How to ace your L-1 employment visa interview

If your employer has successfully applied for your L-1 employer visa, you may be scheduled for an interview at the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate. Whether you have experience interviewing for a US tourist visa and know the drill, or it’s your first time and you’re incredibly nervous, we have tips to help you better prepare for what to expect.

Be Prepared

Nothing builds confidence like good preparation, and knowing what to expect at the interview is key.  If your company hired an external company to prepare your L-1 visa application, be sure to obtain a copy of the full application, any supplemental documents/evidence that was submitted, and any issues that may have arisen in the process.  Review the file thoroughly and know that there may be questions directly relating to your application.

If you don’t know where to start asking questions, be sure you know the organizational structure of your local company, where your local company stands in relation to the larger company, and how the U.S. subsidiary company is structured.  You should be able to comfortably place yourself in the organizational chart and explain all roles both above and below you.

Be Confident

The consulate or embassy can be a stressful place, depending on where you’re located.  Some locations have such high security that you cannot bring anything with you to keep you occupied, or for additional support, and other locations are much more relaxed.  Certain locations may be crowded with long lines and heavy waiting with random people, which can affect your stress levels if you’re not careful.  Be aware of why you’re there, ignore everyone around you, and most importantly, remember that the denied individuals in front of you will not affect your interview.

Be Truthful

While we encourage every applicant to be confident, we don’t encourage our clients to lie.  Be prepared, know your company and your role well, and answer honestly. If you make a mistake, apologize, correct yourself, and continue. Do not over-explain. Always stick to answering the question and follow up when necessary, but do not go on tangents providing unnecessary information.

Tip: If a question has multiple questions in one, think of them as A), B), and C) stems. Make a mental note, repeat the mental note to the interviewer, and then answer the questions in the order they were asked.

Example:

What is the process in your company to hire and fire an employee and have you had the opportunity to hire or fire anyone before? If so, when did you last fire someone?

A) Company’s process of hiring and firing employees

B) Have I hired/fired anyone?

C) When did I last fire someone?

Then you’d answer: “So you’re asking me for the (A) company’s process for hiring/firing employees, (B) whether I have hired/fired anyone in my present role, and if so, (C) when I last fired someone?” And then proceed to answer with details that directly address the questions.

If you can, we recommend preparing yourself well by playing out the interview at home via role play, or participating in a mock interview with your HR person. If you work for a large organizations with interview preparation sessions, role play sessions, or information sessions–do participate in them. If not, try asking HR if they can prepare you, about previous L-1 candidates, and what HR can provide you to study in preparation for the interview.

If you have additional questions about interviewing for an employment-based visa interview at the consulate or embassy, or immigration questions in general, please contact our office and we would be happy to help you.