L1, L2 Visa

Dear Friends,

I am joining a new company which has been recently started in india but their parent company is in USA.

Now my Indian company wants to send me to USA s' i.e parent company.
 
My question is that can my company start the process for L1 A Visa even if it is an new company just started 2 months back ..

Pls help me ..

Thanks

Hi All,

Thanks a lot to all those who have posted their experiences on this forum.
I appeared for PA on 22-Mar-2016 and sharing my experience.

OFC:
Need to carry DS-160 Confirmation Page, Visa Appointment Confirmation Page & Passport

PA:
Original I-129S & 797 - 3 sets, Passports
Though you can carry other documents as well but these are the only one which will be asked by Consulate

Goof Up:
My company goofed up on the visa fees so had to go out and withdraw cash.

Dresscode:
For L1A, it is advised to wear blazer though not many were wearing it.

Sequence:
1) First you need to pay your visa fees in counter no 14 and proceed for finger printing on counter no 15 or 16
2) After fingerprinting, you need to visit counter no 17 or 18
3) Once completed, you will join the que for PA
4) There are close to 15 counters and was not asked to join any special counter for L1

Questions:
1) Which company you work for?
2) Since how long you are working in current company?
3) What is your total experience?
4) Who is your client?
5) Will you work from client location or company location?
6) What is your role?
7) Whom you will report to?
8) How many Program Managers report to BRM? As my role was Program Manager
9) How many reportees you will manage?
10) How many will be at onsite and how many at offshore?
11) What will be your salary in USD?

Then came the golden words " Your Visa is Approved"

Unluckily, one of my colleague in another window didn't get it so luck plays crucial role.

Advice:
Show confidence in your answers and look into the eyes of VO while answering

Thanks a lot to this forum. It helped me a lot for preparing all sort of Qs. Below is my PAI experience.

Timings: My Biometric appointment was at 9.30 and PAI at 11.30 am. However I reached biometric office early by 8.45 am and was free by 9.30 am from there. Reached Consulate by 9.45 am and was free in 1 hour. I left Consulate by 11 am.

Questions:
Who is your employer?
Who is your client?
What is your specialization? Tool name ?
Who all have designed this tool?
How long you took to develop this tool?
What does this tool do?
Where are you going?
How long is your stay?

Consulate experience: There were around 12 counters where PAIs were being conducted. At some counters VOs were grilling candidates with an lengthy interview. I would admit I was lucky to have cool VO, he didn't ask much exhaustive Qs, most of the time he was looking/typing at his computer.

My suggestions: 1.Do not lean on mike (I saw some people doing it but It was looking bit odd). 2. Do not get overdressed. I saw many suit/tie people getting rejected as well. I am not saying NO to suit/tie but wear clothes according to weather conditions (which reflects your common sense). 3. Putting on your company id/tag can be an added advantage (it reflects you are representing your company). 4. Prepare a list of around more than 50 Qs/As for all the possible scenarios. Prepare answers for negative Qs as well (like “I don’t think that your tool is special/unique. What is so special in it”? ). There can be trickier Qs like “Which client you are ‘working’ for”? Prepare answers to these type of Qs accordingly.

Hi All,
Need suggestions and advice for L1 A Blanket Visa interview preparation.My Appointment date is on 30th March.
I am having around 9.8 experience and designation is technical manager.I have an
opportunity in onsite.
My company decided to go for L1A blanket for me.
1) My offsore role is project leader and my onsite role is technical manager.
1) Whether VO will approve L1 A for Technical Manager ,as it is mentioned as technical manager in my designation
2) Second concern is my salary will be around 80 K, due to less salary there is a chance of rejection?
3) How many direct and indirect reportees are required?Is this make difference?
4) My company is not reputed company
5) This is the first time i am applying for US visa
6) I need an suggestions , how to manage the vo , if he ask about technical manager(really worried in this designation)
7) I am reporting to the delivery manager, is it cause an issue?
Can anyone help me for the above queries?
Thanks

Hi Aspirants,

My visa interview was on 17th March 2016. I am having 4.6 years of overall experience in FP&A with an MS and MBA. I have previously been on J1 and B1/B2 visa.

Me: Good Morning Officer
VO: Good Morning to you

VO: Are you with YYYY Corp
Me: Yes

VO: For How long
Me: 2 years

He opens my passport and goes through my previous visas

VO: Did you say 4 years
Me: No, 2 years

VO: Where are you going?
Me: Answered

VO: What's your salary
Me: $xxx + xx bonus

VO: Will you have reportees?
Me: No, I will be a functional manager

VO: What's your title
Me: Answered

VO: whom do you report to
Me: Answered

VO: whom does that person report to
Me: Answered

VO: How long are you planning to stay?
Me: 3 years

VO: Ok sir, I am approving your visa
Me: Thank you Officer, Have a great day

What might have helped?
The brand is important (especially if US)
If you have been there previously, it helps
Confidence, stick to the point
Job title - good to have director, sr. titles etc which might avoid descriptive questions
Proximity to the sr. management if it's a functional role

What doesn't matter
Dressing - Basic Formals are enough
Family - I have seen comments here about higher chances if going with family. I am divorced.

Don't over prepare which may tempt you to oversell

Best of Luck

Guys,

This forum is one of the key of my visa approval. It's time to pay back.

I had lot of brain feeding about ethics, etiquette and other Q/A and I was kinda confused that what is real do's and dont's for L1B. I was already in fear mode because of rejection rate topping up.

Trust me in 1 thing which is key experience , VO will make up his/her mind in 30-40 sec and remaining time is just to make sure whether his/her decision is correct or not. so, perfect confidence, little humour, proper dress and the way you greet is answer to hear those beautiful words.

That's my conversation with VO (maybe not exact words):

Zack - Good Morning, Madam (with genuine smile not fake one which we sometime give for random selfies)
VO - Good morning sir, how you doing.

Zack- I am absolutely fine except heat is against me.
Vo- Ohh

VO- What is your firm name.
Zack- YYYY X

VO- Onshore roles and responsiblity.
Zack- only 3 line answer but it included all keywords like development, deployment, estimation, architecture and so on.

VO- What about offshore roles.
Zack - Said about 3-4 lines in same way.

VO- What is your specialization
Zack- About tool and my role in developing this tool and complexity which I do handle.

VO- Why you not any some1 else there only?
Zack- If we hire a new person or give responsibility to existing person then it will take at least 6 month to ramp that resource and we are not in situation to let time impact our business.

VO- Salary in US?
Zack- YYYY X $

VO- Will you be able to survive with amount?
Zack- I am very economical and non-shopaholic . I think I can

VO- haha, where you will be staying in US
Zack- YYYY , YYYY hotel for sometime then will figure out place for myself.

VO- what you will do in free time.
Zack- I will go to Hollywood.

**** **** **** **** **** **** **** **And then guys **** **** **** **** **** **** **

She said golden words..... :) :)

Best of luck guys and please take care of all of your documents as in excitement people tends to miss their docs. Also, they may not ask for any document but in case so please keep every supporting document of your specialised skill.

Hi ,

My L1A Individual petition is approved on Feb 29th 2016. I have scheduled VISA interview on 29th march 2016 at Hyderabad Consulate.

Can you please let me know list of interview question i need to prepared and please share your Hyderabad Consulate experiences if any

Hi

Time for me to pay back, This site immensely helped me in prepping for the interview. Just a little background, I applied for L1A blanket for self, spouse and kid. Interview date was 17/03/2016.

Conversation with the visa officer

Me: Good morning, how are you doing today. Please excuse us my 6 month old is a little cranky today because of the weather and waiting.
VO: I can understand, Let me wrap this is up real quick
Me: Thanks a lot

VO: What category of visa
Me: L1A Blanket

VO: Client name
Me: YYYY and proactively gave a brief description of the client and its business and presence

VO: I see your were refused L1B blanket in 2007, is that correct?
Me: Yes i appeared in Aug 2007, I was asked to apply for Individual, I applied and got is approved in Nov 2007, Travelled to US and got it extended in 2010. I stayed until 2012.

VO: So it was L1B then and now it is L1A?
Me: Yes, I’m travelling as the account head, managing the entire business

VO stepped away as he was confused with the earlier rejection and went to check with a colleague about the current petition, returned 2 minutes later

VO: I may sound like a broken record, so your L1B was rejected and you travelled in individual?
Me, Smiled and say you’re correct.

VO: What’s your location
Me: Maine and california since I have my teams sitting in both the places

VO: your pay in US
Me: $$$$ + bonus + Benefits+ allowances

VO: your years of experience in current company
me: 10 years

In between i was trying to calm my cranky baby

Who do you report to”
So and so not at my location but in XX

VO:your duties at the client location
Me: <<I had rehearsed a well drafted duties that goes along with my petition>>
As a Relationship manager my roles and responsibilities would fall under four major categories viz
Customer relationship management
Project management
Resource management and Financial management
and explained each section in detail.<<I think he was convinced with my body language, confidence and explanation>>

VO to my wife: date of marriage please, DOB of my child

After typing for more than 2-3 mins, he said “Congratulations your visa is APPROVED”

What helped me:
Good amount of preparation for the interview
CONFIDENCE LEVEL - For a managerial role you’re expected to showcase this.
Body Language - I didnt act submissive like most people do, I gave descriptive answers and convincing ones from my well drafted response.
Practice - Do your home work, write down your response and make sure you dont fumble
Loud and Clear - Speak confident and loud and clear
Eye contact whenever possible, and play the cool attitude instead of a nervous one.

Hope this helps. Good luck to everyone

First of all many thanks to creation of this IMMIHELP forum. My L1A blanket visa got approved in Chennai. My biometric was 08-March-16 in Delhi and PA date was 10- March-16 , 10:30 A.M. in Chennai .

Biometrics was an easy affair and took hardly ten minutes for me and my wife's fingerprints. My daughter's photograph was not clear so while uploading , the software was not accepting the photograph so the guy wrote on the DS-160 "Photo not taken during biometrics must be taken at Embassy". I guess this was happening with everyone there who got photograph of their child.

INTERVIEW DAY

I reached Chennai with my family a day before interview for settling down. I read on various blogs that you can go to Consulate ANY time on the same day so it doesn't matter what's the SCHEDULED time you can reach early. I took the risk and it was worth taking as I reached @ 8:45 a.m. and queue was not very long. I thought I will be given preference because of family and child but I could see many families were standing in the queue. I joined the line and there was a guy with a tablet who verified DS-160 and receipt at back of your passport(pasted during Biometrics by VAC officials). Once it is verified , he will let you go to join another line.

There are some private vendor who is providing the locker but I had already left my phone and bag at the room(Please note NO items will be allowed inside Consulate except your documents). Even my wife was not carrying her handbag.

There were two lines for Male & female for security check. Once it is thru they asked to cross another door and make you to sit for 5-10 minutes. Here the guy requested for 3 copies of I-129 and I797 copies along with Demand draft. Please ensure your have written your name and Passport # at the back of DD. . He din't asked petition or ORG chart (keep it in folders but handy, if asked by VAC at counter). Once it was verified they arranged the copies in rubber band and escorted to enter another building. As I was with family(with kid), they allowed me to enter the building while Singles and w/o kid were asked to join another line at outside of that building. After all those hurdles I was exhausted due to humid weather I was actually dying for water.

Once I entered the building , here was the REAL game happening. I asked guy for water and he pointed out "Sir, its's there". It was like as if they realized, this is where they need WATER:-))).There was ANOTHER queue but we were asked to sit. In 5 minutes , the guy directed to me a counter where DD need to be submitted and they gave a receipt and direction to go another counter where our fingerprints were verified . Please note DANGEROUS GAME was still not started :-). Once it was done the lady asked me to go another as our daughter's photograph was not captured during Biometrics,. Here they scanned her photograph said " Please join there" , pointed out where the wrestling was ON :-))

I could see the terror on the face as all singles/family(w/o kid) was standing in 5 different lines but they directed me to cross all the lines and sit. Here the guy asked me to wait for turn for the BIG SHOW :-))

Air conditioner was hardly effective as there were ~60-70 peoples in the hall. My daughter was getting restless so I asked my wife to let her play. Once the guy(with family) in front of me was done, and I was busy in verifying the ordering of documents , I heard "Sir, please go ahead" . I called my wife and stepped towards window. VO greeted , "Good Morning Sir, Can I have your papers" and I took a little pause in replying as it took a little while for my wife took my daughter and joined me.

CONVERSATIONS
I responded immediately "Good Morning Maam, I am so sorry, she(pointing on my daughter) is getting Cranky"

VO : "That's absolutely Ok, I can understand this humid weather making everyone restless". Then she greeted my daughter " How are you darling". My daughter was staring and my wife asked my daughter "Say Hi to aunty" then my daughter murmured "Hii""

VO : Hello!! Don't worry I will let you go dear very soon(pointing to my wife.. But before you leave whats your highest qualification maam?
My Wife : B.Ed.

VO: Thank you !! you can take the seat maam and wait.
My Wife : Thank you!!

(she started typing something on her computer)

VO: You returned from US in 2012?
Me: Yes maam ,**/**/ ****

(again she started typing something)
VO : Okay...For which client you will be working?
Me: **** **

VO : It's in ??
Me: **** **** Maam

VO : Ohh yes..got it!! What's you highest qualification sir?
Me: **** **** and I did 1 year Executive program in Business Management from **** **

VO: Wow!!So How many people will be working under you?
Me: 11 Maam, 4 indirect and 7 indirect.

VO : So all of these are supervisors?
Me: Yes, Maam there will be 4 leads 3 project lead and 1 project Lead.. and all 4 have their own team.

VO: Ohh nice, so how much is your company paying you for this?
Me: **** **** US dollars

VO: Okay , Whom you will be reporting to ?
ME: She will be **** **** ***

VO : Okay , and to whom she will report .. I need only role not the name please
Me: She will report to **** **** *

VO: Okay.. so equivalent to VP it seems
Me: Yes maam, similar responsibilities

VO: Okay .. Please wait aside till I approve this.
ME : Sure Maam (smiling)

I started arranging the documents and she placed my passports and D-160 in bucket and responded after few seconds

VO : Sir, your VISA is approved , this is stamped copy of I129s and give to your HR and one copy you need to show to officer during port of entry. Have great day and Welcome back!!
Me: Thank you Maam and have a nice day!!

You need to go through your petition and understand what is written there.. I read my petition almost like 20 times and picked few keyword for roles and responsibilities but she din't asked my responsibilities.

But one thing is sure.. Be crisp and clear in your content , never rush to your answer and maintain eye contact. They want to listen the CORRECT information and NOT the wonders you want to perform in US as they will verify on their computer.

Good Luck!!

Hi ,
I got my L1B statmped in Jan and I mentioned March second week is travel date in DS 160.
but due to some client and project related issues my travel is postponed for 2 months ,it would be in Jun or July
Can anyone let me know what would be the consequences of this
Is there any minimum time limit to travle once visa gets stamped?
Is it OK if I travelb in jul-aug?
Appreciate your help

Thanks in advance