L1, L2 Visa

Blanket visa interviews are only available in Chennai, so I kept both biometrics and interview on the same day, 2 hours apart.

Biometrics:
My appointment was at 9.30 AM. I reached by 8:40 AM, went in and everything was super smooth. You just need to follow the instructions and you'll be out in no time. I was done by 9:05 AM. You can use Uber/Ola to arrive from your hotel, autos charge way too much. I then took an Uber to the consulate.

Interview:
My interview time was 11:30 AM but I reached at around 9:15 AM. The person at the initial check asked me to wait until 10:00 AM. I waited at the bus stop and entered the area. There were multiple people who asked if you have cell phones, wallet etc. I was standing in queue for about 20 mins and then got inside. There was a security check after entering a build and then blanket visa applicants were asked to arrange the docs in a specific order. This is the order:

3 x (First 8 pages of I129S then first page I797)
DS160 confirmation page
DD (If you have it. Make sure to write your name and passport number behind the DD.)
Passport

Give these documents to the staff and they'll staple the sets and put rubber band on your documents. Carry these as-is for rest of the procedure. Next I was asked to sit and wait because the DD guy was not at the counter. He came in about 5 mins, took the DD and stapled 2 receipts to my documents. In the next counter they just checked my passport. Then in next counter, they took fingerprints and then finally joined the queue for actual interview.

This is where the heart beat went through the roof. There were some 20 people ahead of me. There are all sorts of visa interviews in progress (student, business, etc). They're quite audible so avoid listening if you can. Two people got rejected in front of my eyes so I got even more scared. I was feeling sick through my stomach and was just trying to wait and not think about it. Sing "Aunty ki Ghuntey" if that helps. Finally, my number came and the interviewer looked like a nice Asian-American man in his 30s. He took the documents, I put my files on the slab and greeted the person. My legs were kinnda shaking and my confidence went even more down. He starts questions:

VO: What is your Job title?
(I stuttered a bit for some reason)
Me: Software Engineer

VO: What will be your duration in the U.S.?
Me: 3 Years

VO: How long have you been working for ZZZ?
Me: 1 Year

VO: What is you salary in ____ ?
*There was a loud noise in the counter next to me so I couldn't hear properly. I asked current salary or in the US? He said US.*
Me: $xxx,xxx per year

VO: And what is your specialisation?
(I gave a very short 2 line answer)
Me: I specialise in developing YYYY tool. It is used by YYYY to do YYY for ZZZ.

VO: Ok, you said you made a tool, right? Will you be working at a client location?
Me: No, the prototype was created by the company but I've been working on it since I joined. There is no client, I am going to the parent company.

VO: Ah, alright. I am approving your visa, please give me a minute to finish your paper work. Give one copy to your HR and show one at the port of entry, every time you enter the U.S.
Me: I paused for a second and said Thank you.

My advice: Just follow what they say and try not to panic at any stage. Everyone talks nicely and they're not out to get you. Give short crisp clear answers and don't get technical (they don't care). It is OK if you mess up, just keep telling the truth.