Check Current H-1B Visa Application Processing or Wait Time

 

From US Department of State Website, you can now check:

1. Current Wait Time for H-1B Visa Interview Appointment
2. Current Processing Time or Wait Time for H-1B Visa Application (for cases which are not referred to 221(g) Administrative Process)

All you have to do, is to go to US Department of State Website

Select your desired Location from the drop down list and click “GET WAIT TIMES” button. Both Wait and Processing Times of selected Location will be displayed on the following page.

Job Hunting in USA on H-1B–Initial Screening, Telephonic and Face to Face Interview

 

Usually the selection process starts with Initial Screening by the recruiter. In initial screening, recruiter will call you on your phone and will go through your resume/cv verifying what you’ve mentioned in your resume/cv regarding your education background and work experience.

Recruiter might also setup a first telephonic interview with one of the technical staff member from recruiter’s technical interviewer’s panel, to make sure you score well in end client’s interview.

Technical interviews, be they telephonic or face to face, can include:

• Typical What-is questions – What is OOP?
• Copy-paste bookish questions – How IoC is different from DI?
• Real-life troubleshooting questions
• Scenario based problems

[ Click to view list of topics for Java Developer roles (under section “Selection and Interview Process” ]

Make sure you know every single thing that you’ve mentioned in your resume/cv.

Make sure you state clearly, if you are guessing some thing and are not sure about it, honesty is very very important in such interactions.

It is recommended to always go for the face to face interview option; it is far more effective than telephonic or video interviews. You can communicate more effectively when you are interacting directly, you can make long lasting impression, you can establish more effective connections.

Job Hunting in USA on H-1B–Dice Profile, Recruiter’s Response, Mobile Carrier, Billing and Package, Voice Mail Settings, Leaving Messages

 

Although there are a number of job portals and services available online free of charge, but as per my personal experience, Dice.com alone would suffice. There are hundreds of posting on this website on daily basis, so much that you would exhaust all your energy and won’t be able to just review all of the posting – and I’m talking about filtered posting that matches your area of expertise, say for example Java or Dot Net.

So, my recommendation for you is to create a profile on Dice.com and upload your both versions of Resume/CV – brief one and detailed one. Make sure your profile is searchable and you have mentioned valid cell/mobile number. If possible provide an alternative number as well.

After creating your profile, even if you don’t “apply” to any of the job postings on Dice.com, you’ll still receive plenty of calls from recruiters/employers. The response from recruiters/employers will be so overwhelming that you might lose the ground under your feet . So try not raise your expectations so high that would hurt in the end . Be reasonable!

Make sure you have mobile carrier that works best in your area. My personal experience with Verizon is that its coverage is good and quality of signals are great. Whether you are inside a building or on the go, it connects very well. It is important in this phase of your job hunting because you will be receiving lots of calls on daily basis.

For those of you who are from Pakistan, there’s a significant change the way mobile service providers bill in USA. In Pakistan, we only pay for the outgoing calls and not for incoming calls. In USA, you will have to pay for both incoming and outgoing calls. For example, if your incoming and outgoing calls are 20 minutes and 28 minutes. Then in Pakistan you will only pay for 28 minutes of outgoing call, while in USA you will have to pay 48 minutes of incoming and outgoing calls altogether.

I would recommend you to select Unlimited Package from your carrier’s Package offerings. You need that because, you will be receiving a huge number of calls daily. Plus, your initial screening will be done via phone by the recruiter/employer. And may be, your first interview might also be done on phone. So you will be engaged in calls of longer duration.

Make sure the Package you choose have a Voice Mail option. Although it’s very common and is almost available in all Packages.

Make sure you setup your personal Voice Mail greeting/message in your own voice. Do mention your full name and make sure you are loud enough to be heard easily over phone.

If your Voice Mail have a limit on number messages to archive, keep deleting old and unwanted Voice Mail Messages to have space for incoming messages.

Whether you are calling a recruiter/employer or returning a call and if the person is not available, record a brief message with your full name and your primary phone number. If you also mention the current time, that would also help the receiver.

221(g) Administrative Processing and the Actual Visa Stamping

 

On the day of your H-1B Visa Interview at US Consulate or Embassy, when Visa Officer finished asking questions, he/she will conclude the interview by letting you know whether you succeed or failed in the interview. If you succeed, there are two cases:

1. The Visa Officer hand over to you a 221(g) Administrative Processing Form and say that Administrative Processing is required in your case.
   
   It is possible that the Visa Officer will ask for some more documents related to you or your Sponsor, which you and/or your Sponsor has not submitted throughout the process. Not that these documents were required initially, but they might need them in your case for further clarification.

   It is also possible that they don’t ask for any further documents and your application still have to go through the Administrative Process.

   The actual amount of wait might also vary from case to case. Generally they give you the time of 6 to eight weeks, but in actual it can be less or more than.

   “After the interview, many visa applications necessitate further routine but required administrative processing, an integral part of the visa adjudication process that can be neither waived nor expedited. Individuals whose applications require this processing will be informed of that fact at the conclusion of their interview. Most administrative processing is completed within 60 to 90 days of the visa interview, but some cases do take longer. We cannot predict how long this processing will take for any particular case.”

   Source - http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/nonimmigrant_visa_faqs.html

    

2. The Visa Office will inform you about an estimated time frame when your H-1B Visa will be stamped on your Passport.

UPDATE – You can now Check your Visa Application Status Online, click to read more

In either cases, once your H-1B Visa is stamped on your Passport and your Passport is ready to be collected from American Express, you will receive a call from American Express representative to come and pick it up.

Possible Interview Questions That May Be Asked By Visa Officer During H-1B Visa Interview @ US Consulate or Embassy

 

1. For which position you are going?
2. Which company you are going?
3. Are you married?
4. How long you’ve been married?
5. How many kids you have?
6. What is the age of your kid?
7. Please show me the birth certificate of your kid?
8. To Wife – Where were you born?
9. To Wife – Have you ever travelled to any foreign country?
10. To Wife – Was your marriage arranged or love?
11. To Wife – Was your child born full term?
12. To Wife – What time in the day was he born?
13. To Wife – When you were married?
14. How many children you have?
15. Where in USA are you going?
16. How do you come to know about this Job Opportunity?
17. How do you know the person who referred this job opportunity to you?
18. For how long that referrer (in #8) is working with his current company?
19. On which position that referrer (in #8) is working on?
20. Is he/she (referrer in #8) still working with his current company?
21. Is he/she (referrer in #8) currently in USA?
22. What compensation will you get?
23. Will your employer be providing you the accommodation?
24. What was the interview process in your new Company?
25. Were they telephonic interviews or in-person?
26. Where you are graduated from?
27. Do you have any business card or employment letter of the current job with you?
28. Do you have a family in USA?
29. When do you plan to join your Company?
30. Tell me briefly about your travel history in last 10 years?
31. Tell me some of the clients of your company (which you are going to join in USA)?
32. What position will you be having?
33. What’s the business of your Company?
34. What is your last degree?
35. Where did you work after you graduated?
36. Where are you working right now?
37. Does your current employer knows about your H-1B processing?
38. How many employees your company have (the one which you will join in USA)?
39. What will you going to do in your new company?
40. So you studied Mathematics? What is Integration?
41. What is a Stack?
42. What is Debugging?
43. What is a Code Comment?

On the Interview Day - US Embassy/Consulate’s Interview Process for H-1B Visa Applicants

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “The Complete Process Trail for H-1B Work Visa”.

• Try to reach 10 to 15 minutes early on the interview day. Please note that it is not recommended by the Consulate to reach earlier than 10 to 15 minutes.

• Parking – If you are on personal conveyance than you can park your vehicle at the locations highlighted with green lines, in the picture below:

1. Outside the premises of US Consulate Karachi - The security personnel will register your entry by asking your Name, Passport Number and Check In Time
2. Main Gate – Through which you enter into the US Consulate Karachi’s premises.
3. Security Check – You will asked to hand over whatever folder, file you have. Besides that you will be asked to take off your leather belts, wallets, glasses, keys, in fact any thing that is other than your clothes. Once checked and satisfied, they will return your items back to you.
4. Walk way to the main waiting area.
5. Waiting area with a shed and seating arrangements for applicants
6. Waiting area with a shed and seating arrangements for applicants
7. Entrance gate to the building
8. Finger Printing Area – Your finger prints will be taken and your height will be measured. They will also ask in which language you want to give the interview, if you have already not checked it on the sticker that was pasted by American Express on the back or front of your passport.
9. The final waiting area – Contains at least 9 or 10 rows of 4 seats each like:
   [01 [05 [09
   [02 [06 [10
   [03 [07 [11
   [04 [08 [12 …..
10. Interview Counters – Visa Offer’s Interview Counters – Total of 5 or 6.

The total process from your entry into the premises as mentioned in #1 above, up till your interview and exit, it would take around 2 and a half hours or so. The actual interview with the Visa Officer will be just around 15 minutes or so.

Finally, what Visa Officer will ask in the interview? stay tuned for next post on this.

Interview at US Embassy/Consulate

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “The Complete Process Trail for H-1B Work Visa”.

1. All visa applicants, irrespective of age (including infants), are required to appear for an interview at the designated Embassy/ Consulate on the specified date. All applicants below age 14 must appear along with their parents, copies of parents NIC should be provided while submitting the applications.
2. Applicants must carry following documents while appearing for the interview:
   • Valid Original Passport and all previous passports
   • Fee Receipt issued by AEG having the interview date specified on it
   • Original academic degrees/ diplomas/ certificates with a photocopy set of all those documents
   • Any other documents, at their own discretion, to support their visa case (e.g. full travel details, detailed educational information etc.)
   • Original CNIC
3. At the interview, visa officer after review of your application may ask for additional information from you; and will advise the decision on your visa application. Following situations are likely
   • Visa is refused; passport will be returned by the visa officer
   • Visa is approved with some additional administrative process; either a letter would be given to that effect and passport is retained or on your request passport can be returned
   • Visa is approved; passport will be retained and will be returned after a week or so through the visa center where the application was submitted
4. On receipt of the Passport with visa sticker from the Embassy/ Consulate, applicant will be notified on his/ her contact number. You may collect passport personally or through an authorized representative in writing along with copy of his CNIC on surrendering one original Receipt and the letter given by the Visa officer.
5. If you have taken back the passport prior to visa issuance, you would be advised by the Embassy/ Consulate to submit passport once the visa is ready. You are required to submit passport through the Visa Center on payment of applicable service charges. On receipt of passport back from Embassy/ Consulate same process as defined in point 9 will be followed.

Nonimmigrant Visa Unit - Karachi
U.S. Consulate General
Plot No 3-5, New TPX Area
Mai Kolachi Road
Karachi, Pakistan
Phone Inquiries:
(+92-21) 3527-5000
Monday - Friday, 2:00 to 3:00 PM

Fax: (+92-21) 3527-5885
For visa related inquiries: KarachiVisaQuery@State.gov
View Larger Map

Submit H-1B Visa Documents and Fees to American Express and Schedule your Embassy/Consulate Interview

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “The Complete Process Trail for H-1B Work Visa”.

Once you have submitted online your Nonimmigrant Visa Application DS-160, you have to submit following documents and fees to:

American Express
Ground Floor, Shaheen Complex
Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road
PABX 92-21 3263 0260-80
amextravelkarachi@aeg.com.pk
Web: http://www.aegusvisa.com.pk/

View Larger Map

List of Documents to submit:

1. Confirmation page of DS-160
2. Original Passport valid for at least 6 months at the time of submission along with an enlarged (A4 size) copy of the first two pages of current and old passport. Original passport would be returned after due verification
3. Copies of previous passports first 2/4 pages, covering 15 years of travel
4. Travel history form for last 10 years. You will get a paper document from American Express on which you can fill your Travel history.
5. One photograph; having size of 2X2 inches preferably color photograph taken against a white or off-white background, printed without borders on non glossy paper. Computer Scanned photographs are not acceptable and photograph cannot be modified in any way, re-touched, penciled or altered by computer software Photograph should have been taken within last 6 months.
6. I-797, I-29
7. HEC Form – You will get this document from American Express. Fill it, sign it and attach it with the rest of the documents
8. Original SSC (Metric) Certificate
9. Original HSSC (Inter) Certificate
10. Original Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD’s Degree/Certificate
11. Original SSC (Matric) Marks Sheet
12. Original HSSC (Inter) Marks Sheet
13. Original Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD’s Transcript
14. Submit H-1B Visa Fee - US$190
1. Do not forget to get the receipt
15. Once you submit all these to American Express
1. Take receipt against submitted visa application
2. Take an interview appointment date. (Interview date will be noted on the Visa Fee Receipt).

Receiving and Accepting the Offer from H-1B Work Visa Sponsor

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “The Complete Process Trail for H-1B Work Visa”.

Once you clear the technical interview and are shortlisted by the H-1B Work Visa Sponsor, your second and last interview will be scheduled with the HR/Management. This interview serves a mean to interact with the management/HR of the company and sort of an introductory knowledge session about what company is all about, their vision, mission , future roadmaps etc.. It is very rare that a candidate who qualifies the technical interview, got rejected because of the evaluation results from his management/HR interview.

Next, the Sponsor will extend an offer to you verbally, which details your role, job description, salary, benefits, etc.. If you agree or after final negotiations, they will send you an Official Offer Letter on company’s letter head, which will be a proof of employment for you throughout your H-1B Work Visa processing.

Make sue you discuss and have a clear understanding on all of the following before accepting the offer:

1. Contract Type – Consultant or Employment
2. Sponsor’s % and your % in case of Consultant Contract OR per month Salary in case of Employment Contract
3. General idea of rates/salaries in prevailing market
4. General idea of Tax Deductions & your Take Home Salary

H-1B Work Visa Sponsors and their Selection Process / Criteria

 

This post is First of a series of posts that makes up “The Complete Process Trail for H-1B Work Visa”.

How to find H-1B Work Visa Sponsors?

So how you will find an H-1B Sponsor who sponsor candidates with similar expertise and skill sets as yours? There are different ways in which H-1B Sponsors float sponsorship opportunities in the market.

1. Join Local Office for some duration  – Some sponsors publish their local job vacancies with H-1B sponsorship as an “added” advantage. So once you are selected, you will have to join their local office for a year or more (depending upon your specific case) and thereafter they’ll process your H-1B. Also, some sponsors tie the processing of H-1B sponsorship with your performance in their local office, so it is not necessary that once you joined their local office, you are also selected for the sponsorship as well.
   
   So, in order to find such sponsors, refer to my post “Companies who Sponsor H-1B Work Visa for USA in Pakistan” and follow Job Opportunities from these companies on:
   
   Rozee.pk
   pak-jobs-IT
   Company’s own website
   
2. Trusted References Only – Some sponsors do not float their ads directly in the local market, they work through their existing established local trusted references. So, in this case, you have to leverage upon the professional and social circle you are in. In my opinion, I could be wrong, professional networks like LinkedIn.com or Rozee.pk might help in this case. Because your complete professional profile is visible to your contacts and they can see if you are a good fit for the opportunity or not.

Selection and Interview Process

In first case above, the selection process is pretty much the same as with any other selection process for local Job Opportunities. Therefore, I’ll now discuss the second case in detail below.

If an H-1B sponsor is interested in your profile, they will schedule your technical interview. The interview duration will be 30 to 60 minutes in which you will be evaluated in following technical and non-technical areas:

1. Technology (Java/.Net/C++/etc)
1. Hashing
2. Serialization
3. Collections
4. Multi Threading / Concurrent Programming
5. Network Programming
6. JDBC
7. Exception Handling
8. etc.
2. OOP
3. Frameworks
1. IoC (Spring, etc.)
2. MVC Frameworks (Spring WebMVC, Struts 1/2, etc.)
3. ORM Frameworks (n/Hibernate, etc)
4. Web Services (REST, SOAP)
4. Databases
1. SQL
1. Joins
2. Sub Queries
3. Views
4. Stored Procedures / Functions
5. Triggers
6. Query Performance & Optimization
2. Transactions & Locking
3. Big Data Handling concepts like Sharding and Partitioning
4. High Availability concepts like Clustering, Replication, etc..
5. Problem Solving – Scenario based
6. Communication
1. Command over English Language
2. Clarity of Thoughts
3. Confidence
4. Attitude
5. Mental Presence and Attentiveness
6. Punctuality

Besides above, you can be asked about any thing that you have written in your resume/cv.

As far as interview scheduling is concern, you can either receive an email or a phone call confirming your interview time and date. They will also let you know how your interview will be taken i.e. it could be over:

1. Skype
2. Your landline or Mobile phone
3. Goto Meeting Session
4. etc.

The interview could be Audio only (most probably) or both Audio and Video. Some important tips for the interview are as follows:

1. Make sure you are online/ready 5 minutes before your scheduled time. Save yourself from the embarrassment of last minute hiccups.
2. Make sure you are in a safe and sound place, where you can attend your interview peacefully with out kind of interruptions.
3. If you are giving interview on Mobile Phone, make sure it is fully charged.
4. If you are giving interview on Skype or Goto Meeting or any online audio/video service, make sure your Mic/Speakers/WebCam/etc. are all working correctly. Better make test calls to make sure every thing is fine.
5. Speak naturally with a medium pace (not too fast, not too slow) and slightly louder than normal voice.
6. Avoid short answers and very long explanations. Be specific with enough details to satisfy the interviewer.
7. Be prepared for the time when they ask you “if you any questions for us?”, keep a couple or more questions handy for the that time.

You’ll probably be notified within a week about the result of your interview and whether you are shortlisted or not. You will either receive an email (most probably) or a phone call.

In my next post, I will discuss what will happen once you pass the scheduled interview and make it to the shortlisted candidate?