Crossing the border

US Consulate Chennai for student (F1) visa:
My appointment was at 9.15am and I reached to the front gates at 9am. I saw a huge line, so I asked a cop standing there is this the line for visa interviews?? I have one at 9am. He said "All mad mam.. they have interview in afternoon.. you don't go (join the line), you go in". So I got in done with the all security check. Went to a counter where I submitted required docs. A guy sent me to another building and asked me to wait. A lady in another building told me to take a seat... I was in waiting room by 9.45am. It was really a wait, I was just sitting and watching students getting their visas rejected right & left. I did sit wait quietly till 12.30pm I was hungry and had given up any hope of getting visa. I went to the same lady and asked her whats wrong, why such a wait. She went inside saying 'let me check' came back and told me 'since you work for XYZ company we were doing a background check'.. ooffff in another 30min she put me into a line.. where the visa officer was a lady who was ripping every applicant. I wait in line for my turn, when it was my turn she decides to take a lunch break!!!!... calls up a assistant and said 'put these ppl in other line'. wow... I just nodded my head in frustration... interestingly a visa office in another counter saw me.. When I was about to put at the end of another line, this officer asked me to be next.. nice fellow. After the wait of 4hrs I go to the window... here is the interview

VO: Why Syracuse university?
me: I gave the previously prepared typical ans... he interrupted in between and asked
VO: So you work for XYZ.. and you want to study now...
me: Yes
VO: That's nice... oh you have 50% scholarship. You have enough money to go (then he stared typing some thing in his computer)..
VO: Can you put your right index finger on the scanner...
I did.. then he looked at me with surprise and asked 'is there any scar on the finger'
me: yes, I have a cut...
VO: ok tilt your finger to right..
VO: Mr aaaa your visa is approved, go pay fees at counter 1
me: fees..??!!
VO: Oh my bad... you don't pay fees. Run home in another 2 days you will get the passport.

Indian customs at Bangalore International Airport:
My flight to US was at 2.30am and I reached airport at midnight. After saying bye to family I headed to Customs. Officer at the counter too my passport and tickets
Officer: Oh you are from this town... Kannada barutta
me: Howdu
Now on he started asking me questions in kannada
Officer: Why are you going to US and what do you do currently in India?
me: For study, I used work as /se engg at XYZ
Officer: Did you not like your work....??
me: I did like it, but I always wanted to study further.
Officer: Good luck with study. (with a smile) Don't forget you are born in this country so do return.
me: Yes, I will
He put the stamp on my passport....

US Immigration at Philadelphia airport:
After killing 24 hours of travel from Bangalore to Frankfurt to Philadelphia, I reached US immigration at airport. A nice looking officer smiled at me and she said
Officer: Good evening how are you..?? Looks like you had long tiring journey...
me: Good evening... yes it was really long and I gave her my I20, SEVIS fee, Passport and other documents
Officer: Oh, Syracuse.. nice. Did you know it snows terrible there? Are you used to such winter??
me: No not actually!!!
Officer: Its a good school but weather is bad, I am sure you will get used to it like others :)
me: I hope so.
Officer: Place your right index finger on the scanner, and tilt it to right (that's cos it was taken that way wow)

She gave me back all the docs and put respective stamps and I90. She asked me for the customs form. I had checked yes for the question 'are you carrying any food'. She saw that and with surprised
Officer: You are carrying food into US?? what kind of food??
me: not exactly food, some masala and some spices...
Officer: Oh that's not food, everyone from India bring that...
She scratched that 'yes' from the form and wrote Do not open the bags and put some stamp... I was a little worried. But at customs that guy did not even bother to even see anything......

Yes I was officially (legally) in side US borders.....

US Consulate Chennai for H1b visa stamping:
After getting rejected once due to a mistake by attorney my H1b got approved in the next year... It was a too much of uncertainty till I got the approval notice in hand.. So I decide to go back home after 3years and wanted to get the H1b stamped on my passport. Within two days on me landing in Bangalore I went to Chennai. I read some horror stories of H1b being rejected while stamping. So I had carried some 5kg of documents with me!!!... I reached the embassy just 15min prior to my interview time. There was hardly any queue, it was really surprising!!!.. After security check I was put into a line where I gave all the required docs and they took finger print. Then I was sent to another counter meant for H1b.
VO: How long are you working with this company
me: 1.5yrs
VO: Can you give me your recent payslip and Masters degree certificate (She did not even look at it and made hand signs saying take it back)
VO: What is your position in this company?
me: I am this I am that blha bhla
VO: You can go home, you will get visa in another 2 days

WOW I was out in 45min... that was very very fast compared to my last experience.

Canadian Consulate NYC for visitors visa:
I wanted to visit Canada just so I can watch Formula one race in Montreal (But now looks like no F1 in Canada). Now my brother was there so I decided to visit him. I just went online and the process was very clear and easy. I took all the required documents and went to NYC Rockefeller center. After regular security check wen to the counter paid fee. Lady there said 'Give me all the documents you have' and I did. I took my token and sat in the lobby waiting. In an hour they announced my token number I went to a counter got my passport back stamped with Canadian Visa... Wow that was simple!!!...

Canadian border at Niagra:
This was some what interesting... It was kind of obvious that the officer was not very much keen on anything!!.. He asked if this is the first time I am entering to Canada with that visa. If I am carrying Drugs, Alcohol, Gifts or Arms. He also asked me the reason to visit Canada but mostly he was not interested in my answers... Finally he said 'Do you see that building there, go to that and get your car inspected and stamp on passport". So I did go the other building met a lady officer. She opened my passport and looking at the visa stmap on it she asked "Do you have visa to come to Canada"..... "Yes" not sure what was that question for.. she stamped it and I was officially in Canada.

US border at Niagra:
I joined the long lines of cars waiting at the US border check post. For my luck they opened a new booth and an officer told me I can go there.... yappii I did not have to wait very long. I went to the booth and handed my passport.. this was the conversation...
Officer: Where do you live
Officer: Is this your car?
Me: Yes.
Officer: What is your country of citizenship?
Me: India.
Officer: OK.. two questions. First Where is the money, how much do you have right now??
Me: I have absolutely No money!!
Officer: That's not possible, Indians are the one who are pretty rich now a days. Look at you, you have a got a nice car...
Officer: Second, Where is the food?
Me: No food sir.
Officer: That's not possible, You guys are known to bring home food to this country.
Me: Ya, Thats when we return from India. We both smiled
Officer: Can you open the boot.
I did and another officer who was circling around my car went to check.
Officer: Did you get into any trouble??
Me: No.
Officer: Really!! You have never got into any trouble. How about with your wife?
Me: Nop I am not yet married..
Officer: Lucky you, how about with your parents??
Me: Hummm... Ya some times...
Officer: I bet it was cos you did not do well at studies...
I just laughed when I heard that
Officer: You geeky bastards... and he too laughed...
He gave me my passport back and asked me to drive safe!!!