Business Visa - B1

Thanks a lot Immihelp for providing a very good platform to share and discuss our experiences. Here is my experience though it is bit lengthy, I hope it will be helpful.

As most of you people might already knew, that there have been some changes in US Visa procurement starting 27th Sep 2012. I attended my B1 Visa Interview on 27th Sep 2012 at Chennai(Actually it got scheduled on 20th Sep, thanks to Islam protests and Bharat Bandh, it got to be postponed) and believe me there was a confusion in very possible step, mainly due to lack to training for VFS staff and Security staff at US embassy about new procedure.

Now we need to take two appointments one for Biometrics at VFS and one for actual Visa Interview. In my case appointment for Biometrics fell on 26th Sep 2012 (No other options are provided) and
Interview can be scheduled on following days, so I picked up the very next day at early in the morning slot (07:30 AM).
On 26th Sep, I visited VFS office in Canotaph Road, Teynampet which is around 3-4 Kms for Us embassy.
The place is already crowd when I reach there at 02:30 PM (I had 03:00 slot) and I felt bit uneasy with environment as it is in 1st floor and no proper ventilation or AC available. A VFS guy calls out by Applicants by name and ask as to form a queue in order. So it doesn't matter when you arrive, as No first come first serve basis is applicable. I suggest you all to be there exactly on time. Once after getting into VFS and followed by Security checking, you are provided with a token and asked to sit in a lobby, which exactly resembles the actual US visa interview lobby. So its more like a mock interview. On calling, we have to submit our passport and appointment letter and VFS staff (one sits behind the window) may ask you some questions to make feel bit easy and then we are suppose to give our finger prints impression followed by a photograph taken by them (So no need to get a photograph on our own :) ). That's it but in between the VFS staff struggled a lot to take my photograph, purely due to lack of experience in handling a Camera..true and VFS staff from other counter came running saying Server is down. All the time I was like Oh boy what a time I had.

On 27th Sep, I visited Us embassy at 6:30 AM (I had 07:30 slot), eventually the first one in the morning there and security staff made me to wait until 07:15 (they have no idea of changed norms, there expecting the old format of appointment letter and after looking into my appointment letter, they said I have to go to VFS office, I tried to explain them but in vain. After looking all others appointment letters they started to run here and there) and finally allowed me in after thorough security checks. I am forwarded to counters where they use to take Biometrics before, here I am asked for passport and appointment letter and Initially, I have no idea why they made wait in front of the counter for long time, I heard the staff talking in Telugu saying they waiting for someone, may be their superior to have a look into the new appointment letter. After 15 mins, a guy walked in and training started.....second episode started. After some time, they gave me token number N1 looking into my confused face. Immediately I am called by another counter and I got to know that they are using me as test data to test the process of biometrics submission at VFS. The test passed and I am allowed to enter the Visa lobby.

After little waiting, my token number flashed on the screen and I went to the window with bit nervousness.

VO: Good Morning
Me: Good Morning
VO: Where are going to, in US sir?
Me: Houston
VO: Repeated "Houston"
Me: Yes
VO: what is the duration of your visit?
Me: 2 weeks
VO: What is the purpose of your visit?
Me: I am going to visit my parent company to attend few....
She interrupted me asking
VO: For which company are you working for?
Me: YYYY X
She didn't got it.
Me: Spelled my company name.
I continued with telling her my purpose of visit
Me: I am going to visit my parent company to attend few business meeting and to visit our client.
She interrupted me again asking
VO: Who is your client?
Me: YYYY XX
VO: oh! then you are travelling to Seattle.
Me: Yes
VO: Is it within 2 weeks
Me: Yes
VO: Ok, what is your current salary per annum?
Me: XX lakhs XX thousands

and then the golden words followed saying "your visa is approved sir"
Me: Thank you
VO: oh wait a moment, we have some changes in the procedure, so you select the place where you need to pick up your passport right?
Me: Yes

that's it.