Sharing my experience between yesterday and today while applying for PP in person. We have travel scheduled next week so I arrived at the office at 7 AM yesterday (they start at 8.30 AM). There were about 200 people ahead of me so I dropped the idea and went home. Before leaving, went up to the first person in queue and another one around the middle to check on their timelines in the queue.
Based on their feedback, I decided to try the following day ie today. Arrived at 00.45 AM and was disappointed to see that I was still not the first one for today. The couple before me had stood there since 10 PM yesterday because they had been turned back on two separate occasions.
Most people arrived after 4 AM - between 1 AM and 4 AM there were at best 10 people. I have no words to describe the pathetic conditions that everyone was waiting in. It was 3C and windy. People were huddled with sleeping bags on picnic / beach chairs. A few had spread blankets on the pavement and were sleeping wrapped in them. I watched two movies on the iPad to while away the wait before going brain dead from lack of sleep.
Finally at 8 AM the security guards arrived to distribute tokens. They displayed their usual arrogance/ rudeness to anyone who had a question for them. I was applying with my daughter who has a university exam later today. I was told, I would not be allowed in, if she was not present in person by the time the doors opened. Mercifully she made in time.
Once inside, one guy verifies your documents, and then the processing officer does the submission. They had almost 20 counters but only 4/5 were operational. I am guessing at best they are able to process 80 applications in a day because they deal with walk ins and delivery as well. Just ahead of me a guy walked in - he had a flight at 4 PM today and only realized yesterday that his passport had expired. They accommodated him, even though he got in utilizing his network with the security guard.
The travel date has to be within the next 25 days - no exceptions. It is verified at three different places - the security guard, then the verifying officer and finally the processing officer. Anyone who claims 'driving to the US' option is subjected to more questions and they ask for additional evidence like hotel bookings. One of the guys using this route was turned back by the processing officer. The only concession she made was that he could come back without waiting in the queue again.
If anyone is planning to go in person and is willing to queue up, I would recommend arriving there before 3 AM. You will then be in the first batch to enter the office. Mornings can still be chilly and windy. Carry a chair, a blanket / sleeping bag - essentials to stay warm. Apart from this you can get coffee ordered via uber eats etc but it arrives more like cold coffee. There's no washroom so you will have to be innovative / resourceful. The McDonald's in the plaza opens around 7 AM so you would have to wait to use the washroom or get a coffee till then.
Over all prepare to spend 8-10 hours there before your submission is complete.
Based on their feedback, I decided to try the following day ie today. Arrived at 00.45 AM and was disappointed to see that I was still not the first one for today. The couple before me had stood there since 10 PM yesterday because they had been turned back on two separate occasions.
Most people arrived after 4 AM - between 1 AM and 4 AM there were at best 10 people. I have no words to describe the pathetic conditions that everyone was waiting in. It was 3C and windy. People were huddled with sleeping bags on picnic / beach chairs. A few had spread blankets on the pavement and were sleeping wrapped in them. I watched two movies on the iPad to while away the wait before going brain dead from lack of sleep.
Finally at 8 AM the security guards arrived to distribute tokens. They displayed their usual arrogance/ rudeness to anyone who had a question for them. I was applying with my daughter who has a university exam later today. I was told, I would not be allowed in, if she was not present in person by the time the doors opened. Mercifully she made in time.
Once inside, one guy verifies your documents, and then the processing officer does the submission. They had almost 20 counters but only 4/5 were operational. I am guessing at best they are able to process 80 applications in a day because they deal with walk ins and delivery as well. Just ahead of me a guy walked in - he had a flight at 4 PM today and only realized yesterday that his passport had expired. They accommodated him, even though he got in utilizing his network with the security guard.
The travel date has to be within the next 25 days - no exceptions. It is verified at three different places - the security guard, then the verifying officer and finally the processing officer. Anyone who claims 'driving to the US' option is subjected to more questions and they ask for additional evidence like hotel bookings. One of the guys using this route was turned back by the processing officer. The only concession she made was that he could come back without waiting in the queue again.
If anyone is planning to go in person and is willing to queue up, I would recommend arriving there before 3 AM. You will then be in the first batch to enter the office. Mornings can still be chilly and windy. Carry a chair, a blanket / sleeping bag - essentials to stay warm. Apart from this you can get coffee ordered via uber eats etc but it arrives more like cold coffee. There's no washroom so you will have to be innovative / resourceful. The McDonald's in the plaza opens around 7 AM so you would have to wait to use the washroom or get a coffee till then.
Over all prepare to spend 8-10 hours there before your submission is complete.
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