Family B1/B2 Visa Stamping

[raj00728]

Hi,

My wife and I are currently in the US on independent approved H1B status with actual H1B visa stampings being pending for both. We have been planning to bring our family (parents and siblings) to US for visitation purposes and had submitted their DS160 applications as well as paid the fees in March this year. Of course, given the travel bans and closure of US embassy/consulates in India, we haven’t been able to get any visa appointments for our family members. We are now starting to see some appointment slots becoming available for later part of this year e.g., 30 Sep, 2021 at Mumbai. However, we have some following questions and would like your advice.

1. Is it advisable for our family in India to go for visa stamping now if a slot becomes available? If yes, what do I need to be aware of (e.g., NIE, updating DS160, etc.)?

2. Do I need to revise/edit the already submitted DS160 forms because the planned travel dates were different and have now passed?

3. I paid the fees on March 15, 2021. What’s the last date that they can still go for an appointment and when will the fees expire?

4. HYD consulate was selected as the center of choice for stamping in DS160. Should I wait for HYD consulate to resume processing visas or could our family go to another consulate if slots become available?

5. Anything else that we need to be concerned or mindful about with respect to the entire process of having their stamping and the already submitted DS160 forms and paid fees?

Appreciate your guidance. Thank you!

Cheers! -Raj

[Kalpesh_Dalwadi]

@raj00728

Is it advisable for our family in India to go for visa stamping now if a slot becomes available? If yes, what do I need to be aware of (e.g., NIE, updating DS160, etc.)?

You may go for interview however consulate is not stamping the visa if you do not qualify for NIE and generally B2 visitors do not qualify.
After the interview, the VO will give 221g citing travel ban under PP 10199.

@raj00728

Do I need to revise/edit the already submitted DS160 forms because the planned travel dates were different and have now passed?

Its not really required but you can go online to submit a new, corrected DS-160, print the new confirmation page, and bring that to your interview at the consulate or embassy.

If it is less than 30 days, go back to the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website page for the DS-160. Click the tab for “Retrieve an Application.” Hopefully you took note of the application ID number from the DS-160 you submitted earlier, because you’ll need to enter that application ID number in the box. Then click the Retrieve Application button.

In the next dialog box, click “Create an Application.” Next, you’ll have to answer the security questions to get back into your form. Once you’re in, correct the trave the dates, then review everything, then electronically sign and submit the application. You will be given a new confirmation and bar code to print and bring to your interview.

If more than 30 days have gone by since you submitted the application, you can upload that application back into CEAC, if you saved it on to your computer or other storage device. Go back to the CEAC website, click on DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, choose the consulate or embassy where you will be applying from the drop-down menu, and then click the “Upload an Application” tab. Choose the location of your saved file, and click the Upload Data button.

After making your changes, save and submit the new application. You will be given a new confirmation and bar code.

If you never saved your original application, and it has been more than 30 days since you submitted it, you’ll need to start over. Go back on the CEAC website and fill in a new DS-160. Print the confirmation page for this new application.

If you used the first (incorrect) DS-160 submission to schedule your visa appointment or pay the visa application fee already, you will need to bring the confirmation pages from both the new (corrected) and the original (incorrect) DS-160 to your interview.

If you have not yet scheduled your interview or paid the fee for the nonimmigrant visa, you’re probably okay just bringing the confirmation page from the newer, corrected DS-160. (You should bring the old one too, just in case, but make sure you mark it as the old one.)

@raj00728

I paid the fees on March 15, 2021. What’s the last date that they can still go for an appointment and when will the fees expire?

Interview can be scheduled within 1 year from the payment date.

https://www.ustraveldocs.com/no/no-niv-visafeeinfo.asp

@raj00728

HYD consulate was selected as the center of choice for stamping in DS160. Should I wait for HYD consulate to resume processing visas or could our family go to another consulate if slots become available?

You can go to any consulate.

@raj00728

Anything else that we need to be concerned or mindful about with respect to the entire process of having their stamping and the already submitted DS160 forms and paid fees?

221g for travel ban may be issued by the VO and once the travel ban is lifted consulate will send email to submit the passport for visa stamping. So the process can get delayed.

[raj00728]

Thank you, Kalpesh. Very helpful feedback; I greatly appreciate it! Given the latest announcement that US would allow entry of fully vaccinated individuals, would there still be a possibility of receiving 221G?

U.S. to relax travel restrictions for vaccinated foreign air travelers in...

[Kalpesh_Dalwadi]

It’s a bit early to say as there is no news as of now if US will lift the PP 10199 completely. If that happens, I would imagine that no one will get 221g due to PP and that fully vaccinated people will be allowed to enter the US from any country.

[raj00728]

Makes sense. Thank you!

[PKG]

How to know the availability of drop box for Chennai consulate at Bengaluru (B1/B2 visa renewal)?
S.Chari