“I have a dream of getting a visa, which is a dream that many people have, so they can leave their countries to come to someplace else, specifically, they want to come to the United States.” —Juan Luis Guerra
My friend and his wife wanted to apply for a B1/B2 visa to visit their son, who works in the USA with an H-1B visa. Since I underwent this process on October 29, 2019, they asked me the procedure to apply and the tips to face the interview. I shared with them the following information.
First, identify the authentic agent to assist you with the entire process. You can also do it by yourself if you are acquainted with the process and confident about the procedure. However, it is advisable to apply for the visa through an authentic agent as he or she is a professional and can provide you with the right procedure to apply and the strategy to adopt to come out with flying colors from the interview.
Application Procedure
“Future is an unknown country which requires tough visas for anyone to enter. Not all of us will get the chance to visit it.” —Mehmet Murat Ildan
Apply for the interview slot within the available dates and as per your convenience. Pay the nonrefundable fee of $160, which is valid for a year. You lose the fee if the visa is rejected. However, you can apply again for the visa interview by paying the fee. It is essential to keep adequate funds in your bank account to sponsor the visit. Choose the Consulate office near your location. Ensure that your entire documentation is authentic and complies with their guidelines. There are no recommendations for the interview. The entire process is ethical, strict, fair, and transparent.
Visa Interview Checklist and Preparation
“It's pretty physically unsettling, living life on a visa.” —John Oliver
Here is a list of documents to carry with you for the visa interview: Appointment letter, DS 160, original passport, your identity card or Aadhar card, or voter card. Invitation letter from your child, your child's letter to the Consulate, employment verification letter, H-1B visa if approved (It is not required if you are going to attend your child's convocation ceremony) ,xerox copy of the passport, and bank statement. You must carry your bank statement and income tax returns for the last three years. Show the relevant documents when asked.
Your interview is based on your child's track record in the USA and the documents you have uploaded. Therefore, upload the authentic information and read it before going for the interview. You must go to the Consulate one day before the day of the interview to give your fingerprints. Therefore, dress neatly and elegantly for both biometrics and interviews.
During the visa interview, you must respond to basic questions such as the location of your child, where he or she is working and living, the contact and salary details. You must be convinced that you will stay for a month and return to your home country. Inform me if you have any properties. It indicates that you return to your home country to take care of your assets. Prepare a list of probable interview questions with answers. Practice thoroughly with your friends or relatives.
Probable Interview Questions
Here is a list of probable interview questions for you to practice:
Q: Why are you going to the US?
Q: Have you been to the U.S. before?
Q: Do you have relatives in the US? If yes, who?
Q: Who is going to sponsor your visit?
Q: Where will you stay in the US?
Q: What does your son/daughter do for a living?
Q: How much does your son/daughter earn?
Q: Where does your son/daughter work?
Q: How long has your son/daughter been in the US?
Q: What visa did your son/daughter enter the U.S. on?
Q: When do you plan to travel?
Q: What are you going to do in the US?
Q: Have you been outside India before?
Q: What places do you want to visit?
Q: How long will you stay in the US?
Q: What is the guarantee that you will come back?
Q: When did your son/daughter last visit India?
Q: Where do you stay in India?
Q: What assets/property do you have in India?
Q: How many children do you have? And where are they? What do they do? Are they married?
Q: Show me your documents. OR Has your son/daughter sent any documents?
Visa Interview Tips
“The best interviews—like the best biographies—should sing the strangeness and variety of the human race.” —Lynn Barber
Be available one hour before the interview. Your initial impression is critical to your success in the interview. Say 'Hi' to the consular officer/visa officer. Demonstrate a positive attitude. Be confident. Emphasize ethics and etiquette. Be truthful and respectful to the officer. Don't lie to the officer. Listen carefully. If you don't understand the question, request to repeat or paraphrase the question. Keep your answers to the visa officer short and precise. Don't avoid the answers. Avoid sharing unnecessary information voluntarily. Avoid arguing with the officer. Don't beat around the bush. Your answers must align with the uploaded information. Share your enthusiasm to return to your home country after the visit. The interview may last from one minute to ten minutes. If you are successful in the interview, you will be asked to hand over your passport to be stamped. You will be informed about the date to collect your passport personally. You can also give an authorization letter to collect it. There is a format for it, and you have to provide the details. If they want to seek any further clarification, they will send you an email. You must respond to them satisfactorily and visit the Consulate again to get your visa.
Conclusion
“It has been said that a pretty face is a passport. But it's not, it's a visa, and it runs out fast.” —Julie Burchill
A part of your visa approval is based on your luck because the Consulate has a quota. Usually, a B1/B2 visa will be given for 10 years, and the exact details will be known after the visa stamping. To summarize, a visa interview for parents is easy if you know why you are going, where you are going, where you will be staying, and when you will be returning. So prepare thoroughly with your answers for these four basic questions to come out with flying colors. Good luck with your visa interview!
“Access to knowledge is the superb, the supreme act of truly great civilizations. Of all the institutions that purport to do this, free libraries stand virtually alone in accomplishing this mission. No committee decides who may enter, no crisis of body or spirit must accompany the entrant. No tuition is charged, no oath is sworn, and no visa is demanded. Of the monuments humans build for themselves, very few say—touch me, use me, my hush is not indifference, my space is not a barrier. If I inspire awe, it is because I am in awe of you and the possibilities that dwell in you." —Toni Morrison
References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A09GE12tAU&feature=youtu.be https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2019/10/how-to-prepare-for-usa-visa-interview.html
https://www.path2usa.com/visitor-visa-guide/visitor-visa-interview-questions
Share if you care!
“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html
Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html
Note: I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand has been numb and paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for empathizing with me. With gratitude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJrSRLHPUk&ab_channel=ProfessorM.S.Rao
Life is great!
Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM
Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao
Substack: https://professormsrao.substack.com
X: http://twitter.com/professormsrao
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessorMSRao
Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414
See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132
Thanks for reading!
Kindly share your thoughts and comments below. I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.
Copyright©2025 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
This nonprofit blog will share Professor M.S. Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog; redistribute them by email or post them on the web. The use of this material is free, provided the copyright is acknowledged and a reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com. Without permission, this material may not be sold, published, or used to provide business services to a third party.
