L1, L2 Visa

Many thanks to everyone for posting their comments. I really appreciate the efforts made by the people to bring this site.

I attended for L1-B Blanket VISA interview on 9/11 (many of you know the significance of this date) at 8:00 AM with my family at Chennai Consulate.

I was called at counter 1, and the VO is a lady.

VO: How long you are working with YYYY Company?
ME: I replied the total years and months as mentioned in the Blanket petition.

VO: Who is your client?
ME: Replied with the client name.

VO: How long you are working with your client?
ME: Replied with the duration.

VO: What is your project name?
ME: Replied with the name of the project.

VO: What you will do in the project?
ME: Explianed about my responsibilties in the project in two lines.

VO: What you will design whether application or product?
ME: Replied with the product and its name.

VO: Thank you sir, your VISA is approved and we will mail your Passport to your employer within 3 working days, and signed the petetions and returned to me to carry while travelling.

The interview lasts for 40 seconds, and and it was so cool. My suggestion would be ..Please present yourself in a professional manner..don't wear casuals..go in a formal dress with tie and be confident and bold in your answers don't look at the papers which she/he referring or writing during the interview and try to look at her only.
All the best to everyone who is reading this.

I got my BL1 stamped on 09/09/08.

I had my interview scheduled @ 9:30 AM. I reached consulate @ 9:00AM there was lot of Queue outside consulate as people who had interview at 12:00 were also standing in Queue.

I had to wait for 30 mins outside to get in. Once i was inside the consulate things went very smoothly.

They verified documents and arranged them in order and took finger prints of both the hands including thumb prints and later i was directed to next building.

I paid DD over there and was asked to get in to the interview queue as already 9:45AM as i was observing people at the interview counter there were not many rejections.

When my turn came below is my experience:

I was standing there waiting for my turn VO called me by waving hand towards me and i stepped in

Vo: How are you?
Me: I am fine how abt u?(there was not much reaction from her)
Vo: For how long you have worked for this company?
Me: Told my total yrs of exp with present comp
VO: Who is your client?
Me: I told my client name.
Vo: Asked me abt my Specialized knowledge?
Me: I told abt my exp with company proprietary tools, i didnt mention any tools name.
Vo: Can you expand on specialized knowledge?
Me: i named the proprietary tools i will be working on
Vo: How long have u been with client?
Me: 2 mnths, but i have worked on similar projects for similar clients using same proprietary tools.(She looked convinced)
Vo: Which are the other clients you worked for?
Me: i named the clients
Vo: What is your specialization?
Me: i told her abt my specialization, remember this is your specialized skill not comp proprietary tools tell them abt ur skill like Design & Dev of ............
Vo: What is your team size?
Me: 2
Vo: What is other person doing Onsite?
Me: blah.....blah.....

She started typing in Computer, then i felt ok i got my visa.

And finally i got to listen wht i was waiting for "You VISA has been approved, it will be courired to you" and she started signing forms.

Finally i was relieved to get VISA, though it was not my first US VISA but i was bit nervous as it was BL1 and as i had read in forms tht there are more rejection for this VISA when compared to others.

 
My sincere suggestion to all dont worry abt VISA type if your preparations are good and luck is on your side u will definitely get VISA.

Finally thanks to all the people who had posted on this form it was really helpful for my preparation

Hi,
First of all thanks a lot to this site for all the information. I hope if somebody can really go through all the experiences narrated in this site and prepare accordingly he will get the visa for sure.
We attended the interview on 8th Sep at Bombay consulate.
The interview went like this:
VO : Hi good morning
Me : Good morning
VO : Ok, You are coming from YYYY (My company) right ?
Me : Yes sir.
VO : You are going to the client or to your company ?(tricky)
Me : I am going to our office in USA
VO : Where is it ?
Me : In YYY
VO : What do you do ?
Me : I am a specialist in RRRR which is a proprietary tool of our company.
VO : How long you are working with the company ?
Me : 3 years
VO : Where you were working before ?
Me : YYYY
VO : Which software you are working ?
Me : I am a specialist in xxxx which is a proprietary tool of our company for the design execution.
VO : (to my wife) when did you got married madam ?
My wife : on mmddyy
VO : Ok your visa is approved. Work hard for your company.
Me : Thanks a lot sir. Have a nice day.
VO : Thank you.

Now some points to be noted :
# There are very minimum documents to be carried # while going for the interview. You should not carry any other items other than your doccs and album (if L2) to consulate. During checking if they find anything, you have to go out and walk long to reach a dust bin to throw it. Then again you have to be in queue to get inside. you will be in trouble. No pin, stapler, scissors, cello tap etc are required.
# Carry your items in a transparent polythene bag. Remember only polythene. if you carry items in a cotton bag or something then again you have to go out and throw it in dust bin and be in queue to get inside.
# If at all while attending L1 and L2 any one of you happened to go out to throw out something, don’t get panic. Be patient enough to wait inside for her / him to come. Because it is natural that he/ she will take another half an hour to get inside after being in the queue.

The total procedure for blanket L1 is like this :
1) Give doccs (pasport, I129 form, interview call letter,I797 copy) to the officer. This they will do while you are standing in the queue.
Security check.
2) Collect your doc from help desk inside.
3) Give finger impressions
4) Wait for your token no in the hall
5) Once the call comes go and attend the interview.
5) While interview, be clear, calm and confident. Visa is yours.

Hi,

Firstly i would like to thank all guys....

This site helped me so much in preparing for the CONSULATE INTERVIEW.

I had an appointment with the VO on Sep 8th 2008..I would like to tell you guys please dont get tensed before VO, they are so nice and cooperative you Just need to talk to the VO in a decent way and he has to understand what you say.. Put in your best in communication skills.


Questions :

How long you are working for YYYY .

How long you are working for the Client YYYY .

who is you client YYYY .

Keep the faith & Be strong

All the best Guys......

My personal appointment was at 7:30 am today . I slept only at 1 am . Got up at 5 am and got dropped off at the embassy by 645 am by my brother. I was assuming Ill be the only one there. To my horror I saw a never ending queue ! Apparently they had slots starting from 7:15 am itself. So I was waiting in a never ending queue outside . Luckily it was chill ,as it had rained heavily yesterday night . By the time I reached the entrance of the embassy it was 845 am ! I was frisked by a security who wante to know if i had any mobile phones , sealed covers or keys or anything else . He allowed me to go in after realising I didnt have anything else other than my clothes on . I was almost thinking he will ask me to remove it . (too much they are ) . Then I went in and another guy grabbed my cover with the docs and started searching it wildly . He was completely dissapointed after failing to find any bomb in there and grudgingly sent me in . I was frisked again with metal detectors and asked to go inside a room which had many counters . I was asked to goto counter number 10 . I gave my document folder (which was neatly done by the admin at work ) . she asked me to scan finger prints of my right hand ,then left hand and then the two thumbs together and told me to go and get my dd reciepted in the next building cash counter . She returned the documents intact . I went to the next building and got the hdfc dd receipted . I was asked to sit front of the visa counters where there were three rows of seats . There was long snaky queue already standing .They were from the 715 batch i guess .By now the time was 8:20 am .Then we were called to go join the tail of the snaky queue . Then it took another 40 mins in the queue . The visa officers came in only then . Until then only one guy was doing the interview . The rest of the officers were women. a few guys in front of me , from a famous IT company were rejected . But then I could see why also. They were complete idiots . they were almost doing tap dancing out of fear and muttering something irrational . My turn came and ....

me : hi good morning ! how are u doing today
vo : hi ! good morning ! I am doing great ! thank you !
vo : your documents pls ?
me : [gave documents ]
vo : How long have u been working with Inautix ?
me : 2 yrs and 2 months
vo : What project do you work on ?
me : ICO
vo : and what is that ?
me : Oh Sorry! Instruction Capture Online
vo : what does it do ?
me : We are owned by the BNYM . All their trading activities are executed through our application
vo : Good . What do you do in the project .
me : The ICO application is built on Adobe Flex Framework and a the properietary Infrom framework. I specialise in

   both of these frameworks.
vo : ohhhh ! YOur not taking you wife with you is it ? [smiled ]
me : She will come at a later date . She is going to Canada now.
vo : Wonderful! pretty close by eh! [meanwhile she was signing some docs = I - 129S forms and soemthing else ]
     Your Visa is issued .We will courier it to you to your given address [she smiled ]
me : Thank You very much . Have a good day :-)


Just 45 secs + 15 secs to do some signing . It went by in a flash .

So this is what I noticed,which might help others

1) Make sure your documents are proper and arranged well(which ur company shud do for u) .Dont end up searching for docs there .
2) Be confident and talk with clarity . Give crisp ,relevant answers . Do not get tensed and shiver and stammer.
3) Dont lean over as if ur sucking something out of the microphone.
 
They just want to make sure ur genuine and confident enough to carry out your job. If you give them a picture of a loser who will not do the job properly ,u wont get it .

Its a cake walk in reality . Cheers Mates!

Me: Hi Gud morning sir
Consulate: Hi gud morning. H r u?
Me: Thanks. I m gud. How abt u?
Consulate: Y does ur company wants u send to US?
Me: I told abt specilized knowledge.
Consulate: K we will couriering ur passport
Me: Thanks

Hi

 I had my PA scheduled at 9:00 am on 2nd Sep 2008

I reached tehre around 8:00 clock .
Initially before entering inside , we are grouped into two Queues one for blanket & another for non blanket

All the documents required were taken there itself & a pink token was given
After security check we are asked to sit for sometime.

Later they just called our names to submit our finger prints

After submitting that we are called at a
particular counter for an interview after some time

This is it went on ..

Me) Hello Good Morning Sir !
VO) Good Morning

VO) How long you are working in that company ?
Me) X Yrs

VO) What is your speciliazation ?
Me) Just mentioned abt XYZ company's Proprietary tools like A, B ,C etc

VO) Why only that XYZ companys Proprietary tools are required for that ?
Me) Just mentioned that it meets the clients requiremnts


Thats it !!!!!!!!! He started stamping on the papers & signed on it

He just conveyed me that i will be getting my passport in a few days

Thank God , i was lucky to get only these questions

Other typical questions include

Q) Why did u apply for L1-B Blanket category ?
   ( when other options are there ?)

Q) What cant the same work done form offshore aswell ?

Hi,

This is regarding my PA on 28th of August...

Its a long queue @ 8am in the morning itself....
It was 10am by the time my interview started...
It was for 5-10 mins you wont even know how time fly's by when u are before the VO
Its the other way when u are standing in the queue seeing others being inteviewed.....

So be patient and concentrate on the task ahead... I tried my best but once u get to know that u are the next one to be interviewed....

That's it BLANK ... acept it or not the pressure gets to you.... and that brings the best in you....

All the preparation you do is one side and the things you speak there is the other side and the one that matters.... The preparation will help you tough....

Be nervous... and (at alteast) be confident....

My interview was with a guy.... who Seriously analyses u r answers..

The lady was the same but for ever question she used to take a long hard look at the documents and ask another question...

There were only 2 counters open that day and there is no point in deciding for u r self to whom u r going to.... its all what u r going to say to that VO u r going to is what u r going to get....

Questions:
Tell me about u r company...
How long have u been with it...
What is u r salary....
What project u r going to.....
How long have u been associated with this project...
Ans: If u have been associated for less time with this client... Then the best answer could be
What are u going to do in US
Who is u r client? (Twice)
What is u r qualification....
What specialized knowledge u have..
How long are u going to stay there...

I got my VISA.... But many rejection's were there.... It was at the ratio of (10:1 - appeared:issued)

Lots of blue slips early in morning... All the best to u guys....

Go with good intentions and toughts .... no negitive feeling ..... You will have VISA in 3 days from u r PA date...

ALL THE BEST GUYS...

Hi,

I had my interview on 28.08.2008 in Chennai Consulate. It was quite late (4:15 PM). I reached there at 3:30PM but was asked to wait outside US Embassy for 15 mins but after that it was a smooth process. There were three counters open and two guys and one lady were in charge. Everyone was willing to go to lady VO counter as she appeared the coolest among all three VO ( other two were asking lots of question and had rejected 3 persons while I was standing there ). Anyways I was luckily as I was told to go to Lady VO counter and then it was a smooth process.

VO- Hello Good afternoon
I said Hello
VO- Where are you going sir
Answered
VO- How long have you been working for YYYY company
Answered
VO- What will be your job in US
Answered in two lines
VO - Asked me to explain something from my last answer
Done

She asked me to put my right thumb of finger print scanned and same to my Wife.

Then she said that VISA will be couriered to my address in two working days and we thanked GOD.

-Rajiv

Hi,

I had my interview on 28-08-08 in Chennai consultate. Though waiting in queue for hours was painful, interview went smoothly. One thin lady officer was grilling each candidate for 5-10 minutes and she rejected most of them, luckily i was not asked to go to her :). The questions that were asked in the interview are.

VO: Hi sir, How are you?
Me: Im fine, how are you?
VO: Since how long you are working in xyz?
Me: one year and 2months
VO: who is your client?
Me: ABC
VO: Since how long you are working with ABC?
Me: same, one year and 2months.(i guess since our client is well reputed he din't ask many questions reg company,Thanks to our client.)
VO: what is your current salary?
Me: x lakhs y thousands.(He had a look at my documents, though last two figures i told him were not correct he din't mind it.)
VO: what are the specialized skills you have?
Me: I am proficient in x,y,z tools and i have expertise in other areas(mention it) also which are essential for smooth execution of our project.
VO: OK (He verified all the documents and entered information into system), we are unable to issue visa at this moment, we will deliver your passport in 2-3 working days to your address. Happy Journey! He gave a pink slip which stated the same thing and asked me to carry while travelling.
Me: I experienced the same feeling like when I got through the interivew as a fresher four years ago and I was very much relaxed.

Tips:
Please try to look as professional as possible(Many people came casually but looking professional always gives a good impression) and answer clearly and confidently and don't beat around the bush(officer will say "thats not what i am asking"). Its all about how you convince them.

Have good food before going to the consulate as you may have to stand in the queue for long time before meeting VO.