H1B, H4 Visa

I had fingerprinting on 14th Nov and interview on 15th nov in Delhi. I was staying at Gurgaon near Fortis hospital research center as my grandfather was admitted there. So i was already sad and least interested in this US visa. I have been working in US for more then 6+ yrs and visited India just to see my grandfather and hence had to go for this visa stamping .

Fingerprinting 14th Nov
-----------------------
At Delhi, they allow mobile phone inside. you just need to switch it off. you don't need fee receipt as well. Take Metro Train to Nehru Place and then just walk 5 mins to OFC center. Dress appropriately as your photo taken here will come on Visa.

legends : Name of Employer : ABC Employer
Name of Client : XYZ Client

H1B Interview on 15th Nov
---------------------
you can take Delhi Metro if you like and get down at Race Course Metro Station and pay 40-50Rs to rickshaw and get to Gate 6, US Consulate, Shanti path.

The VO ( Visa Officer) was inhumanly. no emotions. didn't greet me but neither do I cared as I was already sad with my own problems.

Me: Good morning (with smile although I was very sad and in tears just few hours back..)
VO: Good morning ( with no smile).

VO: show me your passport
Me: handed him my passport which had stapled Notice of Action along with DS-160 attached

VO: whom you work for?
Me: ABC Employer

VO: how long you worked for ABC in India?
Me: I never worked in India for ABC

VO: how long u worked for ABC in US?
Me: x years and y months

VO: show me pay slips?
Me: quickly gave him pay slips from my expandable folder specially purchased for Visa interview.

VO: show me all notice of actions from ABC?
Me: quickly gave him all notices of actions from my expandable folder... the speed at which I pulled out and gave him.. showed my confidence to him and I also felt supremely confident

VO: you will get passport in 2-3 days. thanks
Me: thanks

I reached Fortis hospital thinking of my grandfather and a big shock awaited me..my grand father had expired for whom I had come to India at the first place and had to go to this visa interview. my family already had left with my grandfather body & my luggage to his native place for antim sanskar. While me standing all alone with just immigration docs in my hand and a wallet :(

Understand that emotions should not come in way of our worldly duties and at same time know well that all worldly duties mean nothing at the hour of death.

Thanks to everyone here for posting their experiences . People having Delhi/Mumbai experience should take efforts in putting their experience.
Also mention the location , the model ( E-C, E-V-C, just E ) in your posting.

Hi All,

First of all, I am very thankful for this blog , really it is very beneficial to prepare for Interview.

VERY VERY THANKS TO ALL WHO POSTED THEIR EXPERIENCE!!!!

My OFC was scheduled on 21-NOV-13 at 9:30 AM but reach morning 7:20 AM so it was very hectic to stand in queue with my daughter so we went one of
Restaurant for light breakfast and just pass few mins then again I reach 9:00 AM so security person allow us to go inside , I went inside , just
before entry point they were checking passport and DS-160 with each & every detail , unfortunatly they caught my mistake , my daughter passport
doesn't have First name but I mentioned in DS-160 as what I did for me and my wife so I didn't pay much attention for this mistake.

Then they told go to CyberCafe and made this changes and came back , like place of first we should mention FNU ( First Name Unknown ) then in hurry

I
came out there 1 auto person was waiting for me , I think ..:) he was aware of this type of mistake and which cyber cafe we should go for this
Correction so he called me and I asked for CYBER CAFE , he was well confident and say Yes Yes..I'll take care ..then we started to Cyber Cafe where
that person waiting for us only,he took my daughter passport and DS-160 and that form which I got from the person who was checking passport , so In
15 min he did changes and print new DS-160 confirmation page and given to me...he and auto person both charged for this work 150/- each...which was
Nothing for me that time as I can't do these changes in hurry so I am very very thankful for both of the person.

Then I thought whatever god is doing , its all for good , then we enter inside and whole process took 10 -15 min and we come out so every thing went

 
fine without any issue, Thanks god and came back home.

Consulate Interview : 22-NOV-13 , 7:30 AM.

We wake up morning 4:00 , cann't say wake up as we didn't slept in night much ...in every min one thought was coming in mind , what will happen if
won't get visa like it happen for me 3 year back for H1B. I thought what we can do as it is not written type paper or any subjective test where we
will write some thing just verbal for few min so we cann't do much except some preparation which we did...and every time I was thing don't worry
..We don't have nothing to loose all depend on luck.

We reach consulate morning 6:30 AM sharp ...and queued up but we were lucky couple among of them who has kid with them...so security person allowed
us to go front in the queue..then I thank to my Daughter :)....security was passing message to all that please kept inside DS-160 form in the
passport and hold it in hand so I took all 3 passports with DS-160 , they started allowing persons go inside after checking forms and passport.

We went inside and security check start inside ( like each and every file folder,wallet,keys...they were checking ) after checking they handover all

 
the things to me then we sat few mins and again manage our documents then went extreme inside , interview place, where they took our fingure print
and again check fix slip on my passport. That time my heart beat started ....but I managed with all the words like ..CONFIDENT,WHY WE WORRY,WE
CAN'NT DO MUCH...Praying to god.... they given my slip number P8 ..as 8 is not lucky number for so I was bit nervous after getting this but thought
no no it is not 8 ..it is P8 ...whatever now this is my number so couldn’t do much but again again was thinking about this number.

Now they started displaying counter number w.r.t slip number ..after 5,6 mins my number came..and luckily my counter number was 18...and 9 is my
most lucky number so again I got some confidence and that time feeling surety to get VISA....finally my number came for Interview ....went on
counter..VO was was good person in talk and has smiling face as before me he took 3 interview and allowed all the visas so my confidence level was
on big hight..we went on counter and start like..

We ( Me & My Wife ) : Good Morning Sir...
VO : Very Good Morning , how are you doing, please pass your passports.
Me : Doing well, Thanks, passed passports

VO: Which company currently you are working and what is my role.
Me : Explained in 1 small line...he looked satisfied so I stop to explain unnecessary things.

VO: which client you are going to work.
Me: Explain , like I am going for working my petitioner and client name for which I'll work from my petitioner place.

VO: Place where we are going..
Me : Answer.

To my wife..

Vo: Mam, how long you been married..
She : she told date of marriage in hurry but VO was happy with answer.

Then finally Golden word came....I hope you got it. YES VISA ISSUE.

As my interview was very short and he didn't ask any document except passport but please keep all the document.

ALL THE BEST FOR ALL WHO ARE WAITING....MY BEST WISHES WITH THEM...

Hi Everyone!

Big thanks to this forum and everybody who posted their experience, every instance posted here is a very helpful.

My big day -

ME: Good Morning Officer
VO: Good Morning, How are you?

ME: (With a smile) I am good, How are you mam.
VO: Good.

VO: Passport please.
ME: (Just passed my passport)

VO: How long are you working with your employer?
Me: XX Years

VO: What do you do?
ME: I am a xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (just a one liner, my designation and my experience in it)

VO: Who is your client?
ME: YYYY

(I already had a B1 visa and had visited states multiple time.)

VO: You have been in states for more than couple of time, was it to work for the same client?
ME: Not to work for them, i was there for some meeting.

VO: What was the agenda of the meeting.
ME: Gathering requirements of the algorithms which i created post my meeting with the stake owners at my client site.

VO: How much will your employer pay you?
ME: YYYY

VO: Are you married?
ME: No.

VO: When do you plan to get married?
ME: Not soon

VO: Did you receive a white booklet?
ME: Yes

VO: Please read it carefully, it will guide you about your rights in the states.
ME: Sure Mam

VO: Ok, all good, your Visa is approved. Have a nice stay.
Me: Thank you so much mam.

In all, it was a pretty smooth.

Remember, keep a smile on your face, when you talk to the VO please smile and talk. Just make sure you read through all the details mentioned on your forms. No matter how complex your job is, try to explain it in a way that all can understand it and can make sense of what you are going to do there.

All the best!

 

OFC on Monday-18/11 simple process...i think everyone know about this so am skipping the process...

10min before the appointment time is more than enough for OFC(biometric)

Main interview:22/11/2013 at 09:30am Hyderabad

i went there by 8:20am...waited almost 45min in the outside line...so its best to go to your consulate office 30min before..

 after entering in...token number will be pasted on ur passport..security checks...then we need to wait for our turn,,,

3 members per queue will be assigned to each counter at a time..My turn came...

all the 3 members 2 f1 and 1 h1 got rejected who went to my counter,,,i felt very tensed...officer is taking atleast 10min per person chcking each and everything....i felt very tensed even i lost my hope after 2 persons lost their visas...

atlast my turn came...

qs asked:

How do you know ITSS?
whats your pay?
where do you work?
whats the location ?

whats the client name?
what actually the client into??
 are you married?

thats it jus 2min interview,,,,only i797 checked...

Be confident speak fluently dont tense....!!!

VISA APPROVED....

thankyou immihelp ...

Bio-metrics and visa interview experience for H1B visa. H1B petition filed with employer in US

Bio-metrics at Teynampet office
--------------------------------------------
Appointment time: 4 PM

* Reached the place at 3.30 PM and was let into the building by the official after checking the DS 160 details across the passport info
* Checked in by official with a token provided
* Once the token was called, my fingerprints and a photograph was taken

Note: Teynampet office does not allow any bags inside. I traveled alone, so I had to leave my bags at the gates. You can take phones [switched off] and wallets inside. Make sure you make arrangements for the bags.

Face to Face interview at Gemini Circle office
--------------------------------------------------------------
Appointment time: 10 AM

* Reached the place at 9.30 AM and was let into the building by the official after checking the DS 160 details
* Security check done with a token attached by another official on the passport
* Once checked in, we enter a hall inside the interview bldg and everyone seated waiting for the turn
* Here is how the interview went.

Me: Good morning officer.
VO: Good morning, can I have your passport and DS 160?

Me: Sure maam [handed over passport and DS 160]

VO: Can I have the i797?
Me: Sure [handed over the i797]

VO: What VISA category?
Me: H1B

VO: What company do you work for?
Me: ABC

VO: What is the annual salary?
Me: YYYY USD per annum

VO: Do you work for a client?
Me: No maam, we work directly for the employer

VO: What is your highest qualification?
Me: Masters in Computer Science

VO: You VISA has been approved. Have a safe trip. The passport should be mailed in 3-5 business days, please wait for the SMS / email to be notified.
Me: Thank you very much officer, Have a nice day.

Note: Gemini Circle office does not allow any bags inside. You can take wallets inside but no phones or USB drives etc. Make sure you make arrangements for the bags. There is a small petty shop on the footpath on the way to the consular building where bags can be packed. The person charges 10Rs.

Hi all

First of all I would like to say thanks to this forum, and thanks to all who are posted their valuable information.

Today I have attended visa interview @ Hyderabad.

Me:Good morning
VO:Good morning
VO:Give me your passport
Me:Passed
VO:Give me your I797
Me:Passed
VO:Who is your employer?
Me: YYYY company
VO:What your comany do ?
Me: explained
VO:Do you have any client letter?
Me: I said that I work for my employer, I have a offer letter
VO:Asked for offer lettter?
Me:Passed
VO:How many employees in this company?
Me: answered
VO:What is your highest qualification?
Me: Did masters in xxxx
VO:Where did you do your masters?
Me:Answered
VO:Your job is done, you can go
Me:Thank you (He kept the passport)

VO didn't say that 'Your passport is approved". Can any one tell me, My visa is approved or not ?

Thank you

Hi Folks,

I have paid my visa fee through NEFT mode, Is there any visa fee receipt given for NEFT transactions?Or is the visa fee receipt only valid for over the counter visa fee payment mode?

Dears,

Am working on top MNC and going to attend H1b interview next week. Got H1b from small employer(new job). Is it fine to wear present company ID card?. Will it give any impression?.

Thanks
Naren

OFC appointment: 19th November in Mumbai at 8.30 AM
Reached at 8.00 AM. This was the earliest time that could be availed.

This is just a simple process where they capture our finger prints and digital photos. I was done in around 20 minutes.
In this process, they also stick something at the back of our passport and a stamp on DS-160 form.

Points to remember:
1. The entries in passport and that of in DS-160 form should exactly match (Like name, passport number, etc). I noticed they scrutinize these entries.
2. Mobiles aren't allowed.
3. Even they were checking if watches are digital. So avoid digital watches.
4. Documents to carry are Appointment Confirmation, Original Visa Fee Receipt (Though this was never asked), DS-160 form and of course Passport.
5. Reaching 30 minutes early is enough.

Consulate appointment: 20th November in Mumbai at 11.00 AM

Reached 45 minutes early. As per my observation, reaching 1 hour is pretty good as even after reaching 45 minutes early, I was in the end in my 11.00 AM queue. Don't reach 2-3 hours early as I noticed many such people sitting on the road in heat and were sweating.

FIRST CHECK: Few guys standing outside check our passport and appointment letter and let us in through the main gate.
Entering, we are asked to sit under a shed, that contains many chairs in series. They let in approximately 20-25 in every 15 minutes. So we keep moving ahead until we get into the actual interview hall. It took me 1 hour here.
NOTE: Carrying drinking water is allowed. It's recommended you do so as we tend to get drained out waiting approximately for an hour over here. Although there are washrooms and drinking water available, don't rely on it as we keep moving ahead in this area.

SECOND SECURITY CHECK: Entering the actual interview hall, there is strict security check. We are asked to put all the documents, wallets, etc (most of the stuffs we carry) in a basket that are scanned in a machine. If everything is fine, we collect our belongings and move ahead.
Next, we are into actual interview hall and we can see visa aspirants getting interviewed. There is a separate counter where we head and here we are asked to validate ourselves by finger print scan. They will also stick an appointment number at back of our passport. Now we are asked to take a seat and wait for our turn.

My number was N662 and the ongoing number was approximately 600. There were 5 counters. Above each counter, there is a screen display showing the current number being processed and next 2 in queue. There is also a big screen that shows numbers that are queue in each window and to which counter it belongs. So keep watching for your number. Everything moves fast and in approximately 20 minutes my number appeared.

Ahead of me was a guy. He was a tourist visa aspirant, wanted to meet friends in US.
VO said they can't issue him visa. Asked him to try again.
I thought what a cruel lady I am going to deal with. Now it was my turn.

VO: Good Morning.
ME: Good Morning (Although I was aware it was already noon)

VO: Passport please
ME: (Provided the passport. She noticed my I-797 in other hand, hence following question)

VO: Oh, please pass the I-797 too
ME: Provided I-797

VO: Who are you currently working with?
ME:

VO: So you aren't working with ?
ME: It's a new employment

VO: How long you been working with ?
ME: It's been almost XYZ years

VO: What do you do for ?
ME: Answer appropriately

VO: Where did you find about this job?
ME: Answer appropriately

VO: So… you will be working for or … a client?
ME: Client

VO: Who is the client?
ME: .

VO: Sorry… ?
ME: (She didn't seem to recognize the client. Hence the following question)

VO: Please show me the client letter
ME: Sure (Provided the contract agreement copy. She went through the copy and following questions I guess came based on it)

VO: What is your educational qualification?
ME: Highest educational qualification is Bachelor's of Engineering in Information Technology

VO: How many employees are there in ?
ME: XYZ+ worldwide

VO: What will be your pay?
ME: XYZ per annum

VO: Your visa is approved. Kindly collect your passport in 3-5 days. Have a great day.
ME: Thank you. Have a great day.

Points to Remember:
1. Reach 1 hour early.

2. Carry all documents including originals.

3. Don't think wearing Tie or a Suit will get you visa. There were only few who were on suit or a Tie. Almost everyone were in simple formals, including me.

4. Don't get distracted by what's happening with other's interview and their results. Everyone's case is different. For example - the guy ahead of me wasn't issued visa as he wanted to visit friends in US. Most of who were getting rejected were not for H1B. So, Be confident and cool. I was playing my favorite songs in my mind to stay cool.

5. This is an important point: The VO people are humans, like us. We shouldn't get nervous. They are very polite and expressive while communicating. They will never make you nervous. Even for rejecting visa, they say it politely.

6. This is a very important point: After every question that is asked, they do something on their computer. This gives us time to relax. It's not like they throw a series of question continuously on us. We get enough time between every question and this helps us a lot. But, keep watching at the VO. Don't watch at any other place when they are using their computer.

7. This is the most important point: The interview is all about "SHORT QUESTIONS and SHORT ANSWERS". Keep your answers as short as possible.
For example - If question asked is - What will be your pay in US? Just say - 50k per annum (Fifty K per annum, or whatever it is). Don't say - Fifty thousand US Dollars Per Annum.
Common, you are getting paid in US so obviously it will be in US Dollars. Similarly for current salary.
Same goes for what are your job responsibilities? What does your US employer do? etc. Just prepare short answers to all the questions.

 
OFC Appointment: 17th Nov 2013 @ 3:30 PM (Sunday)
Consular Appointment: 18th Nov 2013 @ 8:00 AM (Monday)
 
Interview experience: (attended with my wife and kid (1.6 years))
All lines are bypassed.

Me: Hello Mamm, Good Morning.
VO: Good Morning.

VO: Give yr passport and 797 form
Me: Passed

VO: Is it extinction.
Me: No Mamm, 1st time I am applying.

Vo: Ok, This petition is from current company.
Me: No mamm, It is for new employment. For YYYY company.

Vo. Ok, Which location u r travelling.
Me: City name, and state name.

Vo: Have a nice trip.
Me: Thanks mamm.

Vo: Is it internal project.
Me: Yes mamm.

Vo: So, u will work from YYYY company (my petitioner name). Where is it.
Me: Yes mamm, it is in ABC road, City name, State.

Vo: Give yr client letter.
Me: YYYY company is also investing capital for this project with client. I have agreement copy (agreement between xxx company and client)

Vo: ok show that, and give yr project description.
Me: I have project screenshots, and passes all those (agreement, Project screenshots)

Vo: Ok. This product is belongs to YYY company. Gr8.
Me: S Mamm.

Vo: Give me yr I-129 and LCA.
Me: Passed.

Vo: She asked me to wait in common hall.

After 50 Minutes she called me. (Office staff called me).

Vo: Asked me to come front with my name. And returned all the documents.
Me: I collected.

Vo: She is typing something on her system. And asked me to place right hand 4 fingers on biometrics.
Me: Placed.

Vo: Asked to place my wife’s right hand 4 fingers on biometrics.
Wife: Placed.

Vo: Approving yr Visa. Have a good day.
Me: Thanks mamm.
  

All the best... Be confident...