Questions to Help Determine a Visa Applicant’s Eligibility for a Visa and Preparing for the Consular

Questions to Help Determine a Visa Applicant’s Eligibility for a Visa and Preparing for the Consular

Visa Interview

These sample questions will help you get started when you are preparing for the visa interview. Please note that this list is indicative. However, these are not definitive questions but are samples of questions that are frequently asked at visa interviews. Since visa interviews in many jurisdictions last only a couple or a few minutes the applicant is likely to be asked only a handful of questions. This also means that clients have to respond to the questions in a clear and succinct manner. Once again, clear, complete and concise answers with relevant, true and bona fide information will go a long way in establishing eligibility for a visa.

Remain consistent with the information provided for the DS-160 (the visa application form) and with information that you have provided on prior US visa applications. Discrepancies could trip you up and/or result in a visa denial.

Background Information and Purpose of Travel

• Why are you going to the US?
• Have you been to the U.S. before?
• Do you have relatives in the US? If yes, who?
• Who is going to sponsor your visit?
• Where will you stay in the US?
• When do you plan to travel?
• Why do you want to travel at that time?
• What are you going to do in the US?
• Will you work in the US?
• What is the purpose of your trip?
• Why is the company sending you as opposed to someone else?
• Have you booked your tickets?
• What places do you want to visit?

If the applicant is going to visit family pursue the following line of questioning:

• What does your son/daughter do in the US?
• How much does your son/daughter earn?

Purpose of Travel – Bona fide Student

• What is the name of the college/university you are going to?
• How many colleges did you apply to? How many did you get accepted at?
• What is the program you intend to study?
• What is your reason for studying abroad? Why not study at a university here (home country)?
• What is the duration of the program?
• What is the cost of the program?
• Who is sponsoring you?
• What is the occupation of your parents or guardian?
• Where is their workplace located?
• How much is their annual income?
• Do you want to live or work in the US?

Purpose of Travel – B-1 in lieu of H-1B, H-3 or J-1

These applicants have to meet the criteria for both, the B-1 and the second category.

Ability to Pay for the Trip and Socio-Economic Ties

• What do you do for a living and where do you work?
• What is your designation and job profile?
• How much do you earn/ What is your annual income?
• Your income is not enough to support international travel. How do you plan on meeting the travel expenses?
• Do you have return air tickets, medical insurance etc.
• If client owns/runs his own business – Who will look after your business in your absence?
• If the client is a retiree – When did you retire?
• How much pension do you get?
• What assets/property do you own?
• Who will take care of your assets while you are gone?
• Can I see your business/visiting card?
• Do you have a credit card?
• How many children do you have? And where are they? What do they do? Are they married?
• Do you own the home where you stay and what is the address?

To establish a bona fide relationship to the family the client seeks to visit.

• What is your son/daughter’s birth date?
• When is your son/daughter’s wedding anniversary?
• Can you tell me your son/daughter’s contact details?

H-4 and L-2 Visa Applicants

These visa applicants may be asked questions to determine the legitimacy of the client’s marriage.

• How did you meet your spouse? Describe the circumstances.
  • When and where did you first meet your spouse in person? Describe the circumstances.
  • How long have you known your spouse?
  • How much time have you and your spouse spent together in person?
  • How do you and your spouse communicate (i.e. telephone, text, email, letters)?
  • How often do you and your spouse communicate? Describe the circumstances.

The visa applicant should be prepared to provide the following information pertaining to the spouse.

• Biographic Information
• Residence
• Education and Employment Status

• Hobbies and Cultural Background
• Common Interests
• Prior Marital Status

• Family
• Children from a Prior Marriage

• The Wedding

Establishing Non-immigrant Intent – many of the questions above will help but the following are important.

• How long will you stay in the US?
• Why do you want to stay for so long?
• Do you want to live permanently in the US?If only one person is traveling to the U.S. then ask: Why are you traveling alone? OR Why isn’t your husband/wife accompanying you?

• Have you ever travelled abroad before?

o If the answer is yes, further line of questioning to see which countries he/she has visited. If these include some developed countries that are attractive destinations for immigrants

– this will help support non-immigrant intent – i.e. that if this was not a bona fide traveler and an immigration risk, he/she could have very well stayed illegally in the country (ies) visited.

• Has anyone filed an immigrant petition for you?

o Like an EB-5 petition filed by the applicant or a family member, or a sibling petition (both these categories may be retrogressed for certain nationalities) – If the answer is “yes” you will need to probe further to determine the status of the immigrant visa petition, potential processing times, timeline to getting a green card in view of visa retrogression in many categories.

If a person has a criminal history, prior overstays or other inadmissibility issues, then there will be further questions to determine the best way to overcome these.