L1, L2 Visa

Entire process was very smooth, VO did not ask any question except which category of VISA which he wrongly heard as L1B. I further clarified and then he said i am approving your VISA :)

So in short if your L1A individual petition is approved, your chances of getting rejected in PAI are negligible.

VO did not ask any question on location, salary, role etc.

Hi All,

Thanks to all for sharing your experiences, it helped me a lot to prepare, now its my turn to share my experience.

OFC - Entire process happened within 20 min.
Key point - Ensure your DS160 is correct, and it matches with your passport.
If not, make your corrections, and carry the latest DS160 confirmation letter (they didnt bother the old ones).
You can make changes at the OFC center.

Consulate
It took more time (2 hrs for me), if you have kids, you get go faster.

We (L1 Blanket cases) need to arrange our documents in a certain order, I129 (3), I797 (3), DS160, DD, Passport. But we will get some decent time to put it together. Better be prepared to avoid panic.

Better take the DD for the Fraud prevention fee OR Cash or Credit card. Debit card not accepted.

After biometric verification, you get on to the Visa interview queue.

All the rooms/walls are sound-proof, no echo, so you don't need to panic about not hearing the VO clearly.

The Interview

VO: Hi,
Me: Hi, Good morning, how are you doing? (puts VO at comfort)
VO: I'm doing good, thanks,

VO: (browses I129S)
VO: What is your designation
Me: Sr. manager

VO: which company you are?
me: ABC

VO - How many years you are working with this company
Me: xx years

VO: Who is your client?
Me: XYZ

VO: Who you will report into?
Me: Account director

VO: what is your salary?
Me: xxx $

VO: How many reportees you have?
Me: xx reportees

VO: How many will be direct?
Me: y project managers and zz indirect, mix of people

VO: Congrats, your visa is approved.

Key pointers

1. Understand that, VO is only trying to understand you and your role, and see if you are fit for the visa category and not trying to put you down.

2. When you prepare, prepare a story, strong enough to cover all the possible questions, but when you respond to the "what you will do" question, give only the strong point. Don't give anything additional. If they want clarity, they will ask more.

Ensure that you are covering your strongest point in your first response. Rest of the Q&A (if at all comes up) should be only to substantiate your first point.

(Luckily I didnt get to that level, but preparing that way made me feel confident)

3. Getting verbose, shows that we are very desperate and we have "prepared", it also unnecessarily draws lot of questions. Answering to the point, shows we are confident.

4. Keep smiling, don't show your tension, talk confidently.

5. Resist yourselves from observing how others are responding. It will not help.

6. If you are in Blanket, and failed to get visa, you can still go for Individual, which is lengthy but high probability to get the visa. So don't stress yourself to get it.

All the best,

Hi Experts,
I need the advice. My wife is on L2 visa and her SSN says "Valid for work only with DHS authorization"
Do we still need to apply for her EAD (Employment Authorization Document)?

Thanks in advance.

As many people posted here, process at VAC is very simple and it will not take more than 30mins of your time. Docs required at VAC are original passport, copy of interview confirmation letter, copy of DS-160 confirmation page(Note- you can make changes to DS-160 for any number of times but make sure you submit the latest document to them.)

At Consulate the process takes minimum of 1hr time if you are going as individual/dependents without younger child. If you are going as individual/dependents with baby/younger child then the process will not take more than 30mins.

There was a 35+ yr old lady was VO and Below were questions asked for me

VO: Good morning! how are doing today?
me: Good morning!. I am doing good. how are you?
VO: Please pass on your passports....
me: I about to take my passport then she said please pass on all of docs passport, 3 sets of I-129s with 1 page of I-797, visa fee receipts. So slide over all the docs to her.
VO: oh! you work for ZZZ?( after looking at my doc)(one of the top MNC IT service company)
me: Yes!(little smile on my face)
VO: your job title in ZZZ?
me: told my designation.
VO: who is your client?
me: told the client name.(one of the US bank)
VO: how long u work for YYYY company?
me: I work for YYYY for the last 5 yrs.
VO: so what exactly you are going to do for ur client?
me: I am going to customize and integrate my company's proprietary tool with the client infrastructure.
VO: what ur specialization will do?
me: It will provide an optimized solution for handling big data management problems.
VO: how long u work for this client
me: last 3 months.
VO: what is US salary in USD?
me: it is 76k per annum.

then she said sorry sir ur visa is not clearly approvable. Thanks for ur patience and time on this bla bla... I didn't hear anything after she started stamping ...

It was so quick and it completed less than 30secs. I prepared a lot and spent lot of time and effort to crack this interview but that 30secs made my day feel worst.

I am not sure exactly what went wrong but I believe I answered very short. People who read this post please let me know what went wrong here. my ans?.. my company?.. my sal? or my exp? but I have 7yrs of overall exp in IT.

Also please let me know ur ans for my below questions.
1) How long I need wait before apply for other category of visa as my blanket is rejected now.
2) Let me know what could be reason for my above rejection.
3) If I am going to apply for L-1B individual then let me know the pros and cons for the same.

Place: Mexico City
Date: 11/29/2016

Hi all,

i see very limited experience shared from people for Mexico. Hence would like to add my experience for my L1A visa .

Unlike Canada, Mexico is little more crowded as it took me 1.5hrs to actually speak to the VO officer the time i entered the embassy because of huge lines but at the end i had no regrets since my visa was approved.The issue being i mexico is the language, very few people speak english, otherwise it is a cool place to visit.

Your dress attire,confidence, petition and which company you work for(along with luck) are the factors to determine your visa. here are my questions which was asked my the VO officer

1) What are you going to do in USA?
2)Which company you work for?(after my answer to this question, she was quite relaxed, as my YYYY company is very reputed and well known)
3) How many years of experience?
4)What managerial duties will you perform?
5) How may reportees?
6) which city in US? (after my answer she told she would like to visit the city and asked my recommendation on which places to visit:-))
7) when are you leaving Mexico..

Thats it, she smiled and told have a good time in Mexico for rest of your stay.

1)Which company you worked

My story is a little bit different. I'm working and applied fol L1A visa from Dubai. I was reading the interview experience from this form since the last two months maybe more. I started reading all the questions an wrote my answers and kept repeating them every day. while driving the car, while walking, front of the mirror and all the time.

the one question i was worry about that about my roles and responsibilities. the previous day of my interview, i wear the suit which i suppose to ware the next day for the interview even the shoes.

and kept repeating the questions and answers front of the mirror. next day my interview was at 8 AM in Dubai. I wake up at 4 AM study again for a little bit. and left the house at 6 AM - Never done it before -. usual Dubai traffic, I reached 7 AM to the consulate. about 10 peoples were front of me in the queue.

kept repeating the questions and answers in my mind specially the roles and responsibilities, first counter i said in my mind im ready for the answers lets start..

But she just looked to my passport and asked me if i have 3 copes from I-797 form with me. I said yes i have. the she said please go pay 500 USD in the other counter . i went i paid and waited in anther line.

another window says interview. I said that's will be it. about 20 peoples were front of me moving slow. i seen some people coming out from this interview window crying !!! Then another window opened and they put me the first one in the line.. - Oh no i need to repeat my answers littel bit !! - then she called me to step forward

I was little bit worry. she asked to do finger print, then i stand ready for the questions. Then she said can you please stand next to that security person over there? ( Again!! who will ask me the damn questions !! ). I went and wait, I was the only one there. then the security asked me to stand in another line front of a third window. ( Ok maybe it will be it or maybe there will be more windows .. Lets see.. ) Three people were front of me. i was listening to the VO question for the other peoples for a visit visa and she was not easy at all ( What will be my question then for work visa.. I said in my mind) tried to repeat the answers very quick. My turn came... i stepped forwared.

VO: Hello.
Me: Hi. Good morning. ( lets do it..i have to make my family happy.. In my mind)
VO: can i see your passport please
Me: sure.( I gave her only the passport)
VO: why you want to go to U.S
Me: for inter-company transfer. ( i don't think she heard me clearly )
VO: can i see you documents
Me: Sure
VO: So you are working for ABC
Me: Yes.
VO: Oh and they are going to transfer you?
Me: Yes ( give me the damn questions before i forget !!! In my mind )
VO; sine when you been working with them
Me: ( Ok the questions started ) 4 years.
VO: are you in a managerial position?
Me: Yes
VO: can i see the 500 USD receipt please.
Me: Sure
She start stamping the three forms and took some time to find the first page on each one.
VO: many documents
Me: ( Smile )
VO: Ok, your visa is approved ,Please keep this file with your hand when you enter the state and don't put it in your check bags.
Me: I will, thank you and have a good day. ( Zoomed out .. )

Now im waiting to get my passport to come by post... Good luck for all.

I attended L1A visa interview in Chennai this past week. Here is a synopsis of my experience at the interview center.

There was not much queue at the visa center. We were part of the first 15 - 20 people to report and most of the applicants were already inside. Post the mandatory checks we walked inside the complex.

First up, the cashier took demand drafts and issued a receipt which was followed by a document review and fingerprint identification. Then we were asked to wait for final interview. There were 15 - 20 other applicants waiting however we were bumped up the queue as we were with our young baby. After a wait of 10 minutes, we approached the VO.

VO : No greeting.
Me : Good Morning.

VO : (took my documents) What are you going to do in US?
Me : two word answer

VO : Who is your supervisor in US and his designation?
Me : two + two word answer

VO : How many people are in your team in USA?
Me : xx people, plus have plans for hiring xxx employees locally in USA.

VO : How many of these are supervisors?
Me : xx

VO : So how many total people in USA will report in to you?
Me : xxx people

VO : When were you married?
Me : xxxx

VO : What will be your salary in USA?
Me : xxxx

To my wife:

VO : What is your educational qualification?
Her : xxxxxx

VO : Which hospital was your baby born?
Her : xxxxxx hospital

Congratulations! Your visa is approved.

Thats it. The entire process was a breeze and we were out in less than one hour.
 Still waiting for our passports though.

Hi,

I attended the L1B visa extension interview on Thursday 11/17/2016, 9 AM at Calgary, Canada Consulate. The VO said that my visa is approved. He mentioned that I will be getting my passport (Indian) in next week. He gave me 2 stamped copies of I-129S along with I-797 as well G-28. One copy he retained with himself along with my passport.
On Monday 11/21/2016 I checked the status and it was Administrative processing. Even today on 11/22 it is showing the same status. As per consulate guideline, it takes5 working days but few of my colleagues have received the passport in 3-4 working days. The status does not show as Issued or ready or so. I am tensed up as I am in the foreign country.
Secondly my previous visa is on my older passport and that passport is with me. This passport is expired. The VO did not ask for my old passport on which old visa is there. Do they require to cancel the old visa or it can be there as is.

Please help.
Thanks,
Amit

First pf all, Thanks to everyone who had shared thr experience here. It was helpful and indeed on same line.

PAI was schedule today i.e. 22nd Nov and it went smoothly. Here sharing my experience.

ME: Good Morning - Handed the passport
VO: Looking at my petition, Can I have you petition as well?

VO: You are working for YYYY ?
ME: Yes

VO; How long?
ME: Answered

VO: Which City your company is transferring you?
ME: Answered

VO: Are you going to work as a Supervisor?
ME: Answered (Provided Reportees information)

VO: How long you have been married?
ME: Answered

VO: And how much you are going to earn thr?
ME: Answered

VO: M Sorry, Can you tell me again how long you have been married?
ME: Answered

Then we waited for around 30-45 seconds and Finally, The golden words "Okkk.. Your Visa is Approved"

I was nervous like hell before that, SO if you are nervous too than that is fine.

Few points that will make you feel better before the PAI:

1) 99.99% your visa will be approved if your petition is approved.
2) The last rejection of L1A individual was in Dec-2012 that too was rejected due to some documents issue
3) Prepare for 1 liners not for paragraph
4) Scan through all the questions given in this page
5) Be clear and crisp
6) Prepare as if you are going to give blanket interview.
7) Be nervous, This will make you serious towards preparation :-)

Dressing - Blazer is preferred as L1A individual is for senior category. And you should look senior while giving the interview (Well This is my personal view :-) )

All the best guys,, Ping me if you need any help.

Hi All,

1st Stage
I have filled L1-A individual on premium category and it got approved without RFE in 13 days and it was smooth without my expectation as i thought every case go through RFE.

2nd Stage
Then it was interview which i have prepared a lot in details by going through this forum. I went to interview with my wife and 1 year old boy at Delhi embassy. My interview was scheduled at 11 AM but I reached at 10.15 and guard allowed me to enter into the embassy.
 
There was a line for the interview and they weren't allowing separate line for family with toddler so everyone is in the same line.

VO: Hey, how are you?
Me: good and how are you? (consular was a young lady)
VO: Which visa you are applying?
Me: L1- A individual
VO: can i get your petition?
Me: handed the same to VO
VO: What do you do?
Me: Answered
VO: which comany?
Me: YYYY pvt ltd
VO: she said she didn't hear about the company and asked who was doing the job before?
Me: i was too suprise to hear this question as i haven't read the same in anyone's experience but replied that the person got fired due to performance issue.
VO: what is your profile in detail?
Me: answered
VO: then she went out and we waited for 5 minutes and she came back with some white paper (I thought she is rejecting my visa) and started asking all the things in details and typing the same in the computer. She asked my total experience and same above details again. then she asked my wife about her qualification.
Me: in the meanwhile, i thought she is approving
VO: Do you have tax returns?
Me: Yes its in the approved petition and she told me to give her whole petition and appointment letter, invitation letter i.e. all the documents related to petition.
VO: She told us that your she is puting my case under administrative processing and took our passport and gave us 221g .

We came out and thought what was that as i haven't head any case about 221 G in L1 experience page but i came back from embassy and came to know that there is a different page for all 221 g in Immihelp.

Now we are just waiting for the approval.