humiliation....
Got my passport along with the visa 2 days later.