Protectorate of Emigrants Stamp on Passport–Post H-1B Visa Stamping Action Items

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “Post H-1B Visa Stamping Action Items”.

What is Protectorate of Emigrants Stamp?

For every Pakistani citizen, who is going abroad for any reason, it is a mandatory requirements to get NICOP, Life Insurance and Protectorate of Emigrants stamp on his/her passport. It is IMPORTANT to note that without the Protectorate of Emigrants stamp, ASF/FIA/Custom officials at the airport will not allow you to get onboard.

Location / Address / Map:

Protector of Emigrants
Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment
14-J, Block No.6, Near KFC,
Nursery, PECHS, Karachi.
View Larger Map

Timings:

Submissions are only allowed during 09:00 and 12:30 PST. On Friday submissions are only allowed during 09:00 and 11:00 PST

Required Documents:

1. Original Passport – with H-1B Visa Stamp
2. 4 Photocopies of #1
3. Original I-797
4. 3 Photocopies of #3
5. Original Computerized National Identity Card CNIC
6. 4 Photocopies of #3
7. Original National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis NICOP – If you have have applied for the NICOP and have the Token issued by NADRA, than this NICOP Token would also suffice.
8. 3 Photocopies of #5
9. Original Employment Offer or Contract
10. 4 Photocopies of #7
11. Resignation Letter given to previous employer
12. NOC if your last employer was a Government functionary
13. Life Insurance
14. 2 CNIC Photocopies of your blood relative i.e. Father, Mother, Siblings, Children – required for Life Insurance
15. Bank Challan Receipts
16. Information Form
17. Photographs – At least 4.
18. For #4 and #17 above – If you have more, keep them with yourself, because it’s my experience that our government departments are too obsessed with collecting Photographs and Photocopies of CNIC. The amount of photocopies of documents these government department requires, each one of them “attested” with a 17 or higher grade officer is just insane! I believe this is the main reason why stationary guys and notary public guys are still in business :)

Fees & Duration:

• Fees – Total PKR 6,500 – See breakdown below:
1. State Life Insurance – PKR 2.000
2. Employee’s Welfare Fund – PKR 2,000
3. Protector Registration Fee – PKR 2,500
• Duration – Same day

Process:

• IMPORTANT TIP: Go straight to #10 i.e. the Helper Guy. You will see a man, in his late forties. Ask him about the process, he will guide you step by step, fill your forms, challan, etc, make your file ready to submit by yourself and will accept any nominal fees from you for his services. He doesn’t seems to be greedy as you usually see such places. Seems educated and very polite person to talk to. In my experience, the government should hire him for helping people in such a great manner. But then I thought, may be when he is hired, he might become one of those that are sitting on government seats!
• For all those who can remember the steps and can go through the process on their own, read further
• Go to #7 i.e. Reception Area and tell them that you want the Protectorate of Emigrants Stamp on your Passport.
• They will ask to show the required documents
• They will issue you the Information Form, NBP Challan etc.
• Now, you will have to submit Challan and Fees to three different banks; National Bank of Pakistan, Habib Bank Limited and United Bank Limited.
• See the map below to locate these:
  View Larger Map 
  
• Go “inside” HBL first and ask for “Employee’s Welfare Fund” Challan. Fill the challan, submit PKR 2,000 and get the receipt.
• Go to the window of NBP, the one which is on the far right side – see the small red circle mark on the image map above. Submit the challan along with PKR 2,500 and get the receipt.
• Go “inside” UBL, fill the “Deposit Slip” with following details
• Account# – 621-7
• Title of Account – State Life
• Amount – PKR 2,000
• Submit the Deposit Slip along with PKR 2,000 and get the receipt.
• Go to photocopy shop and make copies 2 copies of all the receipts
• Go back to the Protectorate of Emigrants Office, fill the forms, attach photocopies, photos, Challans, and other required documents, mentioned above.In what sequence? please ask that Helper Guy I mentioned in first point, because I just forgot the sequence :)
• Present this file (containing all documents, challans, etc) to Reception Area i.e. #7 in the image above.
• You will then be asked to take this file to the Protector of Emigrants Registration Section show at #16 in the image above.
• The Protector of Emigrants Registration Section will check all documents and will send the file to the Protector of Emigrant Officer
• Protector of Emigrant Officer will sign, emboss on Passport and forward the file to the Briefing Section
• At 15:00 PST the Briefing Section will conduct a session where he/she will brief all the newly protected individuals with all the necessary aspects of rights on foreign soil, protection of Government of Pakistan, Insurance matters, Incident and Health Hazards, etc..
• After the briefing session, you will be handed over your original documents which includes the Protectorate of Emigrants Stamp on your Passport.

221(g) Administrative Processing and the Actual Visa Stamping

 

On the day of your H-1B Visa Interview at US Consulate or Embassy, when Visa Officer finished asking questions, he/she will conclude the interview by letting you know whether you succeed or failed in the interview. If you succeed, there are two cases:

1. The Visa Officer hand over to you a 221(g) Administrative Processing Form and say that Administrative Processing is required in your case.
   
   It is possible that the Visa Officer will ask for some more documents related to you or your Sponsor, which you and/or your Sponsor has not submitted throughout the process. Not that these documents were required initially, but they might need them in your case for further clarification.

   It is also possible that they don’t ask for any further documents and your application still have to go through the Administrative Process.

   The actual amount of wait might also vary from case to case. Generally they give you the time of 6 to eight weeks, but in actual it can be less or more than.

   “After the interview, many visa applications necessitate further routine but required administrative processing, an integral part of the visa adjudication process that can be neither waived nor expedited. Individuals whose applications require this processing will be informed of that fact at the conclusion of their interview. Most administrative processing is completed within 60 to 90 days of the visa interview, but some cases do take longer. We cannot predict how long this processing will take for any particular case.”

   Source - http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/nonimmigrant_visa_faqs.html

    

2. The Visa Office will inform you about an estimated time frame when your H-1B Visa will be stamped on your Passport.

UPDATE – You can now Check your Visa Application Status Online, click to read more

In either cases, once your H-1B Visa is stamped on your Passport and your Passport is ready to be collected from American Express, you will receive a call from American Express representative to come and pick it up.

Interview at US Embassy/Consulate

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “The Complete Process Trail for H-1B Work Visa”.

1. All visa applicants, irrespective of age (including infants), are required to appear for an interview at the designated Embassy/ Consulate on the specified date. All applicants below age 14 must appear along with their parents, copies of parents NIC should be provided while submitting the applications.
2. Applicants must carry following documents while appearing for the interview:
   • Valid Original Passport and all previous passports
   • Fee Receipt issued by AEG having the interview date specified on it
   • Original academic degrees/ diplomas/ certificates with a photocopy set of all those documents
   • Any other documents, at their own discretion, to support their visa case (e.g. full travel details, detailed educational information etc.)
   • Original CNIC
3. At the interview, visa officer after review of your application may ask for additional information from you; and will advise the decision on your visa application. Following situations are likely
   • Visa is refused; passport will be returned by the visa officer
   • Visa is approved with some additional administrative process; either a letter would be given to that effect and passport is retained or on your request passport can be returned
   • Visa is approved; passport will be retained and will be returned after a week or so through the visa center where the application was submitted
4. On receipt of the Passport with visa sticker from the Embassy/ Consulate, applicant will be notified on his/ her contact number. You may collect passport personally or through an authorized representative in writing along with copy of his CNIC on surrendering one original Receipt and the letter given by the Visa officer.
5. If you have taken back the passport prior to visa issuance, you would be advised by the Embassy/ Consulate to submit passport once the visa is ready. You are required to submit passport through the Visa Center on payment of applicable service charges. On receipt of passport back from Embassy/ Consulate same process as defined in point 9 will be followed.

Nonimmigrant Visa Unit - Karachi
U.S. Consulate General
Plot No 3-5, New TPX Area
Mai Kolachi Road
Karachi, Pakistan
Phone Inquiries:
(+92-21) 3527-5000
Monday - Friday, 2:00 to 3:00 PM

Fax: (+92-21) 3527-5885
For visa related inquiries: KarachiVisaQuery@State.gov
View Larger Map

Submit H-1B Visa Documents and Fees to American Express and Schedule your Embassy/Consulate Interview

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “The Complete Process Trail for H-1B Work Visa”.

Once you have submitted online your Nonimmigrant Visa Application DS-160, you have to submit following documents and fees to:

American Express
Ground Floor, Shaheen Complex
Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road
PABX 92-21 3263 0260-80
amextravelkarachi@aeg.com.pk
Web: http://www.aegusvisa.com.pk/

View Larger Map

List of Documents to submit:

1. Confirmation page of DS-160
2. Original Passport valid for at least 6 months at the time of submission along with an enlarged (A4 size) copy of the first two pages of current and old passport. Original passport would be returned after due verification
3. Copies of previous passports first 2/4 pages, covering 15 years of travel
4. Travel history form for last 10 years. You will get a paper document from American Express on which you can fill your Travel history.
5. One photograph; having size of 2X2 inches preferably color photograph taken against a white or off-white background, printed without borders on non glossy paper. Computer Scanned photographs are not acceptable and photograph cannot be modified in any way, re-touched, penciled or altered by computer software Photograph should have been taken within last 6 months.
6. I-797, I-29
7. HEC Form – You will get this document from American Express. Fill it, sign it and attach it with the rest of the documents
8. Original SSC (Metric) Certificate
9. Original HSSC (Inter) Certificate
10. Original Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD’s Degree/Certificate
11. Original SSC (Matric) Marks Sheet
12. Original HSSC (Inter) Marks Sheet
13. Original Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD’s Transcript
14. Submit H-1B Visa Fee - US$190
1. Do not forget to get the receipt
15. Once you submit all these to American Express
1. Take receipt against submitted visa application
2. Take an interview appointment date. (Interview date will be noted on the Visa Fee Receipt).

Submit Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application DS-160

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “The Complete Process Trail for H-1B Work Visa”.

Once you’ve received your H-1B Package from your Sponsor, you can now go ahead and submit the Online Non-immigration Visa Application DS-160. The DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application form, is for temporary travel to the United States. Form DS-160 is submitted electronically to the Department of State website via the Internet. Consular Officers use the information entered on the DS-160 to process the visa application and, combined with a personal interview, determine an applicant’s eligibility for a nonimmigrant visa.

Go to Consular Electronic Application Center website. This website is hosted by US State Department and they recommend that you use Internet Explorer or Firefox browser to access the DS-160.

Before you start filling the DS-160, make sure you have following documents with you:

• Photo (digital or soft copy). Please refer to the Photograph Requirements for detailed guidance.
• Passport
• Travel itinerary, if you have already made travel arrangements.
• Dates of your last five visits or trips to the United States, if you have previously travelled to the United States. You may also be asked for your international travel history for the past five years.
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae - You may be required to provide information about your current and previous education and work history.
• Other Information - Some applicants, depending on the intended purpose of travel, will be asked to provide additional information when completing the DS-160.

Do note that, you can save your application or return to a partially completed application. When you begin a new DS-160, you will be issued a unique application identification (ID) number after selecting and answering a security question. Write down the Application ID displayed on the top right-hand corner of the page. If you need to close the browser before submitting your application, you will need this Application ID to continue your application.

IMPORTANT – You have to fill separate DS-160 for every family member going with you to USA. Once you finish your DS-160, on the “Thank You” page you will see an option to create a family or group application. When you select this option, certain information from your application, such as destination, will automatically be imported to and displayed on a new application.

After you have completed the DS-160, you must take these next steps below:

• Print and keep the DS-160 confirmation barcode page. (You do not need to print the full application.)

Why Request for Evidence (RFE)?–Recent Trends

 

On a mission to eradicate fraud, USCIS is increasingly responding to petitions with burdensome Requests for Evidence (RFE). Over the past years, different trends has been observed, such as:

End Client

The USCIS recently changed the format of their Requests for Evidence (RFE) for petitions where the employee is located at a client site. In the past, the focus of these types of RFEs centered around the employer/employee relationship, but now, they have started questioning whether the position at the end-client requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.

These RFEs seem to be targeted at IT staffing companies because they include language that says that the record indicates the petitioner “is in the business of locating persons with computer-related backgrounds and placing these individuals in positions with firms that use such personnel to complete their projects.”

The RFEs suggest that in order to overcome USCIS's doubts, employers must provide copies of signed contracts, master agreements, work orders, statements of work, services agreements and letters between the employer and authorized officials of the ultimate end-client companies and that these documents should contain a description of the duties, the requirements for the position, salary, hours worked, benefits and a brief description of who will supervise the employee.

Education

The USCIS has in the past has placed an emphasis on education and has been issuing RFE where they are asking about:

1. Education evaluation from a reputable evaluation company. Further, if the evaluation requires a combination of education and experience to equate to either a 4 year degree or a degree that is relevant to the position, the USCIS is requiring evidence establishing the evaluator's credentials and qualifications. It is important that Sponsors who sponsor H1B applicants with foreign degrees get their evaluations from credible evaluation companies and that they submit the evidence regarding the evaluator’s credentials and qualifications.
2. How a person’s degree relates to the position. They are questioning this more frequently so it is important to verify that there is either classwork or experience that an H1B applicant can show in order to prove that their education/experience is relevant to the position that is being filed for on their behalf.

Right to Control

The USCIS continues to question an employer’s ability to control their employee when that employee is located off-site. Further, they question the employer’s employer/employee relationship and how the employer intends to maintain this while the employee is working at a client site.

These doubts have been raised since the Neufeld memo was published in 2010. An end-client letter which states that the project/assignment will last for 3 years resolves this issue, but in most cases, end-clients are hesitant to issue these types of letters as they feel that it can be construed as a contractual commitment to that consultant and their employer.

Other Notable Observations

• Although additional scrutiny has affected companies of all types and sizes, those that design and/or produce products are not nearly as hard hit as companies that provide IT services.
• USCIS is increasingly tallying and tracking cases filed by each company. Companies that file a disproportionately high number of petitions relative to its overall headcount often face more burdensome RFEs.

What is Request for Evidence RFE?

 

A Request for Evidence (RFE) is a common tool used by the USCIS (Immigration services) to ask for additional proof in order to make a decision on your case. For example:

USCIS sends RFE H1B when

• More information about H1B applications submitted.
• Documents provided is not sufficient
• If some documents or missing
• educational evaluation
• documents supporting the exceptional abilities
• And few more..

RFEs are often in point form requesting factual information from either the beneficiary or petitioner. USCIS will send RFE to the Sponsor and if you have registered on USCIS website for status changes as discussed on my previous post, you will also receive an email on this state change. A typical “Status Change RFE” email from USCIS to you will be- like:

*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL ***

The last processing action taken on your case

Receipt Number: EAC11209xxxxx
Application Type: I129 , PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER
Your Case Status: Request for Evidence

On November 17, 2011, we mailed a notice requesting additional evidence or information in this case I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER. Please follow the instructions on the notice to submit the requested information. This case will be in suspense until we receive the evidence or the opportunity to submit it expires. Once we receive the requested evidence or information and make a decision on the case, you will be notified by mail. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.

A request for evidence is made when an application/petition is lacking required documentation/evidence (initial evidence) or the officer needs more documentation/evidence (additional evidence) to determine an applicant's eligibility for the benefit sought. We may send you a request for evidence at any stage of our review. The request will indicate what evidence or information is needed for us to fully evaluate your application or petition. The notice will explain where to send the evidence and will give the deadline for your response. Your application or petition will be held in suspense during that time. If you receive a request for evidence and have questions about what you need to submit, you may call our National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results
listed above, or if you have not received a decision from USCIS within the current
processing time listed*, please contact USCIS Customer Service at (800) 375-5283.

*Current processing times can be found on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov under Check Processing Times.

*** Please do not respond to this e-mail message.

Sincerely,

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)