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Visa
L1, L2 Visa
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Having L1B and H4 both Visa and want to change status from L1b to H4
Hi,
I have L1B and H4 visas. Currently I am working on L1B visa. I and my spouse are working on the same location. My current project is going to be over in next month. I am thinking of resigning from my current company and want to change my status from L1b to H4 on my i94. I don't want to go back to my home country and again come back on H4 visa.
Can somebody please guide me how can I change my status from L1B to my existing H4 visa (whiich is already stamped in my passport) on my I94 form?
I have L1B and H4 visas. Currently I am working on L1B visa. I and my spouse are working on the same location. My current project is going to be over in next month. I am thinking of resigning from my current company and want to change my status from L1b to H4 on my i94. I don't want to go back to my home country and again come back on H4 visa.
Can somebody please guide me how can I change my status from L1B to my existing H4 visa (whiich is already stamped in my passport) on my I94 form?
All Replies (0)
Thank you immihelp and contributing members
Hi All,
Even since my L1 petition got approved I was reading the experiences of members for their interview, and believe me it boosted the confidence in me beyond all the myths surrounding L1 visa.
I had my visa interview yesterday and it got approved.
the officer asked me my
-Documents & passport first
-Company name
-Specialization (not specific to client but to your company)
-Questioned more on specialization and the product/project(of his interest without much technical terminology)
-Tenure of stay
Thats it!!
point to point, convincing, confident conversation can make your day.
My other friend from different company got approved too!!
Thank you all again. All the best
Even since my L1 petition got approved I was reading the experiences of members for their interview, and believe me it boosted the confidence in me beyond all the myths surrounding L1 visa.
I had my visa interview yesterday and it got approved.
the officer asked me my
-Documents & passport first
-Company name
-Specialization (not specific to client but to your company)
-Questioned more on specialization and the product/project(of his interest without much technical terminology)
-Tenure of stay
Thats it!!
point to point, convincing, confident conversation can make your day.
My other friend from different company got approved too!!
Thank you all again. All the best
All Replies (1)
L1 - franchise office question
Hello all! Will really appreciate your help! I am working for a large multinational corporation, and my current office used to be owned by the same parent/people as the US office which I am being transferred to. US office is a clear subsidiary & is in the annual report of the holding which we can provide to the USCIS & thus is "qualifying relationship with the same employer". Current office is now on franchise from the Holding, has the same brand name as US office etc. Will this qualify please? Thank you
All Replies (0)
L1 B Blanked approved with Family @ Chennai
Guys, I had my L1 Blanket Interview scheduled at Chennai on 16 Sep 7:30am. It was approved for me & my family. As everyone has already mentioned, this site has helped me a lot in every sense. THIS SITE ROCKS & IT’S A Dictionary FOR US VISA. I browsed more than 100 pages back of this site, from past 45 days, everyday for 30mins reading the experiences of people during my free time. This kept me boosting everyday towards my goal & ultimately helped in mental preparation too. And trust me enjoy reading the experiences, whatever the case may be.
I’ll just briefly explain my entire journey from preparing the documents to Visa stamping. I won’t cover the general procedure as everyone here has already mentioned that very nicely. But I would include some key points which I experienced during my process & are very very important & should be kept in mind
Preparing the Project role document is very important. Make sure you yourself prepare it without taking anyone’s help. Let it get reviewed later by you peers/Attorneys/etc. & you can make changes to it based on their inputs. Though this document is nowhere required in the entire process or during interview. It’s just a supporting document if incase VO demands for it. But the reason I asked to prepare the document yourself is, while you create the document you understand why I’m going to US & how important it is & what special skills I possess etc.
Filling DS-160 – Very very important. As people have already mentioned that the DS 160 should contain specialized skill information only & not generic information which our resume has. You can give your best in filling this form. As VOs do look at it & not sure, but I feel there might be someone in the back office doing some sort of homework on the visa applications before granting them. I might be wrong, but this is what I strongly think.
I-129s – I won’t explain about the generic questions in this document. But only one important section i.e. ‘Job Title & detailed description of duties to be performed’ Here my company has a practice to write (Please see attached statement). And this line refers to the Project role document which you had prepared earlier. Conclusion is, let’s not write the history of our life & job role in the 1-129s, let’s keep it a short & sweet document (4 page document or 5). Even VOs find it very handy while stamping & looking for anything during the interview. I experienced this during my interview. VO asked me which project you are working on without looking at me & he was looking for the Project name in my I-129s. He found it so quickly that he right away typed that name in his computer & started stamping my VISA. I realized that, he was just looking for that Project name from document & he really didn’t intended to ask me. So the conclusion is, I feel even they find it very comfortable while handling our I-129s if its short & less pages, because they don’t have to put an effort in searching anything within the document. And if VO asks, you can have your project role document. You can write all those details in the PRD, as it’s just a supporting document which you keep. So sky is the limit. Just make sure to recall what is written where. And you could immediately show to VO if required.
Most important thing. While filling the DS 160 you place of birth in the passport & DS 160 should match. I faced a issue for my daughters Place of birth in DS 160 was Pune while in Passport it was different. Though it was same city but still OFC people won’t allow you to proceed. A Big Thanks to Chennai Autowala’s, trust me they are genius. My OFC was at 4:30 & OFC people told me about this issue at 4:45. I was completely panicked, as time was less & had a doubt in my mind that OFC might close till I go & make the change to the DS 160. But I just came out, the Autowala’s said ‘Sir, you don’t even need to tell us what the problem is, you just sit in the Auto we know what needs to be done’ And he simply cruised his auto & took me to a nearest cyber café, which was again perfectly managed by smart people. I went inside, one guy simply took my DS 160, opened it & made the change to place of birth gave a printout & all was done within 15-20 mins & I reached back the OFC and was allowed inside without standing in the line. Auto took Rs.150 to & fro, Internet café person took Rs. 100. But the help these people provide is simply PRICELESS. OFC is altogether your luck, people say it finishes within 15 mins, some say it might take longer time. For me it took more than 2 hours though I was with my family with a 3 year kid. If you have a kid with you, trust me don’t at all hesitate for skipping the queue & asking for a priority, as this is a rule imposed may be by the US Embassy or may be by OFC. I don’t know exactly, who created this rule, but it works. I was allowed to go inside though there was a big big queue of at least 150-200 people standing. OFC, you need to stand in multiple queues outside the OFC door. No fans, full humidity, sweating etc. If you’re with kids, dress them very lightly.
Make sure you remember the answer for the security question for retrieving you DS 160 if incase you need to make any change during OFC. Or you can write it down somewhere
Now the Interview:
My appointment 7:30am. I reached there at 7:23am, keeping in mind I had my kid with me and they allowed me to skip the line. So as said earlier, Kids do all the magic. I got a P token, which is given only for Family. Family is Self, Wife & Kid. But if you are alone, I would advise to reach atleast 30 mins before appointment. Coz, I saw queue outside the Embassy, It was crazy. The kids magic continues inside too, I was given priority in all counters & queues. No standing everywhere I was asked with all due respect to proceed & skip the queues. I was very happy for this. So kids ROCK again.
Dos & Donts @ Interview
- Must wear a company badge round the neck tag. It gives a very good impression
- When you are in queue standing for your number, be serious about it, don’t look here & there, VO is watching for all those people standing in queue which he will be interviewing
- Check VOs body language & greet him accordingly. He might be in a hustle. If it’s a morning & VO had a bad day/weekend earlier, then asking him ‘How are you/How are you this morning/ etc.’ might drive him crazy. Just imagine so many people greet him after every 5 mins, VO might be going crazy about it. So I strongly believe in simple greeting ‘Good Morning’ & you can add a line after that introducing yourself like ‘Good Morning Sir, I’m <Your Name>’ & incase of family, Good Morning Sir, I’m <Your Name> and this my wife & our daughter/son. I might be wrong, but I feel this works well. Guys, it’s a visa interview, you know how many applicants apply for US Visa, you know well by analyzing those long queues. So let’s pull our socks, try to be SMART, DIFFERENT and ENERGETIC, use your best gesture during the interview. Be out of the box. Don’t be over smart though lol……
- Transparent folders only. Maximum two, one for required documents & other for supporting documents like PRD, Marksheets, certificates. Guys you know what, the way you are organized matters a lot. VOs interview window is wide enough & he can see everything. So better keep yourself organized with only two transparent folders, which looks perfect. You can place them on the slab (which is infront of VOs glass window, youside) during your interview.
Finally sharing my interview questions & answers
VO dint ask me my company name at all, I believe my company badge did all that work.
Which company you are going to work for?
YYYY X (mentioned only company name, no location, no city)
Since how long you are working with the company?
XX Years XX Months (guys tats all, and please please please don’t say 3.6 or 4.8, coz decimals is not the right way, this is our Indian way of telling, but here VOs are Americans)
Whats your Indian Salary?
YYYY Lakhs
Whats your US salary?
ZZZ US Dollars
City where you are going?
ZZZ CITY & YYYY STATE (that’s all)
How long you plan to stay?
ZZZ months (trust me short sounds really sweet, I mentioned 12 months) but its should be in sync with your documents DS 160, blanket petition etc
Which project you are working on?
Guys trust me, when VO was asking me all above questions, I was wondering when will he ask about specialization or job responsibilities. I was just waiting for that question & was ready with my answers. But he dint ask me this & he asked me the name of the project. Finally I made up my mind for this question & made sure that I will now cover my specialization here with some job duties, as you know there’s no second chance & questions can be tricky too
I mentioned about my project name, he verified the same in my blanket petition, & I mentioned about my expertise, my role in US etc & VO stopped me by saying tats okay you don’t need to go so far & smiled. I stopped & smiled back.
How long you both have been married (Looking at both of us)
I mentioned xx years
He waited for sometime & he started writing something on my petition, took a stamp & before stamping he mentioned your visa is approved. I knew it that he is going to approve my visa.
We thanked him , & little daughter (3 yrs) even thanked him, & he was so amazed to hear that, that he gave a wide smile & giggled. Even we never expected my daughter will Thank him. Anyways you know kids, they are little angels & sweet magicians, they can turn your mood to any level.
So the conclusion is, give your best, Family people with Kid (95%+ is the conversion rate) Guys I’m very sorry, neither I’m encouraging Families nor I’m discouraging Bachelors, but this is what I feel. If you are with kids, Trust me spend some quality time with your kid during the entire process & it will keep you so relaxed, that you could never take up any tensions building around you. BTW, you know kids, right, they can make us forget everything in this world lol…. So be with them, chat, play etc… with them they enjoy, we enjoy & ultimately your face reflects the joy when VO see’s you.
Anyways, I thought I would write a brief experience but its prolonged now, so ending it here.
All the best people…..Chill the world is Yours….
I’ll just briefly explain my entire journey from preparing the documents to Visa stamping. I won’t cover the general procedure as everyone here has already mentioned that very nicely. But I would include some key points which I experienced during my process & are very very important & should be kept in mind
Preparing the Project role document is very important. Make sure you yourself prepare it without taking anyone’s help. Let it get reviewed later by you peers/Attorneys/etc. & you can make changes to it based on their inputs. Though this document is nowhere required in the entire process or during interview. It’s just a supporting document if incase VO demands for it. But the reason I asked to prepare the document yourself is, while you create the document you understand why I’m going to US & how important it is & what special skills I possess etc.
Filling DS-160 – Very very important. As people have already mentioned that the DS 160 should contain specialized skill information only & not generic information which our resume has. You can give your best in filling this form. As VOs do look at it & not sure, but I feel there might be someone in the back office doing some sort of homework on the visa applications before granting them. I might be wrong, but this is what I strongly think.
I-129s – I won’t explain about the generic questions in this document. But only one important section i.e. ‘Job Title & detailed description of duties to be performed’ Here my company has a practice to write (Please see attached statement). And this line refers to the Project role document which you had prepared earlier. Conclusion is, let’s not write the history of our life & job role in the 1-129s, let’s keep it a short & sweet document (4 page document or 5). Even VOs find it very handy while stamping & looking for anything during the interview. I experienced this during my interview. VO asked me which project you are working on without looking at me & he was looking for the Project name in my I-129s. He found it so quickly that he right away typed that name in his computer & started stamping my VISA. I realized that, he was just looking for that Project name from document & he really didn’t intended to ask me. So the conclusion is, I feel even they find it very comfortable while handling our I-129s if its short & less pages, because they don’t have to put an effort in searching anything within the document. And if VO asks, you can have your project role document. You can write all those details in the PRD, as it’s just a supporting document which you keep. So sky is the limit. Just make sure to recall what is written where. And you could immediately show to VO if required.
Most important thing. While filling the DS 160 you place of birth in the passport & DS 160 should match. I faced a issue for my daughters Place of birth in DS 160 was Pune while in Passport it was different. Though it was same city but still OFC people won’t allow you to proceed. A Big Thanks to Chennai Autowala’s, trust me they are genius. My OFC was at 4:30 & OFC people told me about this issue at 4:45. I was completely panicked, as time was less & had a doubt in my mind that OFC might close till I go & make the change to the DS 160. But I just came out, the Autowala’s said ‘Sir, you don’t even need to tell us what the problem is, you just sit in the Auto we know what needs to be done’ And he simply cruised his auto & took me to a nearest cyber café, which was again perfectly managed by smart people. I went inside, one guy simply took my DS 160, opened it & made the change to place of birth gave a printout & all was done within 15-20 mins & I reached back the OFC and was allowed inside without standing in the line. Auto took Rs.150 to & fro, Internet café person took Rs. 100. But the help these people provide is simply PRICELESS. OFC is altogether your luck, people say it finishes within 15 mins, some say it might take longer time. For me it took more than 2 hours though I was with my family with a 3 year kid. If you have a kid with you, trust me don’t at all hesitate for skipping the queue & asking for a priority, as this is a rule imposed may be by the US Embassy or may be by OFC. I don’t know exactly, who created this rule, but it works. I was allowed to go inside though there was a big big queue of at least 150-200 people standing. OFC, you need to stand in multiple queues outside the OFC door. No fans, full humidity, sweating etc. If you’re with kids, dress them very lightly.
Make sure you remember the answer for the security question for retrieving you DS 160 if incase you need to make any change during OFC. Or you can write it down somewhere
Now the Interview:
My appointment 7:30am. I reached there at 7:23am, keeping in mind I had my kid with me and they allowed me to skip the line. So as said earlier, Kids do all the magic. I got a P token, which is given only for Family. Family is Self, Wife & Kid. But if you are alone, I would advise to reach atleast 30 mins before appointment. Coz, I saw queue outside the Embassy, It was crazy. The kids magic continues inside too, I was given priority in all counters & queues. No standing everywhere I was asked with all due respect to proceed & skip the queues. I was very happy for this. So kids ROCK again.
Dos & Donts @ Interview
- Must wear a company badge round the neck tag. It gives a very good impression
- When you are in queue standing for your number, be serious about it, don’t look here & there, VO is watching for all those people standing in queue which he will be interviewing
- Check VOs body language & greet him accordingly. He might be in a hustle. If it’s a morning & VO had a bad day/weekend earlier, then asking him ‘How are you/How are you this morning/ etc.’ might drive him crazy. Just imagine so many people greet him after every 5 mins, VO might be going crazy about it. So I strongly believe in simple greeting ‘Good Morning’ & you can add a line after that introducing yourself like ‘Good Morning Sir, I’m <Your Name>’ & incase of family, Good Morning Sir, I’m <Your Name> and this my wife & our daughter/son. I might be wrong, but I feel this works well. Guys, it’s a visa interview, you know how many applicants apply for US Visa, you know well by analyzing those long queues. So let’s pull our socks, try to be SMART, DIFFERENT and ENERGETIC, use your best gesture during the interview. Be out of the box. Don’t be over smart though lol……
- Transparent folders only. Maximum two, one for required documents & other for supporting documents like PRD, Marksheets, certificates. Guys you know what, the way you are organized matters a lot. VOs interview window is wide enough & he can see everything. So better keep yourself organized with only two transparent folders, which looks perfect. You can place them on the slab (which is infront of VOs glass window, youside) during your interview.
Finally sharing my interview questions & answers
VO dint ask me my company name at all, I believe my company badge did all that work.
Which company you are going to work for?
YYYY X (mentioned only company name, no location, no city)
Since how long you are working with the company?
XX Years XX Months (guys tats all, and please please please don’t say 3.6 or 4.8, coz decimals is not the right way, this is our Indian way of telling, but here VOs are Americans)
Whats your Indian Salary?
YYYY Lakhs
Whats your US salary?
ZZZ US Dollars
City where you are going?
ZZZ CITY & YYYY STATE (that’s all)
How long you plan to stay?
ZZZ months (trust me short sounds really sweet, I mentioned 12 months) but its should be in sync with your documents DS 160, blanket petition etc
Which project you are working on?
Guys trust me, when VO was asking me all above questions, I was wondering when will he ask about specialization or job responsibilities. I was just waiting for that question & was ready with my answers. But he dint ask me this & he asked me the name of the project. Finally I made up my mind for this question & made sure that I will now cover my specialization here with some job duties, as you know there’s no second chance & questions can be tricky too
I mentioned about my project name, he verified the same in my blanket petition, & I mentioned about my expertise, my role in US etc & VO stopped me by saying tats okay you don’t need to go so far & smiled. I stopped & smiled back.
How long you both have been married (Looking at both of us)
I mentioned xx years
He waited for sometime & he started writing something on my petition, took a stamp & before stamping he mentioned your visa is approved. I knew it that he is going to approve my visa.
We thanked him , & little daughter (3 yrs) even thanked him, & he was so amazed to hear that, that he gave a wide smile & giggled. Even we never expected my daughter will Thank him. Anyways you know kids, they are little angels & sweet magicians, they can turn your mood to any level.
So the conclusion is, give your best, Family people with Kid (95%+ is the conversion rate) Guys I’m very sorry, neither I’m encouraging Families nor I’m discouraging Bachelors, but this is what I feel. If you are with kids, Trust me spend some quality time with your kid during the entire process & it will keep you so relaxed, that you could never take up any tensions building around you. BTW, you know kids, right, they can make us forget everything in this world lol…. So be with them, chat, play etc… with them they enjoy, we enjoy & ultimately your face reflects the joy when VO see’s you.
Anyways, I thought I would write a brief experience but its prolonged now, so ending it here.
All the best people…..Chill the world is Yours….
All Replies (2)
L1 Visa Interview Experience
Hi Everyone,
Here I wanna share my successful L1 Visa Experience with you.
I have applied for L1 B which is Non Immigrant L1 B - Specialized Knowledge Professional category from my company.
The Initiation started by my company after successful approvals.I have received an email from Attorney to fill up L1 petition form.In this form we need to provide Personal,Professional and Academics information in detail.Make sure of filling right and exact details as mentioned in your all certificates.
Using the petition , they will check your eligibility for L1 B Visa.
I was eligible and been asked to fill up DS 160 form. Available at http://www.ustraveldocs.com.
Create US Visa profile and remember generated UID number .
You need to pay Visa Profile Payment Rs11780/-
I have submitted below documents to immigration team in our company.
•UID number
•Scanned copy of first and last pages of passport
•Form DS-160 confirmation page
•Payment receipt number ([email protected]) - will receive this notification after payment. We need to carry a copy of this email.
Immigration team have scheduled my appointment with US Consulate Chennai on September 16th 2013.
From now I have started my research in Google and You Tube for L1 Visa Questionnaire.
There are many websites which will give you clear information on this such as below
http://www.immihelp.com/
http://www.immihelp.com/l1-visa/l1-visa-interview-tips.html
http://www.immihelp.com/l1-visa/l1-visa-stamping-interview-questions.html
Exactly I followed what they have mentioned. Even found few mock interview video s available in You Tube.
My sincere advise is- be yourself ,confident and simple.
Prepare your answers precisely for every question.I did a thorough preparation.
Of course a decent appearance really matters .I wore black and white formals.
The cabins in OFC and US Consulate are just like reservation counters in Railway stations :) A glass in between with a mike.
Bio metrics and US consulate Interview happens on same day for L1 Visa applicants.
Reached OFC (Offshore Facilities Center) 30 mins before scheduled time .A Token Number will be given to you , wait for your number and do not look / talk to someone unnecessarily. Here we give Left hand finders ,right hand fingers and two thumb impressions and will get over Bio Metrics in 20 mins after 3 security check points.
carry your appointment letter along make sure your name on Passport is same as in the Appointment Letter too.
Interview was scheduled at 11:30AM. I have reached there by 11AM.Followed all security and documents check counters .Here again a token number will be provided to you and again wait fror your turn.At this counter The officer will check your documents and after we need ti step into another building where interview with US consular sits.Here I Paid VISA charges in the counter .
Following are the questions Consulate had asked me.
Hi Good Morning ..
1.What is your designation?
2.Are you going to client's place?
3.Where is it located ?
4.How long since u have been assocaited with your company ?
5.What are your roles and responsibilities at cleint place ?
I have answered very clearly and precisely ..in 3 mins my interaction with him was over.
He replied .. Your L1 is approved. :) ..I have greeted him happily - Thank You.. :)
I have handed over my passport to the Courier Team and received my Visa stamped passport after 2 days.
That was really a lucky and Happy day for me ..
I wish you too have a wonderful and good time.. All The Best
Regards
Raji.
Here I wanna share my successful L1 Visa Experience with you.
I have applied for L1 B which is Non Immigrant L1 B - Specialized Knowledge Professional category from my company.
The Initiation started by my company after successful approvals.I have received an email from Attorney to fill up L1 petition form.In this form we need to provide Personal,Professional and Academics information in detail.Make sure of filling right and exact details as mentioned in your all certificates.
Using the petition , they will check your eligibility for L1 B Visa.
I was eligible and been asked to fill up DS 160 form. Available at http://www.ustraveldocs.com.
Create US Visa profile and remember generated UID number .
You need to pay Visa Profile Payment Rs11780/-
I have submitted below documents to immigration team in our company.
•UID number
•Scanned copy of first and last pages of passport
•Form DS-160 confirmation page
•Payment receipt number ([email protected]) - will receive this notification after payment. We need to carry a copy of this email.
Immigration team have scheduled my appointment with US Consulate Chennai on September 16th 2013.
From now I have started my research in Google and You Tube for L1 Visa Questionnaire.
There are many websites which will give you clear information on this such as below
http://www.immihelp.com/
http://www.immihelp.com/l1-visa/l1-visa-interview-tips.html
http://www.immihelp.com/l1-visa/l1-visa-stamping-interview-questions.html
Exactly I followed what they have mentioned. Even found few mock interview video s available in You Tube.
My sincere advise is- be yourself ,confident and simple.
Prepare your answers precisely for every question.I did a thorough preparation.
Of course a decent appearance really matters .I wore black and white formals.
The cabins in OFC and US Consulate are just like reservation counters in Railway stations :) A glass in between with a mike.
Bio metrics and US consulate Interview happens on same day for L1 Visa applicants.
Reached OFC (Offshore Facilities Center) 30 mins before scheduled time .A Token Number will be given to you , wait for your number and do not look / talk to someone unnecessarily. Here we give Left hand finders ,right hand fingers and two thumb impressions and will get over Bio Metrics in 20 mins after 3 security check points.
carry your appointment letter along make sure your name on Passport is same as in the Appointment Letter too.
Interview was scheduled at 11:30AM. I have reached there by 11AM.Followed all security and documents check counters .Here again a token number will be provided to you and again wait fror your turn.At this counter The officer will check your documents and after we need ti step into another building where interview with US consular sits.Here I Paid VISA charges in the counter .
Following are the questions Consulate had asked me.
Hi Good Morning ..
1.What is your designation?
2.Are you going to client's place?
3.Where is it located ?
4.How long since u have been assocaited with your company ?
5.What are your roles and responsibilities at cleint place ?
I have answered very clearly and precisely ..in 3 mins my interaction with him was over.
He replied .. Your L1 is approved. :) ..I have greeted him happily - Thank You.. :)
I have handed over my passport to the Courier Team and received my Visa stamped passport after 2 days.
That was really a lucky and Happy day for me ..
I wish you too have a wonderful and good time.. All The Best
Regards
Raji.
All Replies (0)
L1-B blanket interview within a month of H1b approval @Chennai
This is my second post in immihelp within a span of month. Both time, thanks to God the outcome has been positive.
Background: H1B approved on 20th August 2013. Current employer offered a better job and much better salary(6 figure). Based on urgency, Fragomen sugested L1-B blanket, although they indicated that chances of visa rejection at Chennai is high.
OFC 18th Sept: Usual bio-metric process. Carry Passport, DS-160, appointment confirmation and kids photo(if applicable)
Interview: 19th Sept
Thanks to three year old daughter breezed through into consulate for appointment at 7:30 am.
First counter, verified passport, DS-160, I-129S, I-797 copy.
Second counter: Finger print verification
Moved to second block housing Visa officers.
VFS people asked if mine is blanket petition. As it is, they directed to first counter. Indian lady at the counter, she asked for passport and DD. She printed the receipt and handed back all documents. My heart sunk, I thought my visa is rejected without even asking a question. Then the lady asked me to watch the TV screen till my token number appears. In my apprehension, I did not realise that I was at the "CASHIER" counter, mentioned in big font on the blue board. :)
No VO were in, so everybody was waiting.
After 10 minutes, mine was the first one to be called for the particular window, again thanks to my daughter. First interview for both us and VO.
Guess what, the same nice american gentleman who approved my H1-B was doing my L1-B.
VO: Good morning. How are you?
Me: Good morning Sir, I am fine thanks.
VO: So are you applying for L1-B visa?
Me: Yes
VO: Which company are you working for?
Me: Told the US firm name(My firm is re-naming itself so India and US has different name)
VO: What is the title?
Me: Told the US title
VO: How long have you been with XYX?
Me: I told my India title and working since ABC month of YYYY year.
VO: How many years?
Me: XX Months
VO: How may year?
Me: XX months so AA Years BB months
VO: What is your specialized skill?
Me: Explained
VO: This sound very generic?
Me(I thought its over, but did not show panic on face): No Sir, re-explained the same thing again.Stressing on different words in my explaination.
VO: What is your Indian Salary?
Me: XX Lakhs and YY thousand
VO: Did you say lakhs?
Me: Yes(VO know Indian usage so you are fine with use of lakh)
Started writing on my I-129S. Yipee!, Man mein hazaron ladoo phootne lage...
VO: How long have you been married?
Wife: Smiled
VO: How long have you been married?
Wife: Realising that the question was for her, answered.
VO: How old is your daughter?
Wife: XX years, she turned three on 15th Sept.
VO: Oh great, she is cute, don't wake her up.[Yes my daughter was sleeping through the interview :-) ]
VO: I am approving your visa.
Me/Wife: Thankyou sir
VO: I am done with your passport, but I need to take care of other two. Please wait.
Me: Sure
After sometime VO said have a nice stay.
Me: Thank you sir
Paid courier fees and came out.
Total time:1 hour
As said by many and me on my H1b experience, please be calm, confident and maintain eye contact.
Tip from Fragomen: VO study your body language. Be calm and composed even when waiting for your interview. If you are not able to handle visa interview, how can you work in US?
All the best!
Background: H1B approved on 20th August 2013. Current employer offered a better job and much better salary(6 figure). Based on urgency, Fragomen sugested L1-B blanket, although they indicated that chances of visa rejection at Chennai is high.
OFC 18th Sept: Usual bio-metric process. Carry Passport, DS-160, appointment confirmation and kids photo(if applicable)
Interview: 19th Sept
Thanks to three year old daughter breezed through into consulate for appointment at 7:30 am.
First counter, verified passport, DS-160, I-129S, I-797 copy.
Second counter: Finger print verification
Moved to second block housing Visa officers.
VFS people asked if mine is blanket petition. As it is, they directed to first counter. Indian lady at the counter, she asked for passport and DD. She printed the receipt and handed back all documents. My heart sunk, I thought my visa is rejected without even asking a question. Then the lady asked me to watch the TV screen till my token number appears. In my apprehension, I did not realise that I was at the "CASHIER" counter, mentioned in big font on the blue board. :)
No VO were in, so everybody was waiting.
After 10 minutes, mine was the first one to be called for the particular window, again thanks to my daughter. First interview for both us and VO.
Guess what, the same nice american gentleman who approved my H1-B was doing my L1-B.
VO: Good morning. How are you?
Me: Good morning Sir, I am fine thanks.
VO: So are you applying for L1-B visa?
Me: Yes
VO: Which company are you working for?
Me: Told the US firm name(My firm is re-naming itself so India and US has different name)
VO: What is the title?
Me: Told the US title
VO: How long have you been with XYX?
Me: I told my India title and working since ABC month of YYYY year.
VO: How many years?
Me: XX Months
VO: How may year?
Me: XX months so AA Years BB months
VO: What is your specialized skill?
Me: Explained
VO: This sound very generic?
Me(I thought its over, but did not show panic on face): No Sir, re-explained the same thing again.Stressing on different words in my explaination.
VO: What is your Indian Salary?
Me: XX Lakhs and YY thousand
VO: Did you say lakhs?
Me: Yes(VO know Indian usage so you are fine with use of lakh)
Started writing on my I-129S. Yipee!, Man mein hazaron ladoo phootne lage...
VO: How long have you been married?
Wife: Smiled
VO: How long have you been married?
Wife: Realising that the question was for her, answered.
VO: How old is your daughter?
Wife: XX years, she turned three on 15th Sept.
VO: Oh great, she is cute, don't wake her up.[Yes my daughter was sleeping through the interview :-) ]
VO: I am approving your visa.
Me/Wife: Thankyou sir
VO: I am done with your passport, but I need to take care of other two. Please wait.
Me: Sure
After sometime VO said have a nice stay.
Me: Thank you sir
Paid courier fees and came out.
Total time:1 hour
As said by many and me on my H1b experience, please be calm, confident and maintain eye contact.
Tip from Fragomen: VO study your body language. Be calm and composed even when waiting for your interview. If you are not able to handle visa interview, how can you work in US?
All the best!
All Replies (0)
L1B Approved
Thanks to all members who shared their experiences. This helped to make my mindset ready and prepare answers for frequently asked questions. and thats the reason, i am sharing my experience as well.
Please carry some cash (2 to 3K) handy incase if the exchange rates changes, they will ask you to pay at the counter. exchange rate at the time of purchasing DD and at the day of interview may be different which happened to me. Otherwise you will be asked to go and get and continue.
My interview was at 7:30 and i was out by 8:50. I went at 7:00 am. there were 2 lines, one for 7:30 and other for 8 am. once you move in, things will be taken care by itself. we will be moving to several queues before interview.
Which company you work for?
What do you do? i had to tell my product three times as he did not hear properly. i just told design and develop xxx (mechanical product)
Which visa were you in last time? (he started approving petition)
Which company did you work last?
Which company do you work in US?
Were your visa denied previously? Yes
You have worked for few years in USA; did not you apply for Permanent Resident? No.
I worked for more than 5 years in H1B. my questions were more of last visa type and company. I dont know how they reject or approve. They keep looking at monitor which i guess reading our DS160 and glance on our petition. I did not show my specialization letter, no questions on salary or specialization. No questions to spouse.
before me in my queue, all were approved.
Please carry some cash (2 to 3K) handy incase if the exchange rates changes, they will ask you to pay at the counter. exchange rate at the time of purchasing DD and at the day of interview may be different which happened to me. Otherwise you will be asked to go and get and continue.
My interview was at 7:30 and i was out by 8:50. I went at 7:00 am. there were 2 lines, one for 7:30 and other for 8 am. once you move in, things will be taken care by itself. we will be moving to several queues before interview.
Which company you work for?
What do you do? i had to tell my product three times as he did not hear properly. i just told design and develop xxx (mechanical product)
Which visa were you in last time? (he started approving petition)
Which company did you work last?
Which company do you work in US?
Were your visa denied previously? Yes
You have worked for few years in USA; did not you apply for Permanent Resident? No.
I worked for more than 5 years in H1B. my questions were more of last visa type and company. I dont know how they reject or approve. They keep looking at monitor which i guess reading our DS160 and glance on our petition. I did not show my specialization letter, no questions on salary or specialization. No questions to spouse.
before me in my queue, all were approved.
All Replies (0)
L1B Rejected
My L1-B Visa got rejected.
Officer saw my passport and asked just 3 questions: Client Name, Technology and Salary in US.
Later he said, check with your HR if you can travel with some other VISA.
Thanks,
Officer saw my passport and asked just 3 questions: Client Name, Technology and Salary in US.
Later he said, check with your HR if you can travel with some other VISA.
Thanks,
All Replies (1)
L1B - approved
Thanks to Immihelp for providing such platform to gain extensive experience of people already gone through the process.
Below are the questions asked from me:
For which company are you working?
From which location will you be working?
Is this Client location?
Tell me your specialization?
More about company product.
Did you develop this?
How many people are working on this?
How long will you be there?
What will you be doing there?
Then he handed over to me two copies of stamped I129S and said keep one with you and give another to your company. I am approving your visa. Have a nice stay in US.
My observation is VOs are not there to reject your visa. They decide it based on your answers and DS160 only. If they are not satisfy with your answers then they do cross questioning to confirm their doubt before approve / reject visa. Also, VOs are really sharp people who observe small things very quickly before you notice. I was wearing my company ID card and he noticed that too.
Below are the questions asked from me:
For which company are you working?
From which location will you be working?
Is this Client location?
Tell me your specialization?
More about company product.
Did you develop this?
How many people are working on this?
How long will you be there?
What will you be doing there?
Then he handed over to me two copies of stamped I129S and said keep one with you and give another to your company. I am approving your visa. Have a nice stay in US.
My observation is VOs are not there to reject your visa. They decide it based on your answers and DS160 only. If they are not satisfy with your answers then they do cross questioning to confirm their doubt before approve / reject visa. Also, VOs are really sharp people who observe small things very quickly before you notice. I was wearing my company ID card and he noticed that too.
All Replies (1)
Thanks to immihelp
This is the first time i am posting to a forum because i owe this to immihelp.
First, thanks a lot to immihelp. Even though i wasnt asked many questions, immihelp mentally prepared me for a lot of questions and things one needs to be ready to answer. It gave me a lot of confidence.
The interview was scheduled for friday, 06th september 10 am. I had gone from delhi and was staying at the park which is right across the street from the consulate. I reached at 9:45 and was absolutely taken aback to see the number of people already standing in the queue. I told the guy who was checking the appointment letter there that my interview was at 10 am and he let me pass through. Again, i stood in another queue where ds160 was being checked. One more queue for security check. Then sat down for token display for documents check only to realize that i had no clue that i was supposed to pay 500 USD for anti fraud fee. The officer asked me if i was carrying a credit card and i wasnt. I told him that i could go and quickly grab it from my hotel room. He issued me a gate pass to return within one hour max. I am a girl and i was starting to panic because i had traveled all the way to chennai for the first time and somehow cant bear heat and dirt at all (to which i was getting subjected to) but i told myself to keep calm and be confident. Its no big deal. So again i came back and passed through most of the queues by displaying the gate pass. All security check guards were smiling at me and asking why was i coming again. I told them that i missed something :)
Finally, after bearing almost 3 hours of heat and queues and commotions, i reached the final interview counter. The whole process easily takes 2 hours so you should eat a little bit before you go in. He rejected 3 visas before me and i was quite skeptical if i was going to get one. He read through my DS 160 and asked me two questions.
I work for a big US MNC and they dont send people in bulk like indian companies. So we probably have a good reputation.
1. For how long are you going?
Ans: 6-8 months.
2. Who is your client?
Ans: I am not going to a client. Ours is a product development company and I am going to the parent company's headquarters.
Before i could complete answering the second question, the VO started stamping the I129S forms. He then looked at my DS160 again and said your B1/B2 was rejected last year? OK.
And then he gave me 2 copies of the I129S forms and kept one copy and said "your visa is approved".
I gave him a big smile and said thanks :)
I couldn't believe my ears because even though i have studied in the US earlier and been there couple of times, my Business visa was rejected last year and i was quite skeptical if i was going to get this one. I had prepared the specialization and all questions pretty well and was quite confident about what i was going to answer.
I think the key is to have strong and clear documentation of what you are going to do and why someone else cant do this. Also, you have to be VERY clear and careful while filling out your DS-160. It decides your visa even before you start answering the questions. The VO was literally grilling the guys who were ahead of me in the queue and rejected them. The VOs are very smart people and they somehow can read between the lines and know if you are lying or telling the truth even by reading what you've written down.
Thanks a lot to immihelp for all the confidence it gave me. Good luck to everyone. Hope this helps.
First, thanks a lot to immihelp. Even though i wasnt asked many questions, immihelp mentally prepared me for a lot of questions and things one needs to be ready to answer. It gave me a lot of confidence.
The interview was scheduled for friday, 06th september 10 am. I had gone from delhi and was staying at the park which is right across the street from the consulate. I reached at 9:45 and was absolutely taken aback to see the number of people already standing in the queue. I told the guy who was checking the appointment letter there that my interview was at 10 am and he let me pass through. Again, i stood in another queue where ds160 was being checked. One more queue for security check. Then sat down for token display for documents check only to realize that i had no clue that i was supposed to pay 500 USD for anti fraud fee. The officer asked me if i was carrying a credit card and i wasnt. I told him that i could go and quickly grab it from my hotel room. He issued me a gate pass to return within one hour max. I am a girl and i was starting to panic because i had traveled all the way to chennai for the first time and somehow cant bear heat and dirt at all (to which i was getting subjected to) but i told myself to keep calm and be confident. Its no big deal. So again i came back and passed through most of the queues by displaying the gate pass. All security check guards were smiling at me and asking why was i coming again. I told them that i missed something :)
Finally, after bearing almost 3 hours of heat and queues and commotions, i reached the final interview counter. The whole process easily takes 2 hours so you should eat a little bit before you go in. He rejected 3 visas before me and i was quite skeptical if i was going to get one. He read through my DS 160 and asked me two questions.
I work for a big US MNC and they dont send people in bulk like indian companies. So we probably have a good reputation.
1. For how long are you going?
Ans: 6-8 months.
2. Who is your client?
Ans: I am not going to a client. Ours is a product development company and I am going to the parent company's headquarters.
Before i could complete answering the second question, the VO started stamping the I129S forms. He then looked at my DS160 again and said your B1/B2 was rejected last year? OK.
And then he gave me 2 copies of the I129S forms and kept one copy and said "your visa is approved".
I gave him a big smile and said thanks :)
I couldn't believe my ears because even though i have studied in the US earlier and been there couple of times, my Business visa was rejected last year and i was quite skeptical if i was going to get this one. I had prepared the specialization and all questions pretty well and was quite confident about what i was going to answer.
I think the key is to have strong and clear documentation of what you are going to do and why someone else cant do this. Also, you have to be VERY clear and careful while filling out your DS-160. It decides your visa even before you start answering the questions. The VO was literally grilling the guys who were ahead of me in the queue and rejected them. The VOs are very smart people and they somehow can read between the lines and know if you are lying or telling the truth even by reading what you've written down.
Thanks a lot to immihelp for all the confidence it gave me. Good luck to everyone. Hope this helps.
All Replies (0)
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