July 31, The Process was a breeze.

Hotel: July 28

Stayed at Crystal Residency just opposite consulate, decent price and decent room. photos, Lister were just 5-10 mins away from here. go to http://www.crystalresidency.com for more info. throw in some smooth talk they could offer you 10% discount.

Lister lab: July 29

Rs 15 for auto and went to Lister lab. Its not so popular but just tell auto fella its on Nungabakkam and after couple of lanes from Taj coramandal hotel. Take a left while on Nungabakkam road, you will see Lister Lab on left after some 4 buildings. There is a new Lister lab in the same lane, this is the place where they do US immigrant Medical tests.

Reached there at 7.45 AM. We were immediately called inside. Showed appointment letter and passports also gave the filled in Medical form (came with P4) with one photo pasted. The young lady browsed thru my passport as if she was INS officer. (Later I found even Chennai consular officer did not take that detail look in to my passport!)

we filled in a form there and went back to be seated. we were called for blood test first and then x-ray. It was a 30 mins stint at Lister.

were told to come at 4.30 to pick the reports.

Photos: July 29

took a rick to Konica lab on Nungabakkam road near the Hotel/consulate. Rs 15 to auto fella will take you there from Lister Lab. Outsiders, When you are in Chennai try to act as if you have been there before (I know its difficult!). Tell photos of Immigration style, they charge Rs. 75 per person to be picked up after 3 hrs. If Immediate(30 mins) then I guess it is Rs. 100 something. I picked them up on our way to Lister in the evening.

Medical: July 29

We picked up photos from konica at 4 PM, headed to Lister picked the Test reports, paid Rs 600 each for Lister. We called Dr. Vijayalakshmi and took appointment for 5 PM 2 days before. Dr V works from Padma Nursing Home. Told rick fella Pachiappa college (land mark) and he took us to there, paid Rs 30.

Dr V saw us at 5 PM and gave us MMR and did some routine checks. Paid Rs 600 each and headed out for Hotel with our medical reports.

July 30: Complete rest, did not even venture out just to stay away from heat and dust before the D day. Arranged our docs according to the P4 order list.

July 31: Interview

7.40 AM, 2 mins walk from Hotel is the consulate. showed appointment letter and were let in. we just took plastic folders and covers.

we were showed to a building inside the premises and were seated in a AC room (new). At around 8.30 am all EB guys were given a document having the list and order of docs to be submitted. we were surprised bcoz we thought P4 already had one list. I saw in this list, W-2 ,Tax return copy and pay stub were asked, which was not asked in the P4 list. Also IRS 9003 was not asked in the new list. (funny, wonder why they do this). Do not panic , u will be having enough time to re-organize the docs. I again organized the stuff as per the new list and stood in line for submission.

after submission we went back to our seats. In the mean time the H1 and F1 guys were being interviewd at the adjacent counters. We watched as to how they were approving F1 visas. At the end we concluded 90% girls got it and boys only 50% (equal opportunity funda did not sound familiar here!)

we sat till 11.00 am just watchin events around us. Then we were called, the officer went thru our documents and passports. My H1 visa expired in my PP, he asked for my H1 extension copy, i gave it. He asked H4 extension for my wife, I said she was not in US at the time of her H4 expiration and hence did not apply for one. My company was involved in a Merger, he asked for news releases, i gave him a bunch and also my employment letter stated about it in detail. He gave back all the Originals and kept the copies. He asked us to sign the DS-230 part 2 and were asked to be seated to be called again.

we were called at 11.45 am and this time were told to pay the DD (Rs 3185, 65 * 49, make seperate DD for each applicant.) we made DDs at Bank Of India, thousand lights branch, 2 mins walk from Hotel.

we were happy to be called first and heading out first, it all happened as if nothing happened. All the tension and melodrama till the interview was over! Remember, your Visas are 99 %approved after the consulate receives the papers from NVC, all one has to do is present the documents asked, thats it! so do not worry too much about CP. Its very simple. I guess, u will know only if u go thru it.

Received the blue dart package the next day to my home address. everything was printed correct.

Thanks to all members who contributed to this forum and shared their experience. And Best wishes to all the future CPr 's.