Hi All,
I just wanted to share my experience with the VISA process with an incorrect passport number in my CGI portal.
tl;dr: Visa approved, passport number on Visa is correct, and passport number on the CGI portal was updated a day after my interview. No need to panic.
VAC and VI Location: Chennai, 7th and 8th July 2022
I found out the discrepancy just a day before my VAC when I was going through every line to verify, and that’s when I found out I missed the last integer of my passport number on CGI, but DS160 had the correct details (If not, create a new DS160 and update this on CGI portal and generate a new barcode).
I used the ‘provide feedback’ feature in the CGI portal, asking them to update my details as I had no access to modify passport details, but they replied saying they wouldn’t be able to do it and asked me to proceed to the VAC.
VAC Day:
At each checkpoint, I informed the in charge of a mistake in my CGI portal, but all of them told me that only DS-160 details would be verified and fetched for visas. At the last counter, just before standing in the line for biometrics, a guy stuck a sticker behind my passport(A generic sticker that will be stuck to all the applicants), and when informed about the discrepancy, he highlighted my passport number(which had a missing integer, probably because it was fetched from the portal) using a yellow highlighter. That’s all, nothing else.
After my biometric process, I called the ustraveldocs helpline, and they assured me this was a minor mistake and that details for the visa would be fetched from my DS-160.
VI Day: I did not discuss this with my interviewer as I was unsure if it would affect my result.
The next day I casually opened my CGI portal and was surprised to see the details updated, and I was on cloud9. Eventually received my passport, and the details were perfectly correct.
I just wanted to write this as I couldn’t find any post sharing their after-process experience, and since I went through this personally, I know the pain of checking so many portals and not finding a satisfying answer.
To all the future applicants, hopefully, you might not have made this mistake, and even if you did, there isn’t anything to be worried about. Just get your details on DS-160 right.
PS: This is my experience, particularly from the Chennai consulate. I am not sure about other consulates in India.
Thank you.