L1, L2 Visa

Now it is time to give back to this community. I had my interview successful, and below are the questions being asked:

- What's your work title?
- How long have you been working with your current Company?
- You have a Master's in accounting?
- What is the location you would be working at?

The questions are a lot easier than I expected and I think I got lucky. I think for anyone prepare for the interview, should prepare for all the hard and possible questions being asked as I know my friends who got asked some tough questions.

Good luck to everyone who is having interviews soon!

My Spouse L1B individual petition is approved and is scheduled for an interview. I am working in the same organization from which my spouse VISA is initiated and petition is approved. My VISA request will be for L2.

What kind of questions in VISA interview i can expect due to working in the same organization?
How can it effect working in the same office?

Can someone share his/her experience or provide some insights?

Thanks in advance!

Time to give back to the community; although I am a little late in posting this.

I got my L1B blanket visa approved on July 9, 2019, in Chennai of course.

I've read many many threads on this website and none of them had some of the basic stuff I wanted to know when I was going for the interview.

First thing, as many people have already said, there is very little benefit in going too early from your appointment time. There are two lines, one each for the next two slots of appointments in the next 30 mins. So if you want to go early, there is absolutely no benefit in going earlier than 30 minutes.

On entering the building, the first thing for L1B blanket visa petitioners would be asked to arrange the documents: separate out all 8 pages of I129S and first page of I797 and make 3 bundles. Most of the time these are the only documents you'll need apart from DS-160 and your passport.

One thing is there is water filter and rest room inside the building. Also, people can carry small water bottles. I saw people carrying backpacks and opaque folders too.

Next is to pay $500 L1 fraud prevention fee, which you can pay in USD or INR cash or credit cards. I paid using personal AMEX credit card. I noticed the cashier matched my name on the card with the name on the petition.

Then you move on to the interview. These are the questions I remember I was asked.

What is the name of the petitioner?
How long have you been with your company?
What is your job title?
Highest level of education?
Where in US will you be going to?
Are there any dependents travelling with you?
What is your specialty?
What is specifically your contribution in your project?
He asked a few follow up questions on my projects.
Why are they sending you to the US?

Visa approved.

He kept one of the 3 bundles I referred to earlier and gave me back the other two. All three bundles were stamped of course.

Safe travels and all the best to everyone!

I recently got my L1 Visa approved for a client from an Indian consulting service company. Recently client positions are getting closed from my company side. I know, for L1 Visa, I need to report to the Client for which, I had applied, unlike H1.
What i heard is, I need to work for a minimum of 3 months in the current account in Onsite and then only, I can switch the Client. Can anyone please conform, if this is a rule from US Consulate or specific to Indian companies.
Way back in 2012, when I was working for the same Indian company, one of my colleague got allocated for just 2 days with the client for which her L1 visa was approved and later moved to a different account. It's all with port of entry. Please help me with the facts.

I applied for L1A premium processing. I got approval in 1 day without any RFE.

VAC Appointment: I had my biometrics scheduled for sunday 1pm, got there by 12:30 and they let me in. The whole process got over in 15 mins. All you need is - Passport, DS 160 confirmation & Appointment letter

Visa Interview: Had appointment in the morning slot, got there early by 6:45am for 7:30 am interview slot which was a mistake. Chennai is too humid even in the morning to stand out for 45 mins.

There was another person ahead of me who was also for L1A individual interview. VO had a lot of questions for him and he had some missing documents when VO asked for a particular one. But his L1A visa got approved after he mentioned his salary was $160k.

My Turn:

VO: Asked for passport

VO: Location?
Me: Answered

VO: Salary?
Me: Answered ( more than the previous guy)

VO: Visa approved. Asked me to collect the passport in few days.

Hi All,

My name is Khadhar and I'm going to attend my L1B blanket interview on Aug'22. Please provide me the guidance to prepare myself well.

Best regards,
Khadhar

Thank you everyone for sharing their wonderful experiences on the group.

Is the salary really matter while attending L1B Blanket interview. My Sal is $78K. please advise is this also would be the cause for rejections. Because, I see my frnds visa got approved if is more than $80K.

Hi All,
Thanks a lot to this forum and members for maintaining this site. This is the honest and best site i have ever seen.
My turn to share my experience. Fortunately my visa got approved on 26th at consulate - Germany.
Both Bio-metrics and visa interview at the same time , same place.
Myself a senior manager in one of the top consulting Indian company. Though i have prepared well and practiced, i was very much nervous, sweated in 27C temperature :)

Myself, spouse and two kids.

VO : Hello there, How are you Today.
Me : Pretty Good Mam, Thanks. How about you.

VO: Can I see your documents.
Me : Sure, (Handovered I129S and U197 - Prepared by my company).

VO: So Are you applying for extension.
Me: Nope, This is the first time application, L1A Visa under Blanket category.

VO: Can I see your Passports.
Me: Sure, Here you are (3 Passports given).

VO: So, I have Yours, Your Wife and Your Daughter. Your son must be US citizen !.
Me: Yes, He is holding US Passport.

VO: So you are working for YYYY (miss spelled - it is a legend company in India, but in Germany they the name got miss-spelled ) What is the nature of Your Company?
Me: Explained... Company provides consulting services, We manage the projects in onsite - offshore model, based on the need we require to travel to onsite..xx xx xx xx

VO: Ok, What kind of the role you perform ?
Me: Though i prepared a fancy speech , i delivered my own words there. ... collaboration with customer, prepare weekly, monthly, quarterly dashboards, making sure that deliverable are met, team management, approving the training plans...etc...etc..( In Simple words with moving hands)...

VO: Do you have budget authority
Me : Yes. I do.

VO: Is Your Green card Files.
Me: Yes.

VO: When was that ?
Me: Year xxxx

VO: Why have you applied for L1A then ?
Me: This is Managerial Role, My Immigration team suggested me to apply on L1A as this is relevant category.

VO: What will you do post you get your green card ?
Me: Not in my script :( , showed blank face.
( As per the current progress and statistics I would need to wait for another 100 years to get my GC, hence worried how to let her know that her question is hypothetical)

VO: Will you change the status in US ? Post your GC.
Me: Yes.
(I see Durga ma in her).

She was typing in parallel

To My Wife --- >

VO: Mam, How long have you been married ?
Wife : x years.

VO: Will you work in US ?
Wife: No plans as i would need to take care of my kids schooling.

To my Kid:

VO: What are you studying ?
Kid: x std.

VO: Have you been to US schooling ?
Kid: Yes.

VO: Are you exited to goto school in US again.
Kid: Yes.

2 mins -- typing..

VO: Congratulations and have Happy trip . Here is your documentation of 2 sets of I-129S. You must carry one set along with you even though you are travelling single.
Have a good Day -

Me: thanks a lot - You too have great day. Bye.

My observations:
--------------------
- Do Focus on documentation.
- Prepare well for the speech. My daughter asked my the printed questions as VO (it is really matter how you speak out).
- I had 13 offshore and 8 onsite reportees. For L1A manager category, it is really matter.
- Be confident and honest in your speech.
- I wore suite. but i have seen folks came in short and T-shirt. dressing really not matter but better wear formals.
- You have to be bookish. It does not matter what you are doing , what will you do. They want to hear from you what is Visa class demands and What is the role demands.
- Explain what makes you different from a typical project manager and stress managing the delivery, closely moving with customer to provide the holistic view and progress of the program, Making sure not to spill overs in the budget planning and program execution, hire and fire, approval and signatory authority, Recruitment based on the need, looking for new opportunities...etc..etc..etc.

Wish you all the very best for those who are preparing for their interview.
Thanks and Kudos to the team maintaining this site. We all will keep support you Team !!!

Hi.. I would like to thank each one of you for sharing your experience,
I had my Visa interview in Delhi consulate on 26th July. My interview was scheduled at 9.45 AM , but I reached at 8 AM..

By 8:30 I was allowed to enter inside with my family

After biometric verification ,I was asked to join the queue for interview

WIthin 15 mins , my turn came.. Dont know but suddenly my younger kids ( 5 yrs old) started crying

Manish - Good morning, how are you doing today
VC- Good morning.. Can I have your passport and I797 please
Me- Yes officer
VC- How long you have been working for this company
Me - 4.4 yrs
VC- Which location are you travelling
Me - Replied
VC- For how long are you going to US
Me- Replied
VC- Are you working in your company from Day1 as Manager
Me- Yes , as Senior Manager
VC- Will you be playing similar role
Me- Yes with additional responsibilities.. Explained in detail
Me - sorry my son is crying a lot
VC- Thats ok

VC to my Wife - What will be you doing in US
Wife - Replied

Your Visa is approved

No documents were checked except original I797
I wore complete formal suite
Wish you all good luck

Hi,

I work as a Engineering Manager for large product US MNC. I am in a peculiar situation and need your guidance.
Event#1: I had applied for L1A Blanket in Nov 2018 - Which was not approved and we had got a response at 'Not clearly approvable'. I could not get to know the reasons for rejection as my interview went smoothly.
Event#2: Then in Mar'2019, I had applied for L1A Individual petition for which I got an RFE to provide addition evidence of my role as a people manager and few other trivial questions.
Event#3: We responded to RFE with lot of details which clearly calls our my role as a Manager handling large team with large impact. But my form I-129 Petition was denied.
> Event#4: Attorney told me that case is super strong and there might be some randomness and bad luck in the decision made by USCIS. Attorney(Fragomen) also told me that they my type of profile should not get a denial. After that, we have reapplied for new L1A Individual petition in Apr'2019. But on that we have got an RFE again.
> Event#5: Now we are responding to RFE and will be giving a response in 2 weeks.

I want to know from the members of this forum about chances of my getting a positive response on RFE. Does re-applying L1A immediately help here ? Attorney is telling me that they will file it in different USCIS centre this time(Other than California). Thanks in Advance.