L1, L2 Visa

Had L1A blanket visa interview at Ottawa.
This is my 3rd time of my L1 stamping. First time at India (2011) and next one at Ottawa (2014)

Time: 8:30am

Counter:1
1) Gave check of $500 issued for Anti Fraud Fees
2) Checked passport, DS 160 and 3 copies of petition and noted the dates in the petition and returned back.

Counter 6/7
1) Another check of DS 160, petition and finger prints.

Counter 2/3/4 (Interview)
I went to Counter 2. Questions asked

1) What do you do?
2) How long working with client/company? 4 years /11 years
3) How many people reporting? 3 (though i dont have any reportees at this point)

(to my wife)
1) Are you currently working?
2) What is your highest education?

Result: Your visa is approved, I m cancelling your old visa (stamped "cancelled" and returned old passport), You can collect passport in 3-4 business days.

It took about 1 hour from entry to exit out of embassy.

Question: Why does your company want to send you to work in the US?
Answer: I have a portfolio of 10+ North America customers and need to work closely with them for service delivery and improvement …….etc etc

Question: What’s your designation?
Answer: Delivery Head

Question: Where would you work in the US?
Answer: At our corporate office in YYYY X

Question: Is that your head quarters?
Answer: No, head quarter is in India, that’s our US corporate office

Question: What salary in USD?
Answer: YYYY

Question: Have you worked in the US before? (this was asked because I worked for a North America company for 2+ years)
Answer: Not in the US, however was employed by a US company as there Director offshore Delivery…..etc etc

Question to my wife: Since how long have you been married?
Answer: X years

Question to my wife: And you have a child who is X years old?
Answer: Yes, that’s right.

Finally – Your Visa is approved. Please hand over a copy of the approve (stamped copy) of i129S to your HR department and to the immigration in the US when you reach.

i got L1B visa stamped in chennai consulate last month. Unfortunately, i lost my passport. Could anyone please help me on the following for getting L1B restamped against the same petition that is valid till oct 2018.

1. Do i need to fill DS160 and pay 190$ for setting a new appointment in chennai?
2. would the biometrics be done again along with the interview?
3. i do have copies of I797 and I129S stamped copies that i can show at the consulate against which restamping can be done on the new passport?
4. would a fee of INR 35,000 (fraud fee) to be paid again....i've the paid receipt that i can show up at VO?

Any other thing that i need..

Thanks..

Hi All,

My L1B Blanket recently refused - "Not Clearly Approvable" and VO said - ask you company to apply for other category.

Now my company is planning to apply L1 B individual.

Now my question is - If L1B Blanket was rejected then we can apply for L1B Indivdual only ? Can we apply for L1A individual instead ?

Please share your thoughts on this.

Thanks !

This forum has been extremely helpful and i would like to thank everyone who has shared his/her experiences here.

I had my interview schedule for today at 10 AM , below are the details.

I reached the consulate at 8:45 AM and got my turn at around 11:30 AM(please plan at least 2 hours waiting time if you are reaching the consulate after 8:30 AM)

Below are the questions that the VO asked me.

1.) Which company you work for
2.) Who is your petitioner
3.) How long have you been working with the company
4.) What is your designation
4.) What is your specialization
5.) Did you developed the tool if yes what was your contribution
6.) Is your tool licensed
7.) What is the name of the tool
8.) Who use this tool
9.) How many members in your team have helped in the development of this tool
10.) How long does it took to develop this tool
11.)What will be your salary in US
12.) Will you be working for the client or with your parent company
13.)Which programming languages have you used in the development of the tool.

My answers were short and precise , please be confident and answer to the point . Don't try to go beyond the question unless asked to elaborate. I have seen many people trying to elaborate even without asking and got rejected.

Confidence is the key, please keep smiling as that would help you overcome the nervousness.

All the best to everyone :) , be confident and believe in your specialized skill .

your visa will be approved.

Thanks.

Its time to share my experiences to the group.

Was scheduled the L1A Blanket visa interview Nov 10th 10:30 AM. Reached at 9:15am and joined the queue. as i attend with dependents (Wife & Kid) allowed to join the queue.

Checks:
1. Check the DS160 confirmation and appointment confirmation at the front door.
2. Separate line for gents and ladies for enter the first building after passport verification.
3. requested to remove any items carrying for x-ray scanning.
4. Consultant person help to tie these documents with rubber band - 3 sets of I129s, I797s, Passport and DDs.
5. Proceeded to the second building for DD payment, passport verification and do the finger prints.

As went with the kid, requested to go directly to the VO. Here are the list of questions.
1. Current employer
2. Experience with the current employer
3. Client
4. Client Location
Supervisor Designation?
Supervisor location?
Direct Reportees & Indirect reportees?
What will you do in US?

VO said as the L1A blanket has a narrow approval, request your company HR to apply for the other visa category and stamped "Clearly Not approvable" on the I129s form and returned back to us.

Thank you all guys. All the Best for the Visa's Personal Appearance.

Please let me know if anybody received any recent update regarding L1 individual petition status from California center. My Case was received on August 2nd by USCIS, but no update yet.

Thanks

Date: 8-Nov-2016
Location: Chennai

Thanks to this forum. Its my turn now to give back. Below are the list of questions asked:

VO: Which company you are from ?
Me: ZZZ
VO: How long you are working with the company ?
Me: Since YYYY years and YYY months
VO: Will you be working from the client location or company's location?
Me: I will be working from the client location but my employment is going to be only with YYYY company
VO: Which client are you traveling?
Me: YYYY client
As soon as I said the client name, VO asked are you going to YYYY city ?
I said yes
VO: What is your duration of stay?
Me: 2-3 years depending on the customization requirements from the client
VO: What is your specialized knowledge?
Me: My core specialization is on my company's proprietary tool, ZZZ. I have designed and developed the tool since its inception to deployment. I have got good expertise in handling the customization and integration part of it
VO: How many individuals are traveling from your project ?
Me: Only myself
VO: What technology you have used to develop this software?
Me: YYYY and YYY
VO: Can you please elaborate on those technologies?
Me: These technologies are used to handle data heavy problems and we have chosen this since our application deals with huge data and it is proprietary to my organization. Explained in 2-3 lines
VO: What is your projected US salary?
Me: YYYY USD per annum
VO: What is your purpose of visit?
Me: I am going to travel for customizing and integrating my company's proprietary tool with the clients infrastructure

and the VO said please handover one copy to your HR and one copy at the port of entry. have a nice trip and good luck !!!

My tips would be :
1. Be confident. Keep smiling
2. Have a positive optimistic body language. Getting too nervous might not help.
3. Be clear in what you speak about your tool. Be prepared to provide more explanation if asked
4. Pray well and always think you deserve to get a visa

All the best to all the visa aspirants. May all your dreams come true!!!

I'm from Nigeria, this forum as really helped my wife and I in preparation for the B1/B2 US visa. Thanks to Admin and members.

Mywife and I Good morning
VO passport please with a huge smile.

VO What's your highest education level?
ME. I beg your pardon, ( I wasn't expecting that question)

VO. You went to XYZ to be ABC right?
ME Yes. A certified ABC

VO. Engineering is big, which are you?
Me. ABCXYZ Engineering.

VO. Who are you to each other?
Wife and I. My wife, my husband.

VO. Is anyone travelling with you?
Wife and I. No

VO Do you have kids?
Wife and I. No.

VO. Do you know anyone in US?
Wife and I. No.

VO How long have you been working with ABC?
ME. I have being working with ABC for XYZ.

VO. You will stay at ABC hotel, how do you know abt ABC hotel?
Wife and I. Me Yes, wife we surf the net for it.

VO. How much per night for the XYZ hotel?
ME. ABC per night.

VO. Do you have any other job or thats your only job.
ME. I do XYZ to support my job on part time.

WIFE

VO. You do ABC right explain?
Wife. Right, she gave details.

VO. How long have you been married and when?
Wife and I. Going to a year and we gave date. Wife, going for anniversary though.

Then the Golden word came, congratulations. A letter was given, pick up your passport in three working days.
Happy Anniversary.

I thank the support of this forum.

Thanks to the forum and all members for sharing their experience. It really helped me and I am giving back now.

I was given blue slip during my last consulate visit for my H1B petition and it has been on AP for the last 6 months with no update. I was a little skeptical this time for my L1A since my previous petition is on hold.

Place: Chennai

OFC: 3 Nov, 2016
I just reached 15 minutes prior to my appointment and the queue for the slot already started. I just carried DS160 confirmation page, PAI confirmation page and passport alone. The biometrics got over in another 15 minutes.

VI: 4 Nov, 2016
I reached 1 hour before my slot and joined the queue. But it took almost 2 hours to reach the consular officer for my interview (If you have any your return tickets booked the same day evening, better go early for the VI than waiting for your slot. I had my return flight at 4.30 PM and hardly managed to get it)

VO was a lady and welcomed me with a smile.

VO - Good morning sir, Your passport and approval notice pls.
Me - Good morning, sure. Please have it.

She scanned my passport and looked the monitor.
VO - Please hold on for a minute.
Me - Sure (She got down from the seat, took my passport & approval notice. Talked to another officer inside for a minute and came back)

She returned and turned the microphone on.
VO - Sorry for keeping you wait. We were discussing about your previous petition. Would you like to withdraw that?
Me - You will be approving my L1 right?

She smiled.
VO - Okay, I am not withdrawing it right now. we will have the interview first and then decide.
Me - Sure

VO - Your designation?
ME - XYZ

VO - How many reportee do you have at onsite?
Me - 6

VO - Whats the designation of your onsite manager?
Me - Associate director

VO - Your salary pls?
Me - XYZ per annum

VO - And your client?
Me - XYZ

VO - Okay sir, your visa will be approved. Now would you like to withdraw the previous petition (with a smile again)
Me - Yeah.

VO - Please wait sir. (She typed for a few seconds) You can leave for the day sir. Thank you. (returned my approval notice)
Me - Thank you officer. Have a good day.

I wish all applicants to have a smooth VI experience and get it stamped!