Discussion:
Thanks to info. on this site and thoughtful posts of others,
our CP experience in Mumbai was smooth. Here's our experience details for the benefit of future interviewees.
Note that I have not mentioned details that others have
already posted.

Primary applicant: Professor at a major public university
on H1-B status before CP.
Dependent: Spouse on H4 before CP.
I-140 approved: mid-Dec. 1999.
Mailed AC-I140 application to Mumbai consulate: 6/16/2000.
My attorney recvd. case # via e-mail: 6/27/2000.
CP interview date posted on Mumbai consulate: 8/18/2000.
Scheduled CP interview date: 9/19/2000.
Recvd. packets 3 and 4 from consulate: 8/28/2000.
Reached Mumbai: 9/14/2000 night.
Medical exam: 9/15/2000 at 7 am at Hinduja. Routine procedure completed in 1.5 - 2 hrs. including
wait time. Had all vaccinations in U.S. and
had taken medical records as evidence. Therefore, didn't have to take any shots.
They did chest X-ray, even though we had
tested negative for TB in US. Came back
at 2 pm for physical exam. The doctor checked
weight, pressed certain points in the abdomen
and feet, and asked some questions -- didn't
need to remove/change clothes. Very simple
for both me and my wife. Physical took 5-10
mins. They give you your medical reports and
chest X-rays sealed that you need for the
interview soon after the physical exam.
CP interview: 9/19/2000 at 8:15 am. They do not allow you
to carry any bags (except plastic bags that
you get from department stores -- take large,
sturdy plastic bags to carry your docs.) nor
electronic gadgets (not even simple calculators). You can do the demand drafts
on the day of the interview by going to the
Indian Overseas Bank at 7:30 am located
just across from the consulate. Before doing
the drafts, check the amount of the draft
on the notice board outside the consulate.
Show the security guards outside the consulate
your interview appointment letter and they
will let you in right away -- I just had to
tell them that ours is an immigrant visa case
and they let us in. First, go and give the
demand drafts for immigrant visa processing
at one of two counters located on the extreme
rear right -- go directly to the counters,
you don't need to stand in the queue -- tell
the security guards that you are there for
immigrant visa processing. After depositing
these drafts, wait/sit in the section on
the extreme right until your name is called
at one of three counters on the extreme
right in front. When your name is called,
submit all docs. mentioned in packet 4 for
you and your dependent to the Indian at the
window. We took ADIT style photos from AAA
here in the U.S., but the Indian suggested
we get them again at the photo shop inside
the consulate -- they charge approx. Rs. 150
for 5 photos per person. So, it may be better
to get the photos done inside the consulate
or at the studios recommended by others in
Mumbai. The Indian asked for my wife's school
leaving certificate as additional evidence
for date of birth (my wife didn't have
a birth certificate, she had affidavits
instead). Since she didn't have a school
leaving certificate, he took a copy of
a class X certificate on which DOB was
mentioned. The Indian also asked my current
visa status. Since my H1B had expired and
I had applied for an extension before the
expiry, I showed him the original of the
receipt notice for the extention filing; he
just looked at it and returned it to me --
didn't keep a copy. You are then asked to
wait until the American calls you. The
American asks you some simple questions
regarding your employer, your position,
previous visas, and administers an oath.
You are then asked to come at 3 pm to
collect immigrant visa and passport from
the window outside the consulate. When you
come at 3 pm, stand in the (short) queue
meant for immigrant visas. Collect your
passports and immigrant visa stapled to
a sealed envelope containing the docs. you
submitted earlier. Check your visa to make
sure everything is correct. Both the Indian
and the American behaved very well with us.
Entry to U.S.: We arrived in U.S. at Detroit on 9/24/2000.
On showing our immigrant visa, the official
took us to a separate room, and after a
10-min. wait, took right index finger
finger-prints and signatures on two sides
of a paper. No questions asked. He kept
the sealed envelope the consulate gave us
and stamped the I-551s on our passports.
He said that the plastic cards will arrive
in six months.

On the whole, it is a simple routine procedure if you
have all docs. mentioned in packet 4 and extra docs.
as backup that this website suggests and if yours is
not a complicated case.

QUESTION: My passport was stamped with the classification:
EB12. The "2" I was told by the Indian at the
consulate was due to the fact that I was an
outstanding professor/researcher, which was
subcategory 2 in the EB1 category. My wife's
passport was stamped EB14. Can here or
someone knowledgeable please verify if the
above is OK, since this website states that
an EB3 primary applicant is stamped with
EB31 and the dependent with EB34, and so on
for other categories?

Thanks.
Answer:
Tempito,
Congrates. Do you remeber the details of a paper you signed [given by the consulate] at the time of the interview? The paper is pertaining to "letting the nearest INS office know if one decides to change the employment after the greencard". I don't remember the details on the sheet I had to sign, that's why I'm asking you.
thanx.
Answer:
rockstar123:
Sorry, I don't remember the document in question.
They didn't quite give us much time to read whatever
we signed.
Answer:
Congrats,
One thing I wanted to ask is that is there a separate
line for immigrant visa interviews outside the consulate?
Or did you go from 4.30 or so to stand in line just the
way we did for H-1?
Thanks
-himanshu
Answer:
There is no seperate line.