visitor visa for parents

[vipula]

1.My parents have applied for visitor visa to USA in Jan 2006 .My father's passport is getting expired in 2006 oct and the address on his passport is also of our old house.
My mother's passport is having the new house address .
right now they are living in other city so the address in D-156 form will also be different.

Is the address difference in my father's and mothers passport a problem...?
does my father need to change the address in his passport immediately?

2.they have applied for online appointment at delhi consulate but at that time the fees submission with online appointment was not mandatory.
Do they have to fill the D-156 form before entrting the consulate ?
or they need to fill it and take a print out with them?

3.Also I saw that consulate requires the original Birth certificate and marriage certificate from us
Is this true?
Cant I send the attested copy of the originals?

Please let me know .
thanks

[sonujan]

Hi!
Your dad can get his passport renewed. I am not sure but I thought you need a passport with atleast one year validity while applying for visa. So if he gets the passport renewed his address issue will be solved automatically.

Old system as in you mean did you book through TTS? then they can just fill the form and take it with them

I think you need to send the original birth certificate if you are sponsering your parents, can send photocopy if you are sponsering your in laws(offcourse your spouse would have to send her original in this case).

[vipula]

thanks for your reply.
Actually its almost december and their appoinment is on 7 january 2006 .
So renewal of passport is looking impossible ..thats is reason I am more worried about it.

Also the online appointment was taken through TTK services.
And they didnt have to pay application fee at that time .

D-157 form is this optional if my dad is showing himself retired ?

[yuvayuva]

They both need to take the completed 156 forms. The 157 depends on the age for people with TTS appointments.
Also I don't think you have to worry about the address.

[vipula]

Is it true that 1 year validity of passport is required when you apply for visa...
I read somewhere that the
"passport shud be valid atleast 6 months beyond the duration of stay"
My father's passport is getting expired on oct 2006 and his visa interview is in Jan 2006.

will this pose any problems ..when we are stating the duration of stay as 6 months .?
that means beyond the duration of stay(6 months ) his passport will be valid for 3 months only (Aug-Sept-Oct )
If we state the duration of stay as 3 months , then the passport validity will be 6 months .


Could anyone suggest what should we do ...as its too late to renew the passport.

than ks in advance

[ishiny]

I would suggest stating the duration of stay as 3 months - its a safer bet anyway than saying 6 months. Either ways, they'll probably grant a 10 yr visa - its very rarely that visa's are granted for just 3 months or 6 months cause your app form says that.

They usually recommend 6 months validity beyond duration of stay. Since there's no way you can get the passport renewed now, if at all asked about it, just assure the officer that you will get the passport renewed before you take the trip and would even be willing to postpone the trip if needed to get it renewed. I think the willingness to do that might help the case. But you will still have the issue of having to renew the passport cause you probably don't want to be travelling internationally w/ your passport going to expire in the next couple months.

[sonujan]

Hi!
Had had an issue with the way my name is entered into the passport, I did request the offcier to renew(not even issue new visa) and then I would get it corrected. But he asked me to get it corrected and then come back.

I would suggest you to renew to pasport if there is about 4 weeks time for the appointment. Else hope for the best and try.

Also donno if they renew the passport through tatkal process. Check it out. Then when he goes for visa he ccan carry both the passports as he would have booked the appt with the old passport.

I am not trying to scare you, disappoint you or anything. I believe in prevention is better than cure. So why take a chance.