L1, L2 Visa

My L1B Visa got approved on oct 29 in chennai. It was too crowed on that day in US embassy. I think it is one of their busiest day for them. Here is the interview questions what I faced.

Me: Hello Madam !!!
VO: Hello... How are you doing today..?
Me: I am doing good. How are you..?
VO: I am fine. Why are you travelling to US
Me: Told the client requirement and why I am travelling
VO: Which compnay your are working in ?
Me: XYZ
VO: Who is your Client ?
Me: XYZ
VO: What is your specialization ?
Me: I explained about the company proprietary tool in one line
VO: What that the tool does ?
Me: I explained why we are using that tool and what we do in our application using this tool
VO: How long you are working in YYYY domain
Me: YYYY years
VO: Your Visa got approved.
Me: Thank you. Have a nice day madam.
VO: You too..


Best of luck those who attend in future and thanks for those who posted comments here...!!!

Hi,

I read that the location for the Mumbai OFC is Trade Center,Ground-Floor, G-Block,BKC

But i am unable to locate this on Google Maps.. Can any one provide some landmark details so that its easier for out-station candidates to locate ?

Many thanks

Yan

Hi
My wife attended L2 visa appointment today in New Delhi. VO puts GD on DS160 confirmation sheet without asking any question and asked her to go window no 30. The lady at window no 30 collected the documents and passport and said that VISA is under admin processing and may take 3-4 weeks. But they have not issued any kind of slip (yellow/pink/green etc..).

Please help if this has happened with someone. How I will track this case as they have not given any case no etc.

Thanks

I attended the Visa interview and here is my experience:
The OFC interview is very simple, takes hardly 10 mins. You need to go to the TPL building. Then go to the first floor VFS center. There you will be checked. Mobiles should be in switched off. Then you will get a coupon number(same for you and dependent) go to a room with multiple counters. There they will guide you to go to a free counter. Together for you and dependents. There the officer will ask you the DS-160 confirmation letter , appointment letter and passport. He will ask your name and date of birth. Then you give finger prints, all 10 fingers. He will take a digital photo of yours. That's all.

Then the main interview, it took me 2 hours. Here no mobiles or electronic gadgets allowed. One person in front of me had to deposit his RSA secure id which is attached to the ID cards for some. After security check you enter the first building.
• At counter 7 you go in and submit the documents. He will give you a token number which is used everywhere later. He takes the doc puts rubber band. These are the docs required in all counter next. For me he took: passport’s, 3 copies of I-129, 3 copies of I-797B and DD’s.
• Next you will be directed to a counter for finger print verification. Only four fingers, either left or right hand.
• Next you are in queue again to enter the main building. Thankfully it had A/C ;-)
• There at counter 14 you submit your DD and get a receipt.
• Then you are in the interview queue. Look out for your token number on the screen.
• I got in line and saw two L1B cases rejected in front of me. Be confident and well prepared.
• Here is the extract of my interview:
o Me: Hello Sir Good Morning. How are you doing today?
o VO: Thank you, I am doing good. How are you?
o Me: Doing great.
o VO: Which company do you work for?
o Me: ABC
o VO: How long have you been working for ABC?
o Me: 8 years
o VO: Did I here 3 years?
o Me: No Sir 8 years. I joined in 2004.
o VO: OK
o VO: In US, you will be working at ABC or client?
o Me: I will be working from ABC.
o VO: OK
o VO: What are you specialized at?
o Me: I will be using ABC proprietary Tool called etc etc.. explained in 2 lines
o VO: What is this Tool?
o Me: Explained in one line
o VO: Did you design this tool or you are just using this?
o ME: I was part of the team that created this tool.
o VO: OK so you were part of the team.
o Me: Yes Sir.
o VO: So what is so special about this Tool? Every other company have their own Tool.
o Me: Yes Sir every other company has their own tool. But this Tool is unique explained in 2 lines..
o VO: OK that’s great.
o VO: What’s your US salary going to be.
o Me: I mentioned the USD per annum as in the application.
o VO: So what is you India salary?
o Me: I mentioned the INR per annum as in the application.
o VO: OK
o VO: Looks like you have travelled earlier?
o Me: Yes Sir I travelled in 2008 on the same visa L1B.
• Next he looked at my wife and started asking
o VO: So when did you get married?
o My Wife: Date of Marriage.
o VO: Where did you get married?
o My Wife: Answered
o VO: Looks like you have also travelled to US earlier?
o My Wife: Yes Sir I travelled in 2004 on B1 for a 15 day training.
• Then he checked some docs, typed some stuff on his PC and stamped 2 copies of I-129 pined it with the I-797B and replied: “I approve your visa. Please take these documents and have a good trip.” We replied “Thank you Sir you have a good day”.
In the excitement I forgot to pay the visa courier premium fees :P
Will have to collect it directly from the VFS office.

I attended the Visa interview and here is my experience:
The OFC interview is very simple, takes hardly 10 mins. You need to go to the TPL building. Then go to the first floor VFS center. There you will be checked. Mobiles should be in switched off. Then you will get a coupon number(same for you and dependent) go to a room with multiple counters. There they will guide you to go to a free counter. Together for you and dependents. There the officer will ask you the DS-160 confirmation letter , appointment letter and passport. He will ask your name and date of birth. Then you give finger prints, all 10 fingers. He will take a digital photo of yours. That's all.

Then the main interview, it took me 2 hours. Here no mobiles or electronic gadgets allowed. One person in front of me had to deposit his RSA secure id which is attached to the ID cards for some. After security check you enter the first building.
• At counter 7 you go in and submit the documents. He will give you a token number which is used everywhere later. He takes the doc puts rubber band. These are the docs required in all counter next. For me he took: passport’s, 3 copies of I-129, 3 copies of I-797B and DD’s.
• Next you will be directed to a counter for finger print verification. Only four fingers, either left or right hand.
• Next you are in queue again to enter the main building. Thankfully it had A/C ;-)
• There at counter 14 you submit your DD and get a receipt.
• Then you are in the interview queue. Look out for your token number on the screen.
• I got in line and saw two L1B cases rejected in front of me. Be confident and well prepared.
• Here is the extract of my interview:
o Me: Hello Sir Good Morning. How are you doing today?
o VO: Thank you, I am doing good. How are you?
o Me: Doing great.
o VO: Which company do you work for?
o Me: ABC
o VO: How long have you been working for ABC?
o Me: 8 years
o VO: Did I here 3 years?
o Me: No Sir 8 years. I joined in 2004.
o VO: OK
o VO: In US, you will be working at ABC or client?
o Me: I will be working from ABC.
o VO: OK
o VO: What are you specialized at?
o Me: I will be using ABC proprietary Tool called etc etc.. explained in 2 lines
o VO: What is this Tool?
o Me: Explained in one line
o VO: Did you design this tool or you are just using this?
o ME: I was part of the team that created this tool.
o VO: OK so you were part of the team.
o Me: Yes Sir.
o VO: So what is so special about this Tool? Every other company have their own Tool.
o Me: Yes Sir every other company has their own tool. But this Tool is unique explained in 2 lines..
o VO: OK that’s great.
o VO: What’s your US salary going to be.
o Me: I mentioned the USD per annum as in the application.
o VO: So what is you India salary?
o Me: I mentioned the INR per annum as in the application.
o VO: OK
o VO: Looks like you have travelled earlier?
o Me: Yes Sir I travelled in 2008 on the same visa L1B.
• Next he looked at my wife and started asking
o VO: So when did you get married?
o My Wife: Date of Marriage.
o VO: Where did you get married?
o My Wife: Answered
o VO: Looks like you have also travelled to US earlier?
o My Wife: Yes Sir I travelled in 2004 on B1 for a 15 day training.
• Then he checked some docs, typed some stuff on his PC and stamped 2 copies of I-129 pined it with the I-797B and replied: “I approve your visa. Please take these documents and have a good trip.” We replied “Thank you Sir you have a good day”.
In the excitement I forgot to pay the visa courier premium fees :P
Will have to collect it directly from the VFS office.

First and foremost, thanks to this forum, i was able to get a lot of help which ultimately came in handy during my interview in Chennai on 25th Oct 2012.

The process and details mentioned by few others remains same. And i am sharing the list of questions i was asked

Me: Hi, Good Morning Sir
VO: Good morning, how are you doing?
Me: Doing good, thanks, how are you?
VO: Very well, thanks
VO: Which company do you work for?
Me: xxx
VO: How many years
Me: 6 years
VO: What do you do here?
Me: my job responsibilities in brief about 2 sentences
VO: Whats your plan for US?
Me: Job and project responsibilities in US in brief about 2 sentences
VO: Couple of more questions on my Job responsibilities in US
Me: Answered them in brief to his satisfaction
VO: Do you have hire and fire authority
Me: Yes
VO: Your salary in US
Me: xxx
VO: Your designation and whom do you report to?
Me: xxx and yyy
VO: How many people with your boss's designation in your company?
Me: xx
VO: Whom does your boss report to?
Me: YY
VO: What is his designation and how many people with that designation in your company?
Me: ZZ and number answered
VO: How many people will report to you in US
Me: 6
VO: How many managers and how many others?
Me: 3 managers and rest BAs.

By this time i saw him put the approval stamp and he gave me the two copies of the I129S and 1797. Did not specifically say i am approving your VISA, but it was kind of implied.

No questions asked to my son or wife who accompanied me.

My two cents:

1. Dress well (preferably suit)
2. Answer with confidence
3. Do not conceal anything
4. Be precise and brief to the point
5. VOs are extremely polite and nice people, be nice to them.

Hi,

My L-1 individual petition was denied 2 months back. Does it make sense to apply again in few months with a better petition with more evidence etc.

Does L-1 individual get approved if it has been denied once in the past ?

I would appreciate any feedback on this!

Thanks,
Atul

Is it right time to go for L1B Visa interview or After the US elections?. Please share your feed back.. Thanks for your time and advise..!



Thanks,
Sagar.K

Ram Singh,

No offence meant but going by your answers it is evident your petition was going to be rejected. L1B visa is meant for "Specialized Skills". The first doubt Visa Officer would have got is why is your salary low if you are specialized (again no offence meant). Also you need to portray even if you are going for customization of a tool that you have built that tool and it required very specialized skills to do that. Else it is obvious VO will get lot of doubts.

Good luck for future though!

Thanks for sharing

Hi Friends,
                    I have applied for US L1B VISA and it is rejected after asking below questions.
Me: Good After Noon sir.
VO: Good After Noon .
VO: Who is your employer ?
Me: My company name
VO: How many years experience you have ?
Me: 4 Years 3 Months
VO: What is your indian salary
Me: 5 Lakhs per Annum
VO: So what is your specialization (After smiling he asked this question)
Me: I started telling about my specialization on XYZ tool.
he stopped me in middle and asked ...do you have created this tool. i told i have customized this tool and customization is the main part of this tool. my company trained me on this. Then he asked final question.
VO: What is your highest qualification ?
Me: B.tech

Then he picked the pen and marked on petition and said now i can not approve your visa ask your HR manager to process another type of VISA.

I have observed that they decided in back ground not to give VISA after filling DS-160 form. When i was replying the questions he was not listening properly. While asking questions he already stamped saying " Not Clearly approvable".

There may be many reason behind rejection.

1. L1 Blanket petition
2. only 4 years experience
3. Knowledge was not unique in IT industry.
4. US election
5. They already giving H1B ...why they should give L1 at this point of time.
6. US election.

I have seen some cases ...people with 2 years experience got H1B , they asked only simple questions , like highest qualification , employer name etc . but for L1 they are asking lot of questions and simply rejecting.

Regards
Ram Singh Hyderabad