L1, L2 Visa

My L1A individual application was filed on Nov st 2018 with L2 application, so far no update.

https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ doesn't list out Texas service center for i129 application as well as for i539. Is there anyway to get the current processing date for Texas service center?

Without knowing current processing date, I'm unable to raise outside normal processing time request as well.

Please share your advise/experience to me. Thanks!

Hi All,

My company has submitted a petition to the USCIS for L1A individual under premium processing route. While they haven't yet discussed with me on my proposed salary, they mentioned to me that they have indicated a 'hypothetical' salary in the petition, but didn't disclose the amount (hence i am assuming they have mentioned a higher salary than what they intend to actually pay, to make the case stronger). They also told me that the actual salary need not necessarily be the same as what is mentioned in the petition.

I have the following concerns, it would be very helpful if you could answer based on your experiences:

1. Has anyone of you had this case where your company actually paid you lower than what was indicated in the petition to USCIS?
2. Does the USCIS track the salary declared in petition vs what is actually paid?
3. Does USCIS for pay slips as proofs while applying for L1A renewal or EB1C? (supposing I apply an EB1C or L1 renewal after 3 years)
4. What are the risks if USCIS finds out about this discrepancy is salary?

Thanks!
Ralf

I am on Indian passport and had a L1B Visa from 2016 May Till 2019 May.
I have booked appointments in Mexico to renew my VISA.
I have selected Mexico, because it is near to USA and my work location.

My scheduled appoint date & time: 11th April 2019, 8:15AM
Visa embassy location: Mexico City
ASC appointment center & Date: Mexico City, 10th April 2019.

I have summarized the questions and answers and my thought process during the interview:

 I have entered the ‘Q’ line at 7AM. In 10min I was asked to move to enter the inside embassy since mine is L1 blanket application. (There are many people who came to embassy on different purposes)
 My passport got scanned and then I was asked to wait till 7:30AM. They just verified my DS-160 here.
 At 7:30AM, I have entered the main building entrance where the body scan and item scan happened. I did not carry mobiles and electronics, however right after the main Q line outside of the embassy building we can submit our electronic items. I am not sure what is the fee for this.
 All VISA counters opens 8AM, as I have reached very early 7AM and entered the embassy building inside 7:30AM.. They asked me to wait till 8:15AM, that is the time CASH counters will be open. For the L1 category I was the first in the Q line, and there were people after me.
 At CASH counter, they have verified my passports, DS-160 and I129S form 2 copies. After the verification have paid fraud detection fee 500 USD using my credit card.
 By 8:30AM I have done with the fraud detection fee, and then joined the VISA counter Q line. By that time the ‘Q’ line has grown big.
 By around 9 AM I went to counter#14 and there was a lady Visa officer who interview me
o Me: I have greeted her with Good Morning.
o VO: Greeted me and asked me to provide passport and other documents (I129S, Visa fee payment, DS-160, Passports).
o VO: What do you work for your company.
o Me: I have started explaining that I work for 'ZZZ' company, and we have a product 'ZZZ' as part of a project with 'ZZZ' client in 'ZZZ' location I have relocated to USA in Feb,2019..( VO was not happy with the answer).
o VO: what do you do / what kind of work you do for 'ZZZ' ( she repeated the question)
o Me: I have tried to explain little differently but again more or less same answer as above.
o VO: (she was not happy) I have asked you what type of work you do and you are giving big answers… can you tell me what work you do like ‘computer systems’ ,’IT’ , ‘electronics’ .. etc ( she gave me options like this).
o Me: computer systems.
o VO: do you have client letter?
o Me: I have submitted the support letter from my company 'ZZZ'.
o VO: she was reading the support letter each and every line, and then asked a question: why did you not travel to 'ZZZ' client for which you got L1B visa for first time?
o Me: I have started explained her about my travel history to USA. And I told her that there was no requirement for me to travel to 'ZZZ' client for which i applied my first L1B VISA for some time, meanwhile we had a different client project “ YYYY ” in New York so I had to travel for that client As my first trip.
o VO: (she was not at all happy with my answer) you have mentioned on your first L1B visa interview that you are applying the L1B for 'ZZZ' client, but you have not traveled to that company for first time.. why?
o Me: I have answered like, there was no project demand to travel to that client at that time, as part of a different project I had to travel to a different client 'ZZZ' for 2 months. However I had also traveled to the client for 3 months that i have mentioned during my first L1B interview, but it was not first travel...
o VO: (she got upset looks like) she said to me that it is wrong.. (meaning we mentioned on L1B that the VISA applied for travel for 'ZZZ', but why the first travel was not for same client). She took my passport and the forms to inside (somewhere) and came back after 10 minutes.
o VO: she continued.. and kept me waiting and was not asking any questions, completely busy with computer typing and reading the supporting letter ( I was hopeless here and assumed my visa would be rejected or may be kept in Admin Processing).
o Me: ( I was waiting if she ask me any questions) I interrupted her as I thought the interview is not going in my favor… I’ve asked her can I show my company offer letter for relocation
o VO: No, I don’t need.
o VO: around 20 minutes of waiting time she started writing on I129S and I saw she was mentioning the dates for validity on I129S form( I got relaxed here).
o VO: asked me to scan my right hand 4 finger prints for verification.
o VO: gave me I129S form 1 copy, and took the passports and the other forms with her. She said, business processing may take up to 5 days.. and I will get to know about my passport status online. Passports will be delivered to the mentioned DHL center. She issued me some information letter that VISA is approved and the steps for collecting passport (attaching that paper).
o Me: (out of curiosity) I have asked here is my VISA approved.
o VO: of course VISA is approved, but it may take 5 days max to get the passport back. And she said, old VISA will be cancelled and new VISA will be issued.
o Me: Thank you.

Some observations:

 Embassy people can speak English a little bit.
 Better to reach early 1hr before, as I don’t see they are checking the slot timings and simply allowing.
 There are not many cases for L1.
 The question VO asked me regarding ‘why did you not travel to the client which you have mentioned during your VISA’ was a tough question I felt, because she was not happy with the answer provided and it is difficult to justify the answer to her. Looks like one should travel first time to the client we mention on L1B blanket, or at least once should travel to the client we mention on our L1B visa application. I was lucky because I had traveled to that client mentioned at-least once, so that I could at least tell the VO that I had traveled.
 In worst case if the VISA got rejected, I have decided to show her my previous I129S form where we have mentioned a line saying that “He may also be requested to provide solutions to other customers of our company in the United States”. But since the VISA got approved I did not shown up my previous I129S form.
 But I felt like it is better to carry our previous I129S form too with us in case of such typical question.

Hope this helps someone.. if you need more clarifications reach me on
[email protected]

This website was very helpful for me to mentally prepare for the interview. So I wish to return the favor.

Some notes:
1. Applying for L1B for myself and L2B for my spouse and child.
2. Child was below 3 years of age, so he was not required to personally come for the interview. I had called the embassy to confirm this. His DS-160 form had to be filled and MRV fee also had to be paid prior to arranging the interview.
3. Two photos of each of the three applicants were required. If one does not bring any photos (photos are not mentioned as mandatory documents to be brought to the embassy), he or she can take a photo at a photo booth inside the embassy. I had brought all the photos. Since our child was not with us at the embassy, the photo booth wouldn't have been very useful in our case.
4. The interview was very easy and I believe that God's help and my doctoral background combined with nearly three years of experiance at the US origin MNC made the specialized knowledge L1B approval easy for me.

Interview questions:
1. Where are you going in the US?
2. Which company are you going to?
3. How long have you worked for this company in Singapore?
4. Highest qualification?
5. Major of highest qualification?

To my wife:
1. Which year did you get married? (I answered. At that time the officer asked my wife with a smile if I am right?)
2. How old is your child?

Hi Guys,
My Visa got approved on 28th March for Plano Location.
But now my employer wants to change my location.
Does anyone has idea about the process ?
Does it require a new amendment to file for location change.
How much time will the process take.
I have not yet travelled to US.

Looking for suggestions and help:

My blanket L1A petition was denied in Chennai in March 2019. My employer applied for L1A individual petition under premium category which got into RFE. What are the options do I have now . Can the RFE processing be expedited? Looking for help

Hi Team,

I had upgraded my L1A individual process from Normal mode to Premum Mode,immediately after 6 days from upgrading i got RFE and with respect to few of the comments i got to know that a few more folks are also facing the same situation.

Can some one Please update here if you had also faced the same situation and able to get through even after you got the RFE after upgrading to Preminum process.

Thanks a lot in advance.

Regards
Srinivas

This forum helped me attend my interview confidently. Thanks to other who gave their experience. My L1B got approved.

Questions Asked.

Q: So You work for YYYY Company? What does your company do ?
A: Detail explanation, but in simple term so that visa officer understand, no technical terms used.
 
Q: For how long you are working in this company ?
A: I am working for over 6 years in this company.
 
Q: What are you expertise ?
A: Detail about your expertiese of work.
 
Q: Why only you need to travel?
A: Give explanation one point which went in my favor (Atleast I think so) I was associated with the product from beginning and has require skillset and certification.
 

Q: What will be your Salary?
A: I mentioned the exact one which is on my I-129S form.
 
All the Best to all you have their interview schedule.

Hi All,

I am working for an MNC (IT industry) at Chennai and my employer is processing L1 A individual ( Premium Process) for me and for the same I would be attending my VISA interview at Chennai consulate in near future.

Could anyone give me update and do let me know about possibilities of getting my VISA approved.

Dear Members,

I have been viewing the experiences and more details in this forums. Thanks a lot for all your inputs and sharing, I got clarified with so many questions running inside me. Thank you so much. Here i have few clarifications regarding the interview.

1) How long do we need to schedule our stay for the complete visa interview ( Interview date April 25th)
2) Best reasonable hotels to stay near Vancouver US Consulate
3) what is the approval rate at Vancouver L1A visas and we are planning together with family
4) how long does the passport pickup usually takes .

TIA,
Regards,
Nirmal