H1B, H4 Visa

Just had my H1B Interview today. Thanks immihelp and all of you guys for sharing your experiences, it helped me a lot to prepare. Here’s my experience.

Location: Mumbai
Visa : H1B
OFC : 10TH Dec 2013
Consulate Interview: 12th Dec 2013

OFC Interview:
Reached the OFC location 45 minutes ahead of time. It was unnecessary, they let people in only 15 minutes ahead of your appointment time, and you have to wait outside in the sun. There’s no place to sit, not even a shade in the sun.
Appointment itself was done quickly. They put a sticker on your latest passport, take your fingerprints, Take your picture, and stamp your DS 160. All done in 10 minutes.

Visa Interview:
My time was 7:45 Am, and I reached at around 7:30 AM. Didn’t have to stand in queue for too long. We were allowed in. First there is a security check. No electronic devices are allowed, so please keep them with someone you brought along to wait outside. I saw a few people rushing out to keep their cell phones or chargers.
After the security check, you are seated in a big waiting area, with lengthy rows of benches. About 20-25 people are let in at a time in the building where interviews are conducted. Waiting area looks like it is crowded but the queue moved fairly quickly.
Once you are in the building for interview , fingerprints are taken again. Keep your passport out all the while, it was needed to be shown 3-4 times.

After fingerprinting, you enter a queue from which people are asked to go to different interview counters one by one. I was standing at my counter while the guy before me was still being interviewed. I could hear their conversation. He was being asked what’s your education, who paid for you education (he said father), what does your father do, how did you find out about this company. His visa was approved and the Visa Officer (VO) waved at me to come forward.

Me: Good Morning
VO: Good Morning. Who’s your employer?
Me: Answered
VO: For how long have you been working for them?
Me: X years Y Months
VO: What’s your location?
Me: City name, State name, USA
VO: What’s your salary?
Me: XX thousand USD per annum
VO: Is there a client?
Me: No sir, I am a full time employee of XYZ working in their office location only.
VO: Can I see your old passport please?
Me: Sure (Handed it over to him)
VO: What did you study in ABC University?
Me: Masters in Course name
VO: (Stamped CANCELLED on my F1 VISA of old passport, which was a clear hint of him approving H1B)
VO: Are you married?
Me: No sir
VO: Any plans of getting married?
Me: No plans as of now.
VO: Your Visa is approved; you will get your passport in 3-5 days.

Passport is not delivered by courier service anymore. Once you get email notification, you have to pick it up from the OFC location and bring two photo IDs along. Waiting to pick up mine.
Hope this helps some of you. Best wishes!