L1, L2 Visa

First of all thank you so much to this site and all the users sharing their detailed experience. I visited this website just before the Interview and it was very key for clearing the interview.

My 2 cents: If your Visa category is genuine and your experience fits as per Visa guideline. Then, Preparation and confidence is key to clear the interview- its about going through the Petition document thoroughly, knowing how to answer appropriate way, be clear on responsibilities differentiating your visa as L1 A or L1B.

Dependents: Preparing all your dependents how to respond to key questions.

We(Me + 3 Dependents(husband + 2 kids) had in Chennai yday, both Biometric at 8am and Visa interview at 10:30am.

Both locations are near by, 15-20 mins by walk. If you have similar timings, you can have breakfast afer biometric and reach the Visa interview location just 30-45 mins before should be fine.

Biometric was smooth one. Not much document was needed - mostly Passport, Appointment letter, DS-160 was needed. L1B( L1 Blanket) sticker is put on the Passport cover. They verify the DOB, Full Name details from Passport and Appointment letter is same while taking the Pic, finger prints.

Below questions Visa Consulate :

Hello, GM, How are you doing ?
VO Greeted and responded.

VO: Did you travel to US earlier?
Me: Yes
VO: When did you travel? Me: Almost 10 years before
VO: How long you stayed? Me: Around 7 months i stayed.
oh, x months is quite a good duration. VO commented something like ..You could have gone and extended the same Visa. Me: No I couldn't.

VO: Who is your Petitioner ?
Me: Exact name of the employer. Mine is a MNC, this name need to be exact as mentioned in Petition.
 
Q: Which Visa category you are applying for? A: L1A Blanket - Managerial or Executive capacity
Q: How long you have been working ? A: Mon Year,
Q: is it roughly around 6 yrs. A: No, its around 3 years.

< Every answer we say, he is verifying the document details he already has received; Most questions are tricky/Ambiguity one, targeted to reject the Visa - so need to be answered carefully as per the visa category)

in parallel, he is writing **
>

Q: Where are you going ? A: Location (mentioned in Petition)
Q: Are you going for end client or your Company? A: For My Company [ You need to be watchful on this ]
Q: What is your designation ? A: Sr Manager, managing line of business
Q: Which Unit you work for ? A: Gave the Business unit name within the organization
Q: What is the salary? A: 1x0 K
Q: How many direct reportees you are having? How many reportees in US?
Q: Who is your reporting Manager? What is his designation?
Q: Who is your Boss of your reporting Manager? What is his designation?

Q: Do you play P&R role ? A: Yes
A: How much revenue? A: X million
A: How many Clients ? A: Managing clients in that x US region

**** ** To my Dependent:
I went with 2 kids, 13, 8 yrs old. No question to them. Question asked only to my Husband, again tricky targeted to reject the application.
 
Q: How long you have been married ? A: since x year.
Q: Why are you going with her? A: For supporting kids
Q: Will you work in US? A: No plans

**** **
He took 5 mins for write up and stamped 3 copies of I-297 and gave me 2 copies, Green slip. 1 copy to be shown during immigration and other one for HR dept. Said Congratulations, Your visa is approved and your ready to travel !!
**** **

Thanks to the awesome active community. My L1B extension got approved

Here are questions

VO: Applying for which visa?
Ans: L1B extension

VO: How many years you were in US
Ans: 2yrs 9 months

VO: Which location in US
Ans: CA

VO: What is the state of Project are you part of it starting? Is it in testing phase?
How many years left?
Ans: Yes, in testing phase, 2 years

VO: What's your roles and responsibilities?
Ans: Explained as I am Sr.QA. Developing automated scripts, test framework, proprietary tools etc.,

VO: Can you explain specifics about your project
Ans: Explained

VO: What is your team size? are you part of team or managing team
Ans: size of 10 and I am part of team not managing it

VO: What is your salary?
Ans: YYYY thousand Dollars

VO: Do you work for any client?
No, our is a product company

VO: Is your product will be licensed to customer?
Ans: Yes

Golden words....your visa got approved

Well...First of all, thanks to the awesome active community. My visa got approved.

Biometric was a simple one.
Since my role was a Business Development Manager - I was in formals with suit and tie.

Coming to PA Questions:

Which location ?
Role ? - Business Development Manager
Salary ? Mine was 90K+
Who is manager and his manager
How many reports - direct and indirect
How is your manager's role different from yours
How many other reports under your manager
total experience with current organisation (mine was 8, Total 14)
Why you and nobody else ?
Which customer ?

Golden Words :)

Hi all,

Looking for some advise on my L1-B extension.

I came to US Jan 2019 and my PED was 9th Apr 2019.
My company has filed for extension but my client, location and specialised knowledge was changed in January itself.

Any idea will this affect my chances of approval as my I -94 validity date is till Mar 2021?

Hi All,

I need your expert advise.

I was in IL USA for 2.5 years on L1B and I was working at my parent company location.

My client changed and I travelled to CA and worked at client location as my parent company don't have office in CA
but still I was working for my specialized knowledge with My parent company.

Then My company filed L1B extension and it got rejected.

The reason USCIS explained was "No documentary evidence was presented to show that specialized knowledge specific to my parent company is necessary in order to perform the work on the client project"

After denial in 2018 I flew back to India before my I94 gets expired.

Now after an year my company is going to file my L1B again for same specialized knowledge for same CA customer.

Questions:

1. Can I file L1b for same specialized knowledge?
2. Can I work for same customer in CA for which my Visa got denied?
3. Again my company is filling for CA customer then again it will be offsite work for me as we don't have office in CA. How to handle this situation?
4. What are my chances to get L1b?
5. If I file my visa and if I get it then what will be the tenure?

I have been silent member of this website to Gage the trends.

Notes:

 Applied for L1a Blanket Visa for myself (This is my 2nd L Visa, Completed my 7 years in 2018)
Spent 1 year (365 Days) cumulative outside US, visited US on B1/B2 Visa for short trips during last year.

Interview questions:

Trick Question:So this is first time you are applying for L visa? I said No 2nd time completed first term of 7 years.

a) What company you work for? YYYY X (Non IT)
b) How long have you worked for this company? 11 Years
c) Educational Qualification? Advised
d) What will be your salary? $ YYYY X + Benefits + Relocation + Bonus

By 3rd question, VO stamped the 129 approved and said you will get your passport in 3-5 business days.

My 2 Cents: IF case is genuine and you have established tenure with the organization, don't be scared and be confident (Which can only happen IF stay true to the application / Visa requirement)
L1A Visa: Doesn't have salary requirement as mentioned by some members on this portal.

Wish everyone the best!!

I submitted my L1B DS160 25th of march and previous travel to US details were given as No as I did not travel to US. Now after submitting, I came to US for a business visit which was little unplanned. In this case upon my return to India, should I edit the DS160 ? I will be back in India by Apr29 and my VISA interview is on May6-7 . It will be more than 30 days when I am back to INdia

L1A Individual - Filed on July 2018 in WAC- Normal processing - 9 Months gone and still awaiting response. Anyone sailing with me ?

Hi,

My Employer is filing L1A Blanket Visa for me for Program Manager Role. I have total 14.5 Year of experience. There will be 4 Direct reportee and 7 Indirect reportee at onshore. 3 Indirect Reportee are Contractors.
Total Project Revenue is less than 2 million.

Now i have below questions -
1. Whats the prospect of getting my L1A visa approved.
2. Is there any issue of having contractors as Indirect Reportee as i read that it can be problem. Now question i have is.. how consulate identifies that who are contractors.
3. Any other suggestions as i will be filling my form.

Just wanted to share my experience as this site has been extremely useful in helping prepare for my interview. My company filed for L1A blanket, I had an early morning appointment in Vancouver. My wife was also with me(she was going for L2).

Key points:

1) We carried one photograph each, but these were about 8 months old. The instructions clearly mention that the photographs must be no older than 6 months, so we had to go get new photographs. This was an oversight from our side, please do not neglect this rule as they are pretty strict about this.

2) Went through security, there is a different staff member that checks your documents for L1 applicants. She asked for only 2 copies of I-129 etc.(the attorneys had given us 3 packets, but we were only asked for 2). She went inside and came back after 10-15 mins, and arranged our documents and passports, with a rubber band around them. She returned all the documents that they did not need back to me.

3) We went upstairs for our interview and were called by a young VO(waited may be 10 mins in line).

VO: Please provide your documents.
Me: *hand over documents*

VO: Looks at the yellow slip for the $500 Fraud Detection Fee and says "You need to first pay this fee before the interview"

My wife and I go to the cashier and pay the $500 fee. Once we are back, we did not have to stand in the original line again and the same VO just called us again.

Me: Morning officer, how are you?
VO: I am great, how are you? (she was in a pretty good mood)

VO: (Points to my wife and talks with a humorous vibe), who did you bring along with you today?
Me: That is my lovely wife :-)

VO: So you are applying for L1 visa?
Me: Yes

VO: Who do you work for?
Me: I work for XYZ

VO: How many people report to you?
Me: XX

VO: How long have you been working with them?
Me: A little over a year, but I worked with the same company in US on H1B for 4 years

VO: So about 5.5 years with the company? (she seemed a bit concerned that I was applying for Managerial L1A with only 5 years experience)
Me: Yes, but I have a total of 11 years of experience

VO: Oh ok (no longer concerned)

VO: What is the highest degree you have?
Me: Masters

VO: What was your major?
Me: My major was XYZ. I went to Univ. of XYZ.

VO: Ok, so you studied in the States as well?
Me: Yes

VO: Tell me about the project you are working on?
Me: I lead a team of XX people and we are doing XYZ for our client. It is a $XYZ mil. engagement.

VO: Wow, big project then.
Me: Yes

VO: Where in the US will you live?
Me: I will be moving to San Francisco

VO: Wow, that's pretty cool!
Me: Yes, but expensive!

VO: True!

VO: What will be your annual salary in the US?
Me: $1X0,000 with about a $XYZ bonus

VO: Ok, nice.

VO: Can you please provide your marriage certificate?
Me: (trying to joke) Yes, our pictures on this certificate are terrible, so please bear with us.

VO: This is one of the better ones I have seen.

VO: (Looks at my wife) How long have you guys been married?
My wife: XYZ years

VO: How did you guys meet?
My wife: We actually met on Match

VO: Oh wow, I hope you guys did not use these pictures as your profile pics!
Me: No, we just used selfies!

VO: (starts writing on my I129) I will be writing a bunch of stuff on these documents and don't want to make a mistake, this is going to take 2-3 mins

*Awkward silence for 2-3 mins*
**VO goes away and comes back again**
***My wife and I are waiting giving each other a blank look***

VO: Ok, visa is approved for both of you. You will get an email when the passports are ready for pick up.

Me: Thank you, I was told that I will get one copy of the stamped I129 back.
VO: It will be included in the package that we send back.

Me: Thank you, have a great weekend!
VO: You too!

I think the trick in the Visa interview process is being honest with yourself, if your case is strong and you hit all the requirements, there is nothing to worry about(I know this is easier said than done, I could manage to get only a couple of hours of sleep the night before). If there are weaknesses in your case, work with your attorneys or do some research as to how to can articulate your responses in the best possible way. Please don't try to cheat or scam the system.

Do whatever you can to calm yourself down, feel confident and look VO in the eye while answering questions. If small talk, humor comes naturally to you, use that to your advantage, if not, do not try to force it.

Good luck to all of you, I hope everyone gets their visas! Happy to answer any questions.