H1B, H4 Visa

Hi ,

I got my visa in Mumbai Consulate on 14th Oct. But I must say that I was quite lucky that I got it .
My permanent address is Mumbai, but I have been working in Hyd since last 2 yrs. I wasn't asked any questions as to why I came to Mumbai, though I was carrying the address proof in form of my mother's bank acct statements. But I had no address proof on my name.
Also, my name was misspelt in my passport, which I noticed only after my petition approval came ( my full name is 20 chars long, there was an extra 'a' in the passport name ) . Although the difference was barely noticable, I was carrying an affidavit stating that the name in the passport was correct while it was misspelt in rest of the docs. I had to do this since all my visa docs had passport's name. This sounds very wierd but I had no other option, neither could I change my personal docs which is impossible nor could I change my passport since I would have to get my petition changed which is a lengthy process. But lucky for me, the VO just asked for my offer and client letters.
The interview went off pretty well as the VO was just checking the confidence level. I would just say that it was my lucky day.
I just suggest people to be composed and confident during the interview even if you are missing something.

Thanks !

I have cleared my H1B today after waiting in the long queue , Dont panic while u in queue , VFS officials are taking care your time , Better you can use the Rs 200 Service, They will provide you the cab and less chance to stand in queue , you start 30 min prior from the waiting hall. they will allow , you to join in the front queue( Oct 14th , 9:00 batch)

Thanks all ...

They didn't even check all the documents, verified only the D , I - 797 Forms , and my MCA degree certificate. Thats it.

But the VO is not audible , since , he sat faraway from his mike.

He throw one new question !!



VO : Good Morning
I am: Very Good Morning
VO: Is this your first Visa interview ?
I : yes, my first Interview
VO: What is your Highest Educational Qualification BE / B.TECH or MCA
I: MCA
(He requested me to provide the degree certificate , Please give him the provisional /Convocation Cert)
VO: How many years , you been working with your Current Employer
I: 2.2 Years
VO : What is your US Employer ?
I: Told the Company name

VO: How big Company is this?
I: 165 Employees are working with the company , They have submitted the letter to consulate, Shall i show the letter ?
VO: No more doc required from you , ( He checked with his system with the Petition )

I: ok

VO: What is your role and Project name for the US company and what technology ?

I: Explained the project and its name

VO: How many peoples are working with this project ?

I: Roughly said 20 Peoples ( Since i didn't know)

Vo: What is the Question , have you faced in the interview? (*** New question :-) )

I: How to check the Block corruption ?

VO: How do you fix that ( i wrongly understand the question as Have you fixed( Twice) and i have answered that Yes. I have fixed , But he shows little bit frustration on second time , and he spelled word by word, Listen carefully the question..ooops)

I: Using the DBVERIFY tool

Vo: taking few min to check with his system , and informed me , will send the passport through courier

I: Thanks , (OMG , I have cleared , Dont panic and Dont show happy/sad in your face , keep cool head )

All the best for all !!!

Thanks
Anna
Chennai

Hi Immihelp readers,

  Today I had a successful H1b stamping @ Chennai consulate.
It was a 5 mins interview
Following are the Q’s asked by VO:

• Employer name
• Project details and he asked me to explain in detail
• Total yrs of experience with my present employer
• Highest degree

That’s it , and he granted me visa and send it will be send to me in 2-3 days

Thanks Immihelp for guiding me about the processes and letting me know about the do’s and don’t during interview.

This forum help me lot to understand things and I really very helpful to this forum. I too describe my whole process in very detail so I don't miss out any single important point for all new comers.

Important: When you go to VFS Mumbai for document submission they don't allow you to carry anything with you except for plastic beg so please be careful on document submission too no begs are allowed. I was taking my beg as I am from outside Mumbai at last I found few tea maker near Mahalaxmi Temple they protect your beg and take 20rs against of it. So if you get stuck with those things, please find a way like that.

My interview time was 9 AM in the morning and they told me to report at 8.30 AM.
 
Train drop me Mumbai Central at 5 AM in morning then I went to waiting room and great fresh and after that just look at all documents and read it again. I leave Mumbai Central railway station about 6.30 AM. Those who are coming from outside there is a excellent facility available at Mumbai Central Railway Station First Class waiting area. You need to have First class or AC class ticket for this facility.
 
I took VFS Lodge service so I reach at around 7 AM at VFS Center and ask them to go inside but they said, no they will allow only at 8.30 AM then I stand over there and he said, are you sure you have at 9 AM, I said yes then he said ok you go inside.
 
I go inside and immediately they said, collect your documents and put it under plastic folders as no begs are allowed inside VFS so I collected all documents with me and put it inside plastic beg (if you don't have plastic beg they will give you) and they took my beg and put it under locker and give me a token no then they allowed me to go inside VFS waiting area.
 
I entered around 7.30 or so in waiting area, that time, they were collecting ppl who has interview at 7.45 so they were announcing all who has interview at 7.45 pl keep your Passport + HDFC Pink Receipt + I-797 in your hand as this is the first things consulate will check when you go inside.
 
There are 2 way to reach consulate, either we take service through VFS or we stand in the line direct at consulate. It is better to give 200 rs for VFS service as they will take us there at right time as well as they give snacks and coffee. They announcing those who didn't take snacks and coffee please bring it, but I didn't take it as I don't feel to eat at that time.
 
Then keep waiting n waiting and then they called ppl who has interview at 8 AM and then 8.15 and then 8.30, after this they have lot of ppl there and so all ppl of 9 AM batch were just waiting. In between they announcing things are getting delay not from there end but it is being delay from consulate only so don't worry if it is go beyond 9 AM, as an when they get call from consulate they will drop us there.
 
Then at 9.15 they announce it will take time for 9 AM interview and we expect to leave it in around 30 min or so and mean time you take your snacks and coffee but I didn't took it at that time. Then at around 9.35 AM they call us, they have bus facility so that bus will bring all of us from VFS office to consulate. It is around 10 min run to reach over there. At around 9.45 I reach over there and they put us in one queue. There were already one queue running on for those who didn't took VFS service and directly came to consulate. There are lot of ppl of those too who were standing in queue on road. We too have queue but separate queue and they were look at above 3 documents, Interview letter + Passport + I-797 and those who are on F1 they were looking for I-20.
 
I think at around 10 AM they looked all 3 documents and tell me to go inside, now I need to pass through security check, nothing is allowed inside consulate except for plastic cards (ATM/Debit/Credit) + money in form of notes (coins are not allowed) and our H1B documents. There was security sensor where they told to remove belt and they collecting all documents and purse, check everything and then tell me to pass through that security sensor. All get cleared and as soon as go inside there was one another queue which will give me back documents which I submitted before 5 days ago D-156 and D-157. With above 2 documents they give me 2 pink token no. My no of XYZ and one token I need to take with me and another token they take it and attach it with my passport and told me to stand under another queue for Fringe Printing.
 
Then I stand in that queue, here there is one supported VFS person and first time, consulate person came in front of me. He was sited inside and taking finger printing. So far all security contract given to some other agency and all other officer persons are from VFS so this first person from consulate look at my face and then look at photo and told me to put hands on finger print machine. There system is like, First Left Hand Four Figure and then Right Hand Four Finger and at last 2 thumbs at same time. I did that and it check by consulate officer and it look my passport + I-797 + DS 156 and DS 157 with me and told me to sit on sitting area and check for announcement, when your no get called you go to that respected window.
 
I think by, 10.15 or 10.30 I finished all those procedures, and then I sit on sitting area; there are many chairs in front of all 17 VO (Visa Officer) counters. All 17 counters were not operated at same time but it keeps moving. Out of 17 counters, first 2 counters are for finger printing which I already passed, 3rd counter was like a query counter, during their document processing if they have any query then they are announcing names on that counter and call that person on that counter. Counter no 4-5-6 are mainly for Visitor visa. This is my assumption as all joint family ppl were going inside and majorities are coming out with rejections. Out of 4-5-6, 4th counter are for regional language counter. They took interview in Hindi, English, and Gujarati. If you selected Gujarati then they will call your name in Gujarati like, "Dhansukha bhai patel and his family - bari number 4 par ave" and window 5-6 is for English interview. Most of the time ppl who were going is come out with rejection only. Side by side Windows no 7 - 8 - 15 where doing H1B processing. They just call like 404 302 245 pl come to window no 15. This was very scary, as they announce it very slowly for H1b and it is difficult to listen and only one time it get announce and whenever announcement is there it is in same manner. If some Visa officer (VO) eat properly then he speaks loudly else they speak slowly and speakers are not there on all area. So I was just observing what is going on and who looks to be a person of H1b and finding out his windows. As windows for H1b keep changing. Initially it was 7 - 8 - 15 then it become 11 - 12 and then 15 - 17 and so on... so before my turn get came I change my position for around 4 times and keep observing what is going on. I think windows no 11 and 12 initially was doing F1 processing, but I think due to proper management they keep changing VO at specific time interval and they keep changing their role too. So if someone is doing F1 then after some time they do H1 and then finger printing work and so on on so no single person was there in 1 cabin for long time. So you never come to know who will take your interview.
 
When last time I looked it were around 12.20 and that time windows no 15 and 17 was doing H1b processing so I just go to nearby that window no and sit over there. What they are doing is, after they finish one batch they get new candidates documents from inside and they call those no and tell them to come in front of window no and stand over there. So they were announce 4-5 ppl at a time and once they process those 4-5 ppl they again get new list and so on. I was looking at windows no 17 and there was one couple inside and they were discussing lot of things and that interview was took around 45 minute and in between VO told main applicant to go outside and VO took around 10 - 15 min of wife's interview alone then he again called that person inside and discussing lot of things at last I saw couple get outside with yellow slip (that means 229g - something not proper and require further processing), that couple was last from previous batch then they announce new batch and in that batch my no was there so I just go to counter no 17 and stand over there but before me there was one person so he go inside first and after me 2 more persons were there. There was long discussion going on between VO and that person and I was observing as VO was doing some action and was talking to him, I think there were arguing on some point and in between he return his passport to that person and then again they were talking about it and then at last he again took his passport back and approve visa (after my interview that person told me, there were arguing about client name, that person told him, his client is going to post at somewhere and he don't know the client name and VO said, client name is must if you want visa else without client name how can I grant you visa, that person was from Instrumentation field, at last with lot of discussion he said, in instrumentation is not fixed and so on but he issued visa but that person was saying, it was almost visa get rejected), anyway then I go inside.
 
Me: Good Afternoon
VO: Good Afternoon
VO: Is this your first H1b interview?
Me: Yes right, this is my first visa also.
VO: What you are doing right now?
Me: I am working at XYZ company as PQR position.
(He was looking at my I-797)
VO: asked me how many employees are there?
Me: Where in India Company or at US company?
(He looked at I-797)
VO: at US company
Me: There are XYZ ppl working over there.
VO: What will be your salary?
Me: It will be XYZ PA
(He was looking at his computer)
VO: you will be developing XYZ software (I think he was looking at I-129, 1 line job duty where job duty is mention)
Me: Yes, I explain my project
VO: How you come to know about US Company?
Me: Answered
VO: He asked me, you know person XYZ?
Me: Yes I know, she was working under me.
VO: What is your salary at India Company?
Me: It is XYZ per month fix salary + yearly bonus
VO: How many ppl are there?
Me: Answered
VO: Can you show me documents given by India Company?
Me: Yes sure, I gave him salary and experience letter
(He didn't look at document at all and he just sees out logo and name on certificate and return immediate to me)
VO: Do you have any relative in US?
Me: I said no.
VO: Why you are not carrying your wife with you?
Me: Answered
VO: Oh ok
VO: Ok I am granting you a visa and you will receive your passport in 3 working days.
Me: Thank you
VO: Welcome
 
He hardly look at me for 1 or 2 time but all the time, whatever I was saying, he was just writing information in his computer and checking out information but it was all very confident interview. All documentation should be very proper since begging.
 
So all in all it went very well and like what I read on many forum about ppl get very nervous but nothing was there in my case, I was very confident and I replied all ans very confidently and properly, In between I get worried b'c since almost 3 hr I am keep observing nos and listing it was very irritating as was doing that task since last 3 hr continuously.
 
It was around 7 to 8 min interview and then come out and returns wooden token issued me at security check. I forgot to tell you when you do security check they give you one wooden stick, nothing written on it but we need to carry with us, I don't know what is the purpose of it may be kind of tracking purpose, how many go inside and came back. So at the end of interview when I come back I return that wooden token to security and at outside VFS bus was there to drop me at VFS Lodge.
 
I go there around 1.30 or so, I decided to wait for passport as on same day they issued passport between 5.30 to 6 PM. They need HDFC Pink slip with Xerox copy of it to get passport from counter. There was queue for passport also so I stand in that queue at around 4.30 or so and my no was 6 or 7th in that queue. In security jip they got all passports at around 5.15 and they start distributing at around 5.45
 
That's it.

HI Everybody,

I need some help.

I am going to book visa slot for me(H1B) and for my wife (H4) .please help me on these how to book slot at same time for me and my wife.

Praveen

Dear All,

I would like to thank each one of you for posting your experiences and information given.

here how my visa interview took place.
 
VO: How are you sir
Me: I am fine, Thank you. How are you?
 
VO: How long you have been married?
VO: Is it love marriage or arrange marriage?
VO: What is your caste?
VO: Asked with my wife, from which university your husband did his education?
VO: How did u get this offer?
VO: On which project you will work?
VO: Name of your US Company?
VO: Your visa is approved you will be receiving your passport soon.
 
thank you once again ...

regards
Anurag

Hi, Recently I had H1B interview in chennai.
They asked about my educational details. I showed my Masters from IIT. And then asked abt experience. I showed 2 years experience.
Then intervier said that a minimum of 3 years is needed to het H1 visa. I said that I have masters and 2 years experience. She asked as I would like to with draw application. And asked to write as below" I .... withdrawing application because of lack of experience" and I was given 221(g) in which it says like"application will sent back to USCIS for review and upon review they contact my petitionar"
 Can anybody tell the situation.

Your help is needed.

regarcs

ME:Good morning!
VO:Good morning!token please.
VO:Are you working for XYZ Company?
ME:Yes
What you do in XYZ Company?
ME:Explained my role
Have you worked any where before XYZ Company?
ME:Yes
For how many years?
ME:Answered
Have you ever visted US?
ME:NO
which Company you are going to work?
ME:XYZ Company.
Tell me about the project?
ME:xxx
It's a in house project?
ME:yes
Tell me in briefly about the project?
ME:Explained my project
Show me your appointment letter?
ME:ya sure,showed

And collected the passport from Mumbai VFS center on sameday......

Reached VFS office at 7.40am
At VFS lounge; came to know that : Visa interview process was running bit late for the day.
All 9am batch people were taken to consulate at 9.30.
Keep Passport, Interview letter and i-797 in hand (for H1)
Directly in security check.
He asked me to remove my wrist watch(metal) and Belt.
Checked all plastic bags.
Gave Me wooden stick, my bags and belt n watch.
Entered inside.
There is one counter which will give you back, your DS156,DS157 and documents which u have submitted in VFS office 5 days back. Also 2 pink color tokens.
they will also guide you to the Finger check counter.
At Finger check counter, after finger check, they will take Passport, i-797, interview letter, one pink token and all docs given to you at earlier counter..
Then you have to wait in waiting area for your token no. announcement. Hold pink token in ur hand.
After announcement of you token no., you have to go and stand in front of the called counter no.
Visa Officer (VO) wil call you inside, by signing with his/her hands.

I opened the door, "May I...?"
Entered..
ME : "Very Good Morning"
VO : "Good Morning, token please"
ME : gave the pink token
VO : "Why U want to goto US?"
ME : "For working in USA" (purpose of visa; visa definition)
VO : "Why U want to work in USA?"
ME : "I have been working work YYYY US client for almost zzz yrs now, So now I want to work in the close client environment.
Vo : "So r u going to work for YYYY in US?"
ME : "No. I will be working for YYY company in US (name of your US company i.e. Employer)"
Vo : "Ur project?"
ME : said the client name
Vo : "ohh" entered something in his system...
VO : "U r going to work as in?"
ME : designation given in ur offer letter... I also specified that I m computer engineer (B.E) by qualification
Vo : He jus turned my DS156 to see my qualification "technology?"
ME : said the technology name (vvv).
VO : "oh..vvv...Any language?"
ME : said the computer languages names related to my technology
VO : "How much they r paying U?"
ME : said the package specified in the offer letter (per annum)
Vo : "So where r U goin to work in US"
ME : said the city and state name.
Vo : "Alrite.. Ur Visa has been issued.. U will get ur passport in 2-3 days" (returned the I-797)
Me : Thank U
Vo : Thank U

He did not asked for a single document.
Most of the times, He was entering something in his system (may be my answers as a data)
Just be confident, well and corporate dressed.

Me: Hi, Good Morning.
VO: Hi, Good Morning. Please give your folder.
Me: Yes sure.
VO: Show me your degree certificate.
Me: Yes sure.
VO: Are you going to work for YYYY Company?
Me: Yes
VO: Who are the clients to the US Company?
Me: Answered appropriately.
VO: Which client are you going to work?
Me: I’m going to work in internal project.
VO: Your US Company has many clients and why are you going for Internal Project?
Me: One of operations of the company is “Product development operations”, I’m going for that.
VO: Give me the project related documents.
Me: Yes sure.
VO: How many employees working in the US Company?
Me: Answered appropriately.
VO: Please place your finger on the box for finger printing.
Me: Okay
VO: Your passport will be dispatched to you in few days.
Me: Thank You.

Best of luck for all the future interview attendees. Be honest and carry all necessary papers, it will show you’re genuine.