Sunish Issac’s thoughts on the Web

Read Part 1 first

The Experience

So once the initial steps were known, here’s what happened while I actually went ahead with the process.

1. Photos

I had a photo, but the requirement was that it shouldn’t be more than 6 months old. It should be 2 inch by 2 inch. I went with my mom and took the photos. I had given instructions that no beautification, like removing marks and moles should be done. The studio guy told no such modification would be done with the US visa. Even they know – faking can bring trouble. I was charged 100 bucks for 2 photographs copied on to a CD without physical prints. My photo turned out to be terrible as I was wearing a white shirt and I had to take it again from Perambra, another 40 bucks.

2. Fee Payment

I paid the MRV fee and service charge at HDFC bank in Palaraivattom. I had problems withdrawing cash from various ATMs and finally made the payment in cash. The process at the bank was simple, only requirement was passport front page and page with address. They gave the receipts promptly. But as mentioned earlier, I could use the receipt for appointment only after 3 days as the day I paid the fee was a Friday.

3. Filling form DS160

It begins here at – http://ceac.state.gov/genniv/

This was the ultimate frustrating experience. I have filled in various online forms, was always keen on beta testing a lot many web as well as desktop applications. This turned out to be the most frustrating experience of online application filling. Of course, of course, it was all written. “We are facing problems, so save often and the usual crap that says we are having a crappy site, mind it this is not a hobby project like my jaledit that takes donations or Dataone Quick Usage Finder which I give for free. It’s a government web site from the globe’s ultimate country in Information Technology. Shame on US, it was not one day or two days, it was on an on going crucification  that lasted for many days. You start by selecting your consular location, uploading the saved form, if you have saved till what you filled. The main usability issues and my comments on filling the form are listed below

1. Why can’t the consular location be saved. Why should the user select the consular location again and again. Logic says that it can be saved.
2. If some thing is saved, the usual logic is continue from where you saved. But in this case, you still have to go through all the pages, and in between the server emits a session timeout message. 3 days I struggled just to fill the forms saving at each step. It was not only a test of patience and endurance but it was wasting time on no fault of yours. The estimated burden as per site is 75 minutes, and what happens when it fails at the last page 10 times or more. You can imagine the frustration level.
3. One of the first confusions, during the form fill up is what the surname and given Name is. My old passport had a flower brace where the surname and given name were together listed as my full name Sunish Issac. The new passport has no surname and the given name is Sunish Issac. So what’s to be filled would probably be the first confusing entry. The mess up can actually be attributed to the Indian passport application/passport verification authority. They should have given correct instructions on what each field is. Anyways in the US way of doing things, the way to go ahead in my case is Sunrname should be my entire name Sunish Issac and given name FNU which means First Name Unknown. This becomes important as the surname is used while restoring the saved application. There’s also this option of asking, have you used other names, not sure if baptism name counts.
4. Passport Book Number apparently doesn’t apply to Indian passports. The file number is not what is required.
5. Travel info does not ask specifically for your travel purpose. you just have the option to say TOURIST/PERSONAL TRAVEL VISITOR(B2). This is where I was in trouble, if the visa officer does not ask you for your exact purpose of travel, we can’t say and they can’t know from the application. The principal applicant wording is a bit confusing, but clarified on the application form itself.Person entity paying for the trip was confusing for me as my aunt promised for one ticket and she sent the sponsorship affidavit. So paying for the trip means just travel expense or the entire trip. I guess I should have written that my aunt pays for the entire trip.
6. Are you travelling with a group or organization is another confusing question, but clarified in the form itself. Me travelling with my mom is not equal to group or organization.
7. Present Work/ Education/ Training Information is the next part. We go to list the primary occupation, for me its business. I was not sure what I should write in the column, present employer or school name – confusing. Can I select either of these ? I don’t know I selected School Name. Then there are other questions including monthly salary if employed. But when you run your own business, I assumed I’m not employed.

Here are some interesting questions that are part of DS form 160

Have you ever served in, been a member of, or been involved with a paramilitary unit, vigilante unit, rebel group, guerrilla group,or insurgent organization?

NOTE: Provide the following security and background information. Provide complete and accurate information to all questions that require an explanation. A visa may not be issued to persons who are within specific categories defined by law as inadmissible to the United States (except when a waiver is obtained in advance). Are any of the following applicable to you? While a YES answer does not automatically signify ineligibility for a visa, if you answer YES you may be required to personally appear before a consular officer.

Do you seek to engage in espionage, sabotage, export control violations, or any other illegal activity while in the United States?

Do you seek to engage in terrorist activities while in the United States or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities?

Have you ever or do you intend to provide financial assistance or other support to terrorists or terrorist organizations?

Are you a member or representative of a terrorist organization?

Have you ever ordered, incited, committed, assisted, or otherwise participated in genocide?

Have you ever committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in torture?

Have you committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in extrajudicial killings, political killings, or other acts of violence?

Have you, while serving as a government official, been responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom?

Once the DS160 is done, you end up with the confirmation page. I have the pdf printer ready on my computer, so its always easy to have everything printed as a pdf file. Of course there’s an option to send the application as pdf by email. That’s it,

4.Taking appointment

Visa Appointment related primary link is https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/ApplnForms/RegularUser.aspx

You can know the earliest available interview date from https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/ApplnForms/EarliestDate.aspx

These are the requirements as per VFS site

• Passport – you just need the expiry date passport number
• Receipt issued by HDFC Bank
• CEAC barcode Number
• Relevant documents based on visa class
• E-mail address

And here’s how it goes,

1.Residence/Language/Visa Class

First, State of residence  should be given, I gave Kerala and the Language of interview choices were English, Telugu,Tamil,Kannada,Hindi and Urdu. I gave Malayalam as I filled in my mom’s details first. ( There’s an important point to be noted here, which I’ll describe later on, but the point is I should have given English as I was accompanying her)

Again purpose of travel – I gave Tourism/Family Visit/All other purpose. See the exact purpose of travel is not asked. It can be avoided as its already asked in DS160.

2.Earliest Interview dates – figured out that the available date is dependent on whether your previous visa appointment was rejected.

3.Visa Fee Receipt details

First and Middle Name: Obvious, but confusing, shoudl be given as in the HDFC receipt.

Surname: Indian style ?

Passport Number:obvious

HDFC Bank Receipt Number (Barcode No):Youc an find it on the receipt.

Date of Birth:You have the option to select month,year and date

Re-enter Mother’s Name:obvious

4. Application details asks for Phone no., email id,  CEAC barcode number and courier address. If Bluedart does not serve your area, you will have to pick up the courier, ie visa stamped passport from the courier office. That is, if you get the visa after the interview.

5. Coworkers travelling together  – selected the option as my mom will be attending the interview with me. Up to 6 applicants can apply as a group.

6. Appointment confirmation is the final step before the interview, you have the option of having it mailed as pdf and also to download it immediately. After that you are led to a page that has guidelines and interview letter.

The options that I have mentioned is applicable only to the Chennai consulate. Other consulates might have different procedures.

to be continued …

Tags: usability