Business Visa - B1

Thanks to ImmiHelp.....

 I had my OFC on 07/07/14 and Consulate interview on 08/07/14.

 I think, its predetermined that your visa will be approved or rejected before the interview itself and the interview is just of a formality.

 I was just 4 questions and then got it approved.

 Whom do you work for?
 What's your client name?
 What's your salary?
 Why you need 8 weeks?

I had my appointment scheduled for 09:00AM today and based on the feedback and suggestions i reached the embassy exactly 15 min before my time.

There was a big line outside the embassy and after waiting for 15 min our passport were checked and was sent inside the emabassy.We again had to wait for over 1 hour inside the emabassy(Open Area) before we were finally sent inn.

As and when we entered our fingerprints were checked and was made to wait till for our interviews.

My interview went precisely for 2 mins and mentioned below are the details on the same-:

VO-Good Morning,Passport Please
ME-Good Morning

VO-Which company do you work for?
ME-I work for X company

VO-Are you going to go to your Parent companies office?
Me-Yes

VO-Whats is your designation and what exactly to you do?
ME-One line answer was given

VO-Whats your total duration of Stay?
ME-2 Weeks

VO-Where is your office?
ME-Ramsey NJ

VO-Your visa is approved!!

Tips purely based on my interview-:
I was the only one dressed in bussiness suit with a Tie which i feel gave a very professional look.
Be short and crisp with your answers.
Be fluent with your command on english and sound confident

Do note that no document's were checked!!!

Thanks IMMIHelp and its users for your feedback and help...

Hi All..

I have attended the Interview for B1/B2 visa in Chennai on July 1st 2014...But My visa gets rejected.Now my Comapny asked to me reapply again because at any cost i need to go to US for training purpose for new project...

My Interview:

OFF:What is the Purpose to go to US
Me: technical training

OFF:Where r u going in US
Me: California

OFF : what was the Training
Me: said in 1 line.

OFF: How long you will stay in US
Me:12 weeks

OFF: Comapany Name:
Me: Said ZZZ

OFF:Sorry, You have applied for wrong type of VIsa.You can't stay in US for 3 months by this Type of VIsa.

I don't know what went wrong....

Now in my company they asked me to reapply again..

Can i reapply now?

I came to know by this blog , because of 3 months stay in US... this visa got rejected....

Now i want go with 4weeks... can i reapply it..

If they ask why the visa got rejected last time? I need a valid answer for this so that the visa has to approve..

Hi guys,,, pls help me out by your answers..................

Hi,

I have given B1 visa Interview in New Delhi consulate. I made some mistake but don't know whether those mistake could become reason for denial. Please suggest.

Q1: Purpose of visit
Me: I have to attend technical training and knowledge transfer from my client (client name).

Q2: Where you work?
ME: I work with YYYY (Company name)

Q3: How long you are working with this company.
ME: 3 Years

Q4: Have you ever been out of India.
Me: NO

Q5: YYYY YYYY XX (Did not understand the question even not a single word)
ME: Sorry man. (Intend her to repeat the question)

VO: YYYY YYYY XX (Did not understand the question this time also)
ME: Sorry man, could you please repeat your question again.

Q6: Now she looks irritate and ask whats your annual CTC. (I was amazed-Is this she was asking me? such a simple question.
Me: The time I fill D160 Form I was getting YYYY (exact amout over 7 lakh) but only after 2 days I got my yearly appraisal and now my salary is YYYY (Over 9 lakh)
(I thought she would ask me my appraisal letter which i had that time but she didn't asked)

Q7: Are you married.
Me: Yes.

VO: Look I can not give you visa this time and give me 214 (b) form.

Believe me, I was very confident and well prepared for this interview. My communication is also very good. I regularly communicate with my clients from US, Canadian, Brazilian never miss any single one word. But I am still confused what she asked me at that time (Q5). She had very poor pronunciation, believe me. Otherwise I would surely at least 2nd time understand the question. I didn't understand even single word.

But I think my biggest mistake was the answer I give for my salary. It was suggested by my friend to tell them this also (increased salary). As more salary you get the more chances of you fulfill visa eligibility.

Its important for me to attend this training. Now, please suggest me can I re-apply immediately and fill my new increased salary in new DS160. Is salary increment comes under circumstance change (this is what 214(B) says)

I had my B1 visa interview on 21 June in Mumbai. It was a very nice and good expirience.

Knowing the traffic in Mumbai, I decided to leave a little early. My interview was scheduled at 11:00 AM, but I reached there by 9:45 AM. A guy from consulate, came to me to infrom that they dont have much rush today, so I can go ahead for the interview.

It took about 10 mins. for scanning my belongings and verify the finger prints. And just then I was in front of the visa officer.

Officer : Good Morning !!! Your passport please.
Me : Good Morning officer. (and handed over my passport)
Officer : What is the pourpose of you visit...?
Me : Business meetings with client.
Officer : what kind of bussiness meeting..?
Me : I told him about my meetings in 2 lines.
Officer : Who is your client
Me : YYYY Inc.
Officer : Well !!! your visa is approved and you will recieve your passport in 3-4 days.
Me : Thank you !!!

By 10:05 AM I was out of the consulate.

I have applied for B1 visa and my interview happened in New Delhi. I have paid VISA fee on Tuesday and scheduled an appointment with Visa application Centre on Thursday and US Consulate on Friday.

Day 1- Visa Application Centre (11:30AM) - There is nothing to worry about here. Do not carry bundle of documents this day. You only have to carry DS-160 form, Appointment letter and your passport. You might want to carry your visa fee receipt if needed. Once you inside, they will give you token number and you have wait for your token number. Once your token number arrive than you will need to give your fingerprints and photo will be taken by them. Max time: 25-30 minutes which was there in my case as there were lot of applicants.

Day 2- US Consulate (8:30AM) - Reach 15-20 minutes early, there is no use if you arrive early. They will not make you enter in the premises before than that. Once you inside, you will be asked to sit and make a line to verify your fingerprints which you given on Day 1. After that, you will be front of interview officer. My experience as follows:

Q1. Why you want to travel to US?
A1. Business Meetings (Exact answer)

Q2. How many days?
A2. 7 days.

Q3. Why you are only going for Business meetings?
A3. xxx reason

Q4. With whom are you employed?
A4. xxx company

Q5. Since how long?
A5. xxx years

Q6. What is your current post?
A6. xxx post

Q7. What you do in current job?
A7. xxx role. Explained a little bit in two sentence.

Ok, Your visa is approved. You will receive an email once your visa is ready for pickup. They have not asked for any documents from me except passport. But I did carried Bank statement, form 16, invitation letter, hotel confirmation letter, my employer confirmation letter.

Some Tips:
-Do not say what you decided already (like 1-2 days). Speak freely/natural.
-Do not hide anything from them. Speak the truth.
-Wear nice formal dress if you are going for B1 Visa. (Formal Suit preferred)
-Greet officer with nice smile even if you are nervous and try to calm during the interview.

I had applied for B1 and my interview happened at Chennai.
there will be security checks at all the levels through out. please don't carry mobiles, bags etc. carry your documents in a simple and transparent file.don't carry documents in a closed envelopes. they will send people to go out of office to open it. there was a guy who has been shouted at and asked to go out to open.

Day 1 - OFC - There nothing to be tensed about this. you just arrive at the OFC for your biometrics atleast 45 minutes before your appointment. My appointment was at 8.30. I reached there at 7.45. there is a big queue on the footpath beside the OFC office. they started allowing people from 8.15. have your Passport, DS-160 confirmation page and Appointment letter handy. in the OFC they had alloted a token number. when my turn came, just went there and gave my fingerprints and photo has been taken.

Day 2 - US Consular office - My appointment was scheduled at 7.30AM. I arrived there by 6.30AM and by that time there was a huge queue outside of the consular office. there were around 70+ people already. I just joined the queue. at around 7.20 they started moving the line. there are several security checks all the way. you will be alloted with ticket number for interview. even in the main hall there insufficient seats to sit before your turn comes. there you'll be checked with your finger print scanning again before interview.
there are several tv monitors that shows the ticket/token numbers and counter. when my ticket is appreared on the screen i just joined the line at that counter.

I am sharing a couple of experiences here. One is my own and another is one of the guy's experience who was before me in the interview.

Other Guy before me, he came for Student VISA F1. the officer has played with him with some different questions.

1. Why do you want to do Masters?
2. your bachelors degree pass percentage is low, do you think, you can clear master's in US with these skills?
3. what if you can't clear your backlogs?
4. What alternatives you have, if you can't clear the Masters?

and more.

Mine
Me - Good morning
Officer - Good morning, passport please.
Officer - Why are you going to the US?
Me - Technical training.
Officer - for which company are you working for?
ME - XYZ name.
Office - Sorry, come again
Me - Repeated.
Officer - for How long is your visit?
Me - One week.
Officer - Are you going to a client's place or your internal?
Me - Internal.
Officer - (was typing something) Ok, Have a good trip.
Me - Thank you.

I silently moved out from there.

Tips:
1. please be prepared for all kinds of questions.
2. prepare that you may face the worst case scenario.
3. don't carry anything else other than your documents in a transparent file and a wallet if needed.
4.even if you are nervous, hold it. you need not to show any confidence/smile but have a normal face without any nervous.

I was in USA from 2006-2011, in J1 and then in H4. Now I have changed my field from research and have started a business in my hometown. For that I wanted to attend a trade show in USA and applied for B1 visa. The interview was as follows:

VO : Good morning. Show me your passport.

Me: Good Morning. Gave him the passport343

VO: Why you want to go to USA?

Me: Answered

VO: What is your highest qualification?

Me: Answered

VO: What kind of business you have?

Me: Answered

VO: How many people are employed in your business?

Me: Answered

VO: What does your husband do? And how old is your kid?

Me: Answered

VO. Are you going for a trade show?

Me: Yes

VO: Are you going to sell your products there?

Me: Yes

Then VO took my fingerprint, and asked me to wait. After waiting for 45 minutes, he called me and handed me back the passport and 214(b) form and explained me that he cannot grant me visa, as I cannot go to USA at this point to sell my products and make money in USA.

Can I reapply for B1 visa within a week? Or shall I apply for a B2 as I really want to attend the trade show. Or will it be wise not to apply again now?

First, I would like to thank immihelp for helping me in my B1/B2 preprations :-)

My visa was rejected last year June 2013 and I re-applied in June-2014. The purpose of my visit in both the cases was a conference in Vegas.

My first Visa experience in June 2013:

Why are you going to US: I need to attend a conference
Who all are going with you: Only me
Why only you: answered something (I was not confident here)
What is your age: 24
When have you joined the company: May 2013 (just a month before)

Counselor: Sorry, I cant grant you Visa as you are too new to the company and handed me 214 (b)

My second Visa experience in June 2014:

Why are you going to US: I need to attend a conference in Las vegas
For how many days: 9 days from <X> to <X>
What is your job role: <told>
What is your salary (asked twice): First told monthly salary and then told yearly ("EXACT" salary and not rounded!)
For how many days are you going to US (again!): 9 days from <X> to <X>

Counselor: Visa ho gaya! (In Hindi :-P)

I was wearing formal suit with tie and was posing fully confident this time. My answers were precise w/o the use of words like around/maybe/ probably/. He did not ask me anything about my previous rejection. Also the counselor even did not check any documents apart from my passport.

My experience was good. I reached the consulate half an hour before. My turn came up around the scheduled time. Below is the complete interview:

Me: Hello Ma'am
Interviewer: Hello, Good Morning

Interviewer: Where do you work?
Me: Told
Interviewer: Where? (I think she didn't get it the first time)
Me: Told again and spelled it

Interviewer: Since when are you working here?
Me: 2 months (She didn't raise any question regarding that)

Interviewer: Where are you going in the US?
Me: Told (State)
Interviewer: Where? (she wanted the city as well)
Me: Told

Interviewer: Is that a client you are going to meet?
Me: Yes

Interviewer: What's the client name?
Me: Told

Interviewer: What are you gonna do there?
Me: Training purpose

Interviewer: What is your profile?
Me: I am ...., I do ....(interrupted)
Interviewer: I got it

Interviewer: What is your annual salary?
Me: Told

Interviewer: What is your project?
Me: My project is ....(interrupted)
Interviewer: Ok

Then she took a long pause, and said "APPROVED".

Advise: Be confident. Don't give long answers. Be polite. Speak clearly.