Business Visa - B1

I had my interview at Chennai Consulate for B1 on 2nd August, 2007.

My background: 10 years of IT experience and had visas to 5 countries.

My interview was scheduled at 8am and reached the main gate at 7am. Surprisingly, there was a very long queue of aspiring crowd patiently waiting for their turn to get in.
After initial formalities and security check and I was let in. The security clerk in the counter who verifies DS-156, DS-157 l found a problem with my photograph and asked me get a new one in 30 minutes flat. Luckily there was a broker-cum-auto driver at exit gate and I completed the entire exercise in just 15 mins. (went to studio by auto, took the snap. It costs 200/- for photo and 100/- for auto). I was standing the same queue again, the clerk spotted me and was given preference. It worked this time it and the photo scanning was successful.

Now, I am inside the main building. Around 50 applicants before me in the lane. I observed all the interviews (F1, L1, B2) etc., and mostly rejections. Lack of preparation is the main cause. All of a sudden I was asked to follow lane on the sideway. All in my lane are appearing for F1 visas and all of them got approved.

This was my first interview in India even though I have been traveling for the past 10 years.

The visa officer is a courteous smiling lady.

Visa Officer: Good Morning!
Me: Good morning! How are you doing today?
Visa Officer: good, you
Me: Great!
Visa Officer: Have you been to USA before?....flipping thru the pages of passport....Many Times (laughing....)
Me: Just looking
Visa Officer: So, are you going on business trip? am I right?
Me: Yes
Visa Officer: How long you have been working for the company?
Me: 1 Year 3 Months.
Visa Officer: Browsing thru my 2 passports (expired and active) and said, It seems you have done lot of traveling huh? (..smiling...), No these things that time (waving hands in the air and pointing to finger scanning equipment) and laughing...
Visa Officer: Show me your invitation letter and the documents issued by your company...
Me: Submitted.
Visa Officer: What you will be doing there?
Me: To provide the training to onsite users on the tool which we developed at offshore.
Visa Officer: How long you want to be there?
Me: 2 months and I showed the training plan signed by our MD.
Visa Officer: Ok, your visa is issued. You will be getting your passport in 2 days

I got the passport stamped with 10 year multiple entry visa on the next day.

My Observations: Prepare well. Do couple of rehearsals. You get confidence only after thorough preparation. Do not get panic if the guy before got rejected, every case is different. Pray god, luck also plays a part. (I am lucky to go to the counter with 100% approvals)

Thanks.

My background: 10 years of IT experience and had visas to 5 countries.

My interview was scheduled at 8am and reached the main gate at 7am. Surprisingly, there was a very long queue of aspiring crowd patiently waiting for their turn to get in.

After initial formalities and security check and I was let in. The security clerk in the counter who verifies DS-156, DS-157 l found a problem with my photograph and

asked me get a new one in 30 minutes flat. Luckily there was a broker-cum-auto driver at exit gate and I completed the entire exercise in just 15 mins. (went to studio by

auto, took the snap. It costs 200/- for photo and 100/- for auto). I was standing the same queue again, the clerk spotted me and was given preference. It worked this time it and the photo scanning was successful.

Now, I am inside the main building. Around 50 applicants before me in the lane. I observed all the interviews (F1, L1, B2) etc., and mostly rejections. Lack of preparation is

the main cause. All of a sudden I was asked to follow lane on the sideway. All in my lane are appearing for F1 visas and all of them got approved.

This was my first interview in India even though I have been travelling for the past 10 years.

The visa officer is a courteous smiling lady.

Visa Officer: Good Morning!
Me: Good morning! how are you doing today?
Visa Officer: good, you
Me: Great!
Visa Officer: Have you been to USA before?....flipping thru the pages of passport....Many Times (laughing....)
Me: Just looking
Visa Officer: So, are you going on business trip? am I right?
Me: Yes
Visa Officer: How long you have been working for the company?
Me: 1 Year 3 Months.
Visa Officer: Browsing thru my 2 passports (expired and active) and said, It seems you have done lot of travelling huh? (smiling...), No these things that time (waving hands in the air and pointing to finger scanning equipment) and laughing...
Visa Officer: Show me your invitation letter and the documents issued by your company...
Me: Submitted.
Visa Officer: What you will be doing there?
Me: To provide the training to onsite users on the tool which we developed at offshore.
Visa Officer: How long you want to be there?
Me: 2 months and I showed the the training plan signed by our MD.
Visa Officer: Ok, your visa is issued. You will be getting your passport in 2 days

I got the passport stamped with 10 year multiple entry visa on the next day.

My Observations: Prepare well. Do couple of rehearsals. You get confidence only after thorough prepration. Do not get panic if the guy before got rejected, every case is different. Pray god, luck also plays a part.(I am lucky to go to the counter with 100% approvals)


Thanks.

Getting a B1 visa is very easy as in this case the company is sponsoring you for the visit. They will provide all the documents including the invitation letter.
I got my visa in Sept/2006 from Delhi, for which I am in Chicago now. I was just asked 2 questions- 1. Why are you going to US? 2. how long are you in this company.

Remember:
1. Never say you are going to work there, as you are not supposed to work on B1. Say attending business meetings and taking requirements.
2. Be very much aware about your client's profile, nature of work and location, mentioned there in the invitation letter.
3. Be very confident about what you say, but never try to be extra smart.
4. Stay very precise and to the point to the replies.

Best of luck!!!

When first I applied the business visa at US Consulate, Chennai, it was rejected by old lady on the ground that I do have sufficient ties in India without asking anything. She only asked the purpose of visit and straight way rejected. Second time my appointment time was 1330 at Chennai. I was there by 1300 hrs and saw a very long queue infront of consulate. In the peak summer season, one could feel the heat in peak afternoon in May and that to 3 hrs. This time the VC was a ypoung chap and he asked me couple of silly questions....like why your company name is this....why your company select you for this business visit.....and after 2 minutes interview and 4 hours wait, my visa was approved. I really don't understand the approval procedure for VISA. This is purely depends on your luck and mood of the VC.....

My parents were granted B1 visas at Mumbai. They were interviewed by a friendly American male VO. After the usual greetings the interview went as follows:

VO: What is the purpose of your visit.
Mum: A sight-seeing trip through the Western U.S. with our younger daughter and s-i-l. It's an early gift for my 60th b'day the falls later this year and for my husband's 70th b'day which is in Jan 2008.

VO: What is the current visa status of your s-i-l?
Mum: He has his EAD and his I-485 is pending.

(Hands over I-134, employment letter and copies of our visa status papers. VO glances through them for a few seconds disinterestedly )

VO (to dad): What is your current income?
Dad: I retired after 35 years from the German multinational company _______. I don't get pension but have wisely invested the money I got lumpsome at the time of my retirement and the interest we get is more than sufficient for the two of us.

(Hands over a letter of appreciation he received for his long dedicated service, from the German headquarters of the company he worked for and CA statement on top.)

(VO reads through the letter of appreciation very carefully and smiles. Barely glances through the CA statement),

VO (After going through their passports): I see that you have travelled to Malaysia and Singapore.
Mum: Yes, we spent a very pleasant month travelling through both countries and spending time with my sister and her family who are settled in Malaysia.

VO: Who else do you have in your family?
Dad: We have our elder daughter, s-i-l and only grandson living in Mumbai, whom we visit very frequently. Both of us also have our siblings settled in Kerala whom we visit a couple of times each year.

(Shows a big family photo of the whole extended family.

VO smiles): Oh Kerala, I see!

VO: But you settled in Gujarat. So you have your own flat in Gujarat?
Dad: Yes.

VO: Do you have a four-wheeler?
Dad: I am finding it a little difficult to drive these days. So, no. (VO nods sympathetically)

VO: How many servants do you have?
Mum: Just one.
VO: Yes, one servant will do.

VO: Who will take care of your flat when you are away?
Mum: We have friends and relatives who will keep an eye on the place. Our elder daughter will also make a trip to Gujarat from Mumbai once or twice. That arrangement worked well during our S.E. Asia trip.

VO: Well, you have your visa. B'day wishes to you. Have a good time in the U.S.
Parents: Thank you. Have a good day.

According to my parents the most difficult part of the whole visit was the waiting - they were called 2 hours after their scheduled appointment time.

I got B1 Visa today. They didn't ask any question since I have been in US already. I would like to give you some tips, which were given by the consular (He came out to the people from the cabin and explined to everybody).
1) They need the "to the point answer" for their question of why you intend to go US e.g. I want to meet my daughter / son or I am going to have training / discussion from the YYYY Client. They dont have time to listen all our " bla bla" answers. Be specific about your answer.

2)Most of the people got tensed while making index finger print. Make it clear that you have to keep your left index finger first and left one, at the correct space in the box. I observed that the consular really got irritated to explain these things to the people. So please be aware before going.

Most imporatnt thing is to be confident and bold, because people think that if they get rejected, they loose their whole life.

All the very best.

Hi,

I am one more person who got benefitted by reading experience from immihelp for B1 visa. I appeared on 10th Jan at Delhi consulate for my B1 visa and was granted the B1 visa
Questions asked:
1. what is the purpose of visit.
(Be very specific while answering this question)
2. do u have relative there?
3. have you ever been outside india before?

The CO was very polite and friendly there.

Best of luck to all of you.

Hi,

I've been a regular reader of immihelp and it really helped.

I went to embassy on 2nd Nov and this is what happened

Meeting time: 12:30 PM.
Went to the gate at 11:30 and after getting inside had my docs verified.

By the time I went to the VO, it was past 3:00 pm.
The officer asked following questions to me:

a. What is the purpose of the visit?
b. How long are you associated with this company
c. How long you would stay at US?
d. What training is going to be done there?
e. Why you are required to attend?
f. What happens to the company if you are not there?
g. Do you have a family?
h. Are you planning to work at US?
i. Who is sponsoring for your visit?
j. Is it confirmed or you are yet to purchase the ticket?

He did not ask for any documents but said that he is issuing me 10 year multiple entry visa.

Hope this helps

Hi all,

My interview date was on 26th May
IMMIhelp has been very great to help a lot of people to add their experiences.This has solved most of everybodies problems.

I had appplied for B-1 visa earlier and got through it in the first attempt.

Following is experience in Mumbai consulate.
1.Reached at 8:00 AM in the consulate did the security check attend the window to submit my papers,submitted documents and waited for my number to be called.
There was a lot of rush in the morning so was getting bit nervous till getting in but after getting in everything went fine.
Consullar officer called my token number asked the following questions:
1.Why are you going ?
2.How many days will you stay ?
3.How many brothers and sisters ?
and thats it he was so good that he did not ask any more question apart and said that my passport will courier in the next 48 hrs.
The officer even did not check my Invitation letter just asked the above queries.


The courier is fantastic they delivered in just 24 hrs.

Thanks to IMMI help for guiding me and getting the Visa.

regards
Prashant

Hi

My name is Ramesh C. Aggarwal. I'm working since March 2001 for a US company as their buying agent. They are calling me for 6-days. They have sent me an invitation.

The question is: Do I need to request them to send me form no. I-134 too? Do you think it will be asked.

Second, my brother is a US citizen. I have not hided that fact. Do you think it will affect my chances.

Regards,

Ramesh