L1, L2 Visa

Hi,

Today i.e. 02-06-2009, I had cleared the L1 B Blanket visa interview and the questions asked are:

1. For how long you have been with your YYYY company?

2. why you want to go to US?

3. What's your total experience?

4. What's your educational qualification?

5. Who's your client?

After answering all the above questions, consulate officer told that your visa is approved
and you will get your passport in 5 working days.

This site has provided valuable inputs to prepare for the visa interview.

Thanks

Its my duty to write to this forum.
After L1B-Blanket refusal almost an year back and again losing the L1B-Individual in the petition filing process, I finally managed to get through the L1-Blanket process.
Dont carry electronic gadgets, wallet is allowed with no sharp objects.

Questions were simple as before, the problem was exposure. I had better understanding of things time.
VO: Tell me your technical specailities.
ME: I have specialized knowledge in....
VO: Tell me again
ME: Repeated them...
VO: Wat do you do with those tools?
ME: We are going to implement them.
VO: Are you going to build and customize them here and implement them at onsite.
ME: NO everything is done at onsite using propreitary tools.
VO: Visa granted.. Collect it middle of next week.

Thanks for all those who have written to this forum.
Wishing every one all the best.

Hi All,

My heartful thanks to all the members who posted their experiences.It helped me alot to clear my interview.

My interview was scheduled at 8 45 am but i actually had it around 9 45 am because of long queue.

I had my BEP folder and carried all my support documents in a transparent folder.

After the pre-screening process done, they allowed me to validate the BEP documents and go for a Biometric test( where all my 10 fingers were scanned), they asked me to pay the DD near by cash counter. They put an entry that you have been paid and they stapled these acknowledgement bills on the BEP documents. i have been asked to wait until my turn comes.

These are the questions asked by the consulate,

Myself - Hi!!!!! with a smile

Consulate - Hi!!!, Good morning

Myself - Good morning, How are you doing?

Consulate - I'm doing fine. How are you?

Myself - I'm doing good. Thanks

Consulate - asked my BEP folder ( but the fact was she didn't even touched my BEP letter and petitions when she was asking the questions)

Consulate - What technologies do you know?

Myself - started saying technologies i know and i insisted that i have a very good knowledge on YYYY technology which is my client proprietary tools

Consulate - What is YYYY ?

Myself - It's a time sharing system, we use this technology to develop the code

Consulate - What would be your job at onsite?

Myself - I'm going for a development work from design to delivery phase

Consulate - explain more about your development work ?

Myself - explained just in 3 sentences

Consulate - Experience?

Myself - 2.7 years

Consulate - you have never been to US isn't it?

Myself - No. I have been their twice.

Consulate - How long is your trip?

Myself - 11 months

Consulate - Who is your client?

Myself - zzzz

Consulate - Is it zzzx?

Myself - with a smile, It's zzzz

Consulate - She has written something on my petition very seriously and after a mintue time she said,I'll get my passport within a weeks time

Myself - Thank you so much and thanked the almighty....

I maintained the smile till the end... she was looking at my eyes to see how confidence i'm in saying all these....

When i was called for the interview, i was highly tensed, but then i remembered the keypoints in this forum.... Calm,Confidence and keep a smile...this helped me alot...

Please be confident that definetly do....

Thanks,
Honey

Yesterday (13 May 2009), me and my wife (dependent) appeared for our L1B Blanket and L2 visa interview at U.S Consulate in Chennai.
We went through the usual security checks and document verification. Since we landed up about 45 minutes before our appointment time, we had to wait for about 1.5 hours by the time we got to our interview. The interview went smoothly and all questions were directed at me (no questions asked to my wife). The questions were really simple (experience, education and client name) and so the visas were approved in about 3 minutes.

Tips for prospective interviewee's:
1) Please go through your documents thoroughly atleast twice before the interview.
2) If required, you could practise the previous day with family or friends. Be short and precise in your answers. Talk slowly and clearly. Take your time and ensure you have understood the questions clearly.
3) Don't be tense, the visa officer's job is to arrive at a decision whether you are eligible for the proposed work. Just stick to the basics and things should go fine.
4) Carry only the required documentation. If applicable, carry wedding photographs. The entire album is not needed. No mobile phones or sealed envelopes allowed. Listen to instructions of the staff.
5) Go through the U.S visa website thoroughly for instructions. It has quite good number of details.
6) Dress in formal wear, a tie is optional. Be presentable and smile through the interview.
7) While waiting in the lobby, observe other candidates and also the visa officers. Listen to the conversation and decide your strategy.
8) Ensure you know and convey mundane personal details confidently like years of experience, years of marriage, wedding date, previous employment history, etc. Practise if needed.
9) Drink water, use the restrooms if required. Be relaxed. Wish the visa officer confidently.

All the best!

Had my visa approved today. Thanks to this forum!! Had my appointment for 7.45 in the morning. Went inside for the doc check and by the time it was done it was 8.20. There was only one counter operating for L1, H1, F1 put together. And there were lot of couples with kids today. So they were allowed to take their interviews out of turn.

By the time my turn came it was 9.15...phew waited there for long....

VO: Good Morning!!
Me: Hello !Good Morning!!

VO: How're you doing?
Me: I'm doing great thanks!!How about you?
VO: *smiling* 'm doing *GREAT* too!!

VO: How long you've been with ZZZ
Me: I will be completing my X years in Y months.

VO: Who is your client?
Me: ZZZ

VO: What is your specialized knowledge?
Me: I've gained in-depth knowledge of the applications *blah Blah blah* and blahblahblah.

VO: Oh! what do they do?
Me: They provide blah blah for the client.

VO: Your visa is approved...you can collect it from your comp in 5 days.

Me: Thanks!! Have a nice day!
VO: You too Sir!!

That's all...he didn't appear to listen to the full answers.

*All the 15-20 fellas who went before me got their visas approved...no rejection till mine. Also 4 folks just in front of me were also from my company...i was parying hard for maintaining the same approval streak :)*

All the best for those who're appearing for their interviews. Just keep calm..watch the TV..or the other tourist visa folks :) it was fun.

Smile...keep ur answers short and crisp...be a bit spontaeneous. And a good start is necessary for your answers as they are not keen in listening fully to whatever you tell.

Hi,

Firstly, thanks to all the posts here.

I got my L1 Blanket visa approved today.

He asked me to scan my fingers. Then he asked my wife to scan her fingers, then he said (jokingly) , I hope it isnot your voting finger. I said she didn't vote (He said Ma'm its your responsibility) then I reverted saying, the kid was not well, so she was not able to go vote. He smiled and said, I understand.

Following were the questions:
1. How long have you been working in this company?
    ZZZ YEars
2. Where are you going and what are you going to do there?
     ZZZ Client and i am going to implement a proprietary software
3. Why you and not others?
     Because, I was involved in design and development of the same
4. Oh, are you going to be a team leader? - This was the tricky question
     (Spontaneously) No, I am just going to implement this and train others
VO: Ok, Got you!!!
4. What's your total experience?
    ZZZ YEars

All this time, he was looking at my face and observing the spontenity and confidence.

That's it he said your visa is approved and you will get your passport in 4 days.

Tips:
1. Be confident
2. Smile and be friendly
3. Be spontaneous

Surprisingly, he didn't even ask for the resume or the letter. Just took the petition and application.

Hi All

We (me & my wife) cleared L1B/L2 interview at chennai consulate. my wife applied for L1 from YYYY and our interview was scheduled at morning 8:30 AM. we reached the consulate by 7:45AM and we were asked to stand in the queue for documents verification. After that, my wife was sent to seperate security check Q (ladies Q) and i was standing in other Q for security check. The security checks are very strict and it is adviced to carry minimal stuff (only documents if possible).

after the security check, we stood in the Q where officer verifies passport, HDFC receipts, DS forms and petetion forms. After the verification, officer said we are selected for video interview which they'll capture for their training purpose. we had to convey our agreement by signing on a form.

After this, we were asked to go to next building to pay DD of 500USD which is specifically for Blanket L1. we went ahead and paid the fee and after that we were asked to wait near counter X. counter X is a special counter where interview will be recorded in video in a room.

Finally our turn has come, we took a deep breath and entered inside the room. Consuller asked as to wait for 2 mins as he had to adjust video and other settings. After that, here it goes

VO: Hi Good Morning
WE: Wished him with a smile

VO to my wife: Which client are you working for?
               how long have you been with your current employer?
              how long have you worked for your client?
              what do you do for your client?
              are you traveling as Manager or specialized knoweledge person?

Thats it :-) :-), they have taken finger prints for both of us and said "Visa is Issued, we will send the passport by courier. Enjoy your stay in US"...

i have not been put into any L2 related queries :)

Our advice is to maintain yourself calm...dont be nervous.. we found that officers inside consulate are very friendly...ppl will always give you directions ...so nothing to be worried... read your petetion carefully such that your answers match what it is petetion

All the best and wish u a desired visa

Cheers
Jay

Hi All,

I really thank this site, this was very much useful for me.

I had L1 Blanket interview Chennai consulate on 11th May. Reached 10 mins before. All formalities took and waiting took 1.5 hours.

Let me talk about 3 rejections happened.

Case 1. The guy could not show his mark list or degree certificate original, and could not answer VO's querries confidently.

Case 2. One girl got rejected, as she gave reason of her travel to develop some modules in some language, VO told her that L1B category may not be suitable for you.

Case 3. Third guy, looks like he is going to US for 2nd time, but, when VO asked for few basic questions about the domain which he is working, like on what data you work on, he could not answer, reject.

When my turn came, a VO in another counter just came and called me.
 
My questions:
1. How long you were there with current company
2. Before this company where you were?
3. Where are you going in US, are you going to head quarters?
4. To whom you'll be working for?
5. What you do in your work?
explained him in 3 words.
6. In which part of your domain you work?
gave answer in 3 words.

All this time he was typing something and taking my finger print.
Finally he told me, congratulations, I am giving you VISA.

Points to remember
1. Prepare well, for all sorts of question you see in this forum(of course for your category only)
2. Dress well, give a smile to VO and wish him
3. When you are going on specialized knowledge, never ever tell that you are going to coding or something some one else can do, use, words like prior knowledge, specialized knowledge, properity tools etc when and where required.
4. Go through your petition atleat twice, carry required original certificates.

Thats all,
Once agian, Thanks alot for this fourm.

Dear All,

I went for L1 blanket visa interview in Mumbai counsulate. I had my H4 stamped and was going for L1b stamping.

My fiancée is in US since 2007 ,and we got married in december 2009.

1. Why are you going to US?
2. Are you working as Senior Software Engineer?
3. Since how long?
4. You joined your organization as what designation?
5. Why did you get promotion in one year?
6. Have you been to US before?
7. You have H4 visa?
8. Why didn’t you go to US on H4 visa?
9. What is your highest education qualification?
10. Since how long is your husband in US?
11. Haven’t met your husband since that long?
12. Where is he based?
13. For which company he works for?
14. You both will be staying in different state?
15. What is the salary in US?
16. What are your specialized skills?

I got my visa approved and my passport will be delivered in 2 days in my office address.

Key point to get visa is be calm and confident.Be clear in your communication.

Dear All,

I got my L1B Visa approved on 8-May'09 (Friday). Since its a hot requirement at Onsite, its mandate for me to get my Visa approved which did happen by God's grace & my hardwork.

I was there only 15 mins prior to my schedule time so I was directly let in after physical security check.

After physical security check, the documents were verified in a counter followed by scanning Right hand four fingers & left hand four fingers (except thumb) which was scanned separately.

After that we need to pay the HDFC check in a counter & then I was kept waited for sometime since the folks who had their schedule earlier were being interviewed.

During this time, its better to stay silent without talking to anyone near by. Remember you have hidden cams around. NDTV or CNN-IBN News being displayed in TV's. I would advice you folks to listen to that which makes you feel comfortable.

After that they have called people who have applied for Dependant Visa & after half-an-hour, I was let in.

I could observe that only interview was going on two counters for L1, H1 & B1 visa types & dependants were let in two separate counters.

We had a long queue & I could see some rejections (Blue form & Pink form) being issued. Don't get panic on this. Be confident & clearly observe what being questioned & answered. This makes you to remember the do's & dont's

When I was about to be interviewed, I had a new counter being opened & I was the first person to be interviewed by him. Here comes the Q & A,

Me : Hi, Good Morning (Please avoid Sir/Madam as they don't like it)
VO : Hi (I gave him my folder)

VO : How long have you been working for this Client?
Me : 1 Year & 8 Months

VO : Who is your Client?
Me : I told him about my Client & their line of business in a single line. (Make it short & simple)

VO : Do you have any role to play on this particular assignment?
Me : Provide your role (as per your petition) & your responsibilites with your special knowledge required for your current assignment.

VO : Whats your team size?
Me : It is 4 at Onsite & 8 at Offshore (He has written this on some document)

VO : Why you have been selected among this 12 people?
Me : I have good knowledge on specialized tools & I can customize it to suit my project needs. Also, I possess in depth domain & technical knowledge. So the management team has selected me for this assignment.

VO : Can you place your right hand index finger on the scanner.
Me : I did it.

VO : He has signed two Xerox copies of I-29 petitionts & gave it to me. He said that your Visa has been approved & you can get your passport in two days. He also asked me to get in touch with my company to collect the passport.
Me : Thank you... (Thank God - In My mind voice).

My company has received my passport the next day (Saturday) Morning itself. I hope I will be flying by this weekend.

Thanks to this wonderful site which also has a role in my Success story.

Best Practices:

1) Stay Confident
2) Listen to the Questions Carefully & Clarity is necessary in your Communication.
2) Go through your petition carefully as this has been referred while you have been answering his/her questions.
3) Don't carry any photocopies as they were not required. Just carry your Original marksheets, Degree (UG & PG) Certificate, Current company's appointment/hike letter & previous employment letter (if any) as supporting documents. Show it only if he/she asks for it.

All the Best for all of you folks...

If you have any queries/doubts regarding L1 Visa, Please free to contact me through my email.