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H1B Visa Interview – Paid Money? Website ? Client ? Hyderabad

One of our long time readers, A.S. Kumar, has been through the long process of H1B Since April 2015 and recently had his H1B stamped with a ton of tricky questions and nervous experience.  Congrats to him on his visa stamping and Thanks to him for taking time to write up  a detailed experience. With H1B 2017 season, some may expect to be in this timeline, worth reading. You may share your experience here

Introduction  : I am a silent reader of RedBus2US since Jan 2015. This website helped me a lot in understanding the process, terminology and experiences. Many thanks to RedBus2US team.
It’s great to see so many interview experiences in the site. I read all interviews available. Thanks to each and every one who shared their experiences. Now it’s my turn to share.   I tried to give more clearly and step by step procedure (Hyderabad Consulate). These steps may differ at other consulates. Sorry if you feel you don’t need this much clear info. Please bear with my explanation.
A little background:
It’s a new offer for me. My new employer filed petition in Apr 2015, got selected in lottery in June 2015. Went to RFE in Sep 2015, RFE cleared and finally approved in Jan 2016. Received I-797 and other documents, scheduled OFC on Apr 3rd and interview on April 6th.

Offsite Facilitation Center (OFC ) Experience in Hyderabad
Day 1: Hyderabad OFC: Pretty simple and fast: Go to the OFC centre not more than 30 minutes before the appointment time. Do not bring mobile or any other prohibited items. (If you still want to bring mobile, there is a small canteen near to Hyderabad OFC & Consulate. You can pay 100 INR and get a locker)

  • What do you need ?
    • You need DS160, Appointment Letter and all passports. Any other documents are not required.
  • Security at Entrance gate: Security will check the appointment time, allows if your appointment is within next 30 minutes. He will guide you in which way you need to go.
  • 2nd Entrance: An officer will check your DS160, Appointment letter, latest passport and asks you to go inside for security check.
  • Security will give you a small box and asks you to put everything (docs, watch, belt, whatever you have in pockets) in the box. They will check with metal detector. Here you will be issued a token and asked to go to nearby counter.
  • At counter, they will ask your passport, attaches barcode sticker to your passport (This barcode will be scanned at consulate at the time of visa interview) and asks you to go inside. It’s an air conditioned big room with 12 counters and a TV which displays the token numbers and counter number to attend for finger prints.
  • Once your token appears in TV, go to the counter and wait till officer calls you. He will ask your passport and asks you to read one poster which has some rules in English, Hindi and local language. He will take finger prints and photograph then returns your passport.
    THAT’S ALL!!!

Day 2: HYD Consulate: The BIG Day
Go to consulate not more than 1 hour before appointment time. Remember that in every step you will be clearly guided by officers. Do not bother about the process how it goes. Just concentrate on the interview. Prepare well. Let me try to give more clear steps.

Document Checklist for H1B Stamping : Do not forget any documents

  1. I-797
  2. Appointment Confirmation page
  3. DS-160 Copy ( Required Info to Fill DS-160 )
  4. All Passports
  5. LCA
  6.  I-129
  7. Petition Documents
  8. Offer Letter
  9. Client Letters
  10. Previous Employment letters & Educational Documents
  11. Marriage certificate if applicable

Other documents if you are going with wife and children (I am not sure what are all docs because I went alone)

Step by Step H1B Experience

  1. Entrance Gate: An officer checks your passport and DS-160. He attaches a card which will have multiple entries (like Entrance time, bio-metric start time, bio-metric end time, interview start time, interview end time, waiting time comments etc.) and fills the first entry time. Go inside the gate (No security check at this place)
  2. Security Check: If you are at Hyd consulate, at this point of time, you are not inside the main building. You will be asked to sit in the available chairs at the entrance of building and an officer will inform you when you are allowed to go inside. Same security check happens as it is at OFC. Once the security check is done, you will be allowed to go inside.
  3. Bio-metric verification: You need to sit in available in chairs and an officer will be informed you whenever you are allowed to inside for biometric check. Here, they will scan the bar code attached to your passport at OFC. Then, you will be asked to put your hand on biometric machine. If it matches with the finger prints given at OFC, you will be allowed to next step. He will enter biometric start and end time in the card attached to your passport.
  4. Waiting : Again you need to sit and wait in available chairs inside. An officer will guide you to stand in a line to wait for your turn. Here, there are 16 interview counters in Hyd Consulate. At this stage, you are in line at outside interview counters room.
  5. Going Inside : They will give you a card which has counter number and asks you to go inside. Just take it, go to the counter. You need to return this card after your interview.
  6. Waiting for your Turn : At counter, an interview will be in progress for other person, you need to stand in a line where other people also waiting for their interview at the same counter. Maintain some distance in the line to give privacy to others.
  7. What is it like at interview : Wait in the line till the officer calls you. There will be a bullet proof glass between you and visa officer and a small window to pass the documents (looks like the ticket counter). Both you and officer will have mic to speak.

My H1B Visa Interview Questions
Me: Good morning sir.
VO: Very good morning.
VO: Who is your petitioner?
Me: XXXX
VO: I never heard about the company. The company exists?
Me: Yes sir, it is located in
VO: How many people working there in US in your company?
Me: I don’t know sir. I don’t have exact count of US employees.
VO: Oh! You don’t have the information about your company?
Me: I know about company sir. I don’t have the exact count but I know there are X more petitions filed along with my petition.
VO: You don’t know the count? You don’t have even proper info about company. (with shocking face) How can I proceed?
Me: Sir, I don’t want to give you the wrong count when I am not aware.
VO: Do you have client?
Me: Yes sir, client is XXXX. You want to see the client letter?
VO: Yes
Me: Given the client letter.
VO: This is false information. There is no such client exists. (He retuned me the client letter asked me to take it)
Me: No sir, we have client. I have project documents with me. Do you want to see?
VO: No.
VO: Tell me the client website?
Me: Told website (My bad luck, told wrong web site)
VO: Are you sure? 100%?
Me: Yes sir. I am sure.
VO: (Typed website name on keyboard) The website is wrong. It’s not exists. As I told you there is no client, no such company. You don’t know anything man. About your company, client. How can I approve your visa?
Me: No sir, My Company located in and we have client XXXX and the project is XXXXX. I have all the documents with me.
VO: Tell me how much you paid to your employer?
Me: I have not paid anything sir.
VO: Your company website?
Me: Told the website (This time, I am right  🙂 )
VO: Are you sure? 100%?
Me: Yes sir. I am sure.
VO: You told me the same for your client website also?
Me: I might have overlooked and forgot sir. This is for sure. You can check. Told the spelling of my company website.
VO: Opened the website. Read something.
VO: When is the company established?
Me: Told the year.
VO: Its wrong.
Me: Might be wrong in the website. As per LCA, it is established in XXXX. You want to see the LCA?
VO: Yes, give me the I-129 as well.
Me: Given LCA and I-129
VO: Gone each page of LCA and some pages of I-129. Typed something and verified the documents.
VO: Tell me how much you paid?
Me: No sir, I haven’t paid anything.
VO: You must be paid something as deposit which they will return to you after your joining.
Me: No sir. Nothing as such. I haven’t paid anything sir.
VO: How did you get this job?
Me: Tried to explain in detail but VO interrupted me and asked me the same question again.
Me: Employee referral.
VO: Name?
Me: Told my friend name who is working with my employer.
VO: How do you know him?
Me: Told
VO: How much they offered you?
Me: $XXXXX
VO: It’s less. You can’t survive with that salary
Me: No sir. It’s more than the average salary paying in XXX state.
VO: No. I am telling you. You can’t survive.
Me: Silence for 3-4 seconds.
VO: I am talking to you man. Please reply.
Me: As per my inquiry with my friends, it’s more than the average salary in XXX state. I inquired it before accepting the offer.
VO: Show me the project description?
Me: Given all the project documents and client letters (I was having client letter, project description docs, ppt, proposed technical design by my employer)
VO: So, you are going to to work?
Me: No sir, I am going to work at office located in XXX, XXX state, working for the client XXXX. I don’t work from XXX Client location office.
VO: He verified all the documents again (Project Docs, LCA, I-129 etc.)
(He took almost 2 minutes to verify all the docs)
After 2 minutes….
VO: What is your highest qualification?
Me: XXX (Told the short form of my qualification)
VO: What?
Me: Told the complete abbreviation of my highest degree from XXX University during the period XX-XX
VO: ok. Your visa is approved.
Me: Thank you sir.
I was too tensed when I told the wrong name of my client website and when I answered I don’t know for the “No. of employees in US” question. But, what is feel is, when you don’t know you have to convince the VO that you don’t want to give the wrong information when you are not aware. That will be fine.

My Suggestions for H1B Stamping :
1. Don’t forget to read the company website, client website, LinkedIn profiles.
2. Remember the names of website, CEO, and Year of establishment
3. Check the number of employees in USA
4. Your reporting manager in new company
5. Read all the documents multiple times.
6. Inquire about salaries in the state you are going to work.
7. Get as much as info about your employer and client.
8. Better to have a discussion with your employer about company and client project and project description (Like I had, helped me while answering the questions with confidence).
9. Keep your documents handy to give to VO as fast as you can because they don’t like delay at counter.
Last but not least, it took 6 days for me to get my passport back. Finally I got my visa. All the very best guys !
For more experiences, you may check out Visa Stamping Experiences  section.

   

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31 Comments

  1. Hello Saurabh,

    I am very much tensed/ worries and required your suggestion to move further. It is now more than 10 months that i have got H1B petition approved by USCIS, It seems my company doesn’t have any project related to my profile as they have not showed any interest related to the same.

    I tried to get receipt number as well as hard copy of petition but they denied and will only give at the time of stamping. I really need you suggestion as i can’t wait more and wanted to change the company.

    1. Is there is any way by which i can get my receipt number from USCIS ?
    2. What happen to my petition if i change company?
    3. New company can file my cab exempt petition?
    4. Do we have any thing called as H1B transfer, If yes please tell me list of consultancies or organisations who can help me?

    If you have direct contact or email ID, please provide me or send email on jaral.dimple@gmail.com

    Any suggestion and guidance will be highly appreciable.

    Reply
    • ACC-H1B,

      I assume you are outside US and not inside US.

      1. I don’t know of any options. Some folks have suggested filing FOIA but I don’t know how successful they were.
      2. The new company can file cap-exempt petition for you (once receipt number is known) and you can travel and work for them on H-1
      3. Yes
      4. New employer will be filing a cap-exempt petition. This is loosely referred as H-1 transfer. Unfortunately, I don’t know any employers that I can suggest.

      Reply
  2. *****H4 EAD Being Misused Heavily******

    This women Usha Khurana used to govt job in India and currently in USA she has shown 10yrs QA exp. which completely false. Her Husband sanveer khurana is a test manager in Tech Mahindra. Both work from home, and he completes her assignment.

    Not only that she openly boast about her fraud and how she is working in good company without any experience or degree in software.

    Please contact authorities if anyone know somebody.

    Her Linkedin profile

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/usharanisanveer

    And she is not alone many H4 EAD women are doing this thing who have their husband highly placed in IT industry and were doing odd jobs in India.

    *****Result QA Jobs vanished from American market*******

    Reply
  3. Hi All:
    I attended visa interview on 29th of April in Hyderabad.Let me tell you my experience.
    Got approved on 2nd Decemeber 2015 with in house project from a samll company in Ohio. If you trust me, i did all documentation for my self right from project documentation and edu/work experience evaluation and luckily i got my approval. since it’s in house i was not very keen on going for visa interview. Actually we showed that project as technological partnership project between my current company and USA company with technology agreement.
    My before girl was for F1 and rejected after she gave in correct answers.
    Now VI:
    ME: Good Morning Officer!
    VO: Very Good Morning, how are doing Today?
    Me:Doing Good thank you.

    VO: So you an employee of XXX company(Indian company)?
    Me: YES

    VO: What is your salary in Indian company?
    Me: xxxxx p/a

    VO:What is your USA salary?
    Me:xxx USD /annum

    VO:What is your company name in USA ?
    Me: xxxxxxinc

    VO: Are you going to work at client location?
    Me:No, at employer location and it’s technology partnership product development between my current company and USA company.

    VO: How many ppl working on this project?
    Me: in India it’s 10 ppl and in USA 2 ppl.

    VO:What is your highest qualification?
    ME: Bachelor’s in Electrni……and commm…..

    Vo typed for few secs and then asked

    VO: So you applied H1 in 2011?
    Me: No that is my re stamping, initially i applied in 2009 and traveled in 2010 and came India for my marriage and went for re-stamping and received 221g and subsequently after 4 months it’s refused.

    Typed for few more secs and said your visa is approved and can leave for the day.

    Said thank you and my face became blushed and head felt relieved and walked out thinking about my father’s(who is no more) dream(his last wish while on death bed 14 years back t) is fulfilled sending me to usa ,.

    Be confident and reply

    Reply
  4. Hello Saurabh,

    Could you please tell what is processing time for premium/ Normal H1B amendment. My petition is valid till NOV 2016 and still i haven’t got any project, If i will get project after NOV 2016 what would be the process. I heard if you are applying for extension then you should be physically present in USA, so how this works?, Please help me to clear all this.

    Reply
    • H1B-ACC,

      PP amendment would take 15 calendar days, while normal processing can take 2-6 months. If RFE is issued, then it can take longer.

      Your cap-exempt petition can be filed even if you have never traveled to US on previously approved petition.

      Reply
  5. Hi,

    Visa interview happened at Hyd consulate on Apr 15, 2016. The VO asked few questions and then asked me to give approved i-797 and gave me a white slip with no options marked. I am not sure how long i should wait. Is there anything I can do at the moment?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Anonymous,

      Nothing you can do except to wait. Also, there is no set processing time for this, and can take few weeks to several months to process.

      Reply
  6. Hello Saurab & Kumar,

    Thanks for your wonderful website. I have been following your website for almost close to 1 and half year now.

    I have a question regarding H1B Transfer In our ADP Pay Stub we will see our Company’s Full Name Address which is visible on the Top Left of the Pay Stub.

    In the same pay stub we will see our Full Name under which we will see our Residence Address or which ever address your company has in its Records.

    My Situation is this. I am hoping this is not a big issue.

    I work in Illinois on a H1 for reputed company and in my Pay Stub I do see my Company’s name and Full Illinois address. It also has my Full Name and my residence address back in California because my Wife lives there as she works in California.

    Is there an issue with this ? Or will there be an issue if I transfer my H1 to another Company based out of California ?

    Thank You Again
    Mike

    Reply
    • Mike,

      I don’t think it should be an issue. If questioned, you can say that you maintained CA address in company’s mailing records so that you can get all mail at one place.

      Reply
  7. Hyderabad consulate
    Doesn’t know the client website properly.
    Getting through non advanced degree and taking so much time to get through RFE.
    Name – Kumar – Common name in andhra means Andhra special.
    This guy must hv paid minimum $3000 to the desi consultancy so that they will file visa.
    Paltry salary.
    Pakka case of jugaad. I am sure his dowry would have gone up to 1 crore.

    Reply
    • Dear Anonymous,

      First of all, who the hell are you to question all these? and I don’t need to prove anything to you…
      Its not consultancy. It’s US based company referred by friend who is working for them from 2012. I haven’t paid single rupee and my package is 75k+10k variable which is not mentioned in LCA. I got married (fyi, I didn’t take dowry) and I have a child too.

      Don’t try to judge when you don’t know anything. Mind your words before commenting here.

      Reply
      • I would say $ 75K is bit below average when you are married with kid. Hope you have clear idea of your financial situation when moving to US.

        Reply
    • hello Anonymous,

      you don’t have guts to reveal your real name and you are making fun of Andhra people !!
      shame on you..
      please do comment when you know the case clearly or else keep your **** out of here.
      Hope you won’t comment based on region or caste.

      Reply
    • Hey anonymous,

      First of all mind u r words. Everyone nows, how U guys getting a job in US. But in India is not like that. Behave ur self, respect others

      Reply
  8. It looks to me .. some masala would have added but end is happy news. Any way good luck !! Article made good awareness to the people going for visa this year.

    Reply
  9. Hi Everyone,

    I need some help. My spouse has H1B petition from Employer A approved which is till 2018, but due to lack of opportunities, we are planning to process a H4 VISA from my employer and travel to USA for 4 months.

    If i file for H4 VISA from a different source, will the H1B petition be revoked/removed?

    Reply
    • Raju,

      You can go for H-4 visa now and H-1 in later. In future, an employer would need to file cap-exempt petition for you and give reference of old approval as proof of having made through lottery. The petition may be expired, withdrawn or revoked, but this can still be done.

      Reply
  10. Just found out I got selected for the H1B. I applied under the Masters Cap Premium Processing and I live in NYC.

    Good luck to the rest!

    Reply
  11. A.S. Kumar you got guts dude! Many of us would have frozen solid with the kind of negativity shown by the VO.

    All the best! And thanks for sharing the VISA stamping horrors! 🙂

    Reply
  12. Well, sadly, clearly a case of a jugaad agency employee who got a visa. I wonder how he got the visa and also, I hope POE is more stringent.

    Reply
      • Ya, I think these are the kind of guys who get send back at port of entry and rightly so. If US becomes stringent and stops abuse by these kind of people, the worthy ones will have better chance at visa.

        Reply
  13. Dear A.S. Kumar,
    I don’t think VO asked any tricky questions to you. You made this interview complex. May be because you did not prepare well or because of nervousness.

    Thanks,
    Nilesh J

    Reply
    • Yes, I agree. Its not at all a difficult interview.

      Its very apparent that candidate is not serious about knowing his/her own employer.

      Reply
      • These applications need to be rejected off the bat. I’ve never heard of a difficult interview for people with reputable jobs and degrees. This blog is a joke.

        Reply

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