Documents You Need at an H-1B Visa Interview in India

Murali Bashyam

H-1B Visa Interview Documents

H-1B Visa Interview Documents

In order to apply successfully (as possible) for an H-1B visa, you will need to present the following documents at your interview:

1.  Completed DS 160.  This form is filled out online and is cumbersome.  You may need your passport in front of you when filling it out.  Your digital photo will need to be uploaded.  You will also need to know an address you will be staying at in the U.S., even temporarily, when you arrive. All of the U.S. Consulates in India except Kolkata use this form. Kolkata still uses the DS156/157.

2. Bar Code Confirmation Page

3. HDFC Bank fee receipt

Visa Application Fee*
Rs. 6,288
$ 131
VFS Service Charge
Rs. 374
NA

The HDFC Bank sites are at: https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/applnForms/HDFC/HDFCAddresses.aspx

4.  I-797 – the original notice of approval of the H-1B petition. Check this document for accuracy of spelling of name and biographic data.

5.  A complete copy of the I-129 petition submitted by your prospective employer with the LCA (ETA Form 9035) tagged

6. U.S. company information: photographs of the inside and outside of the company’s offices, prospectus, brochures, and annual report. Some or all of these documents may be available from the I-129 petition. Hyderabad requires 2 years of company tax returns*

7.  The originals, plus one copy, of your university diplomas, mark sheets and any certificates you may have (Secondary school information is not required). This may not be as important for someone who has been issued a prior H-1B visa (and that visa has not been expired for longer than one year).

8.  Letter from petitioning employer confirming employer’s intent to hire the applicant (if 60 days have passed since the filing of the petition with original support letter, bring a recently dated letter)

9. Original, plus one copy, of your work experience letters from your previous employers. This may not be available for those who have been issued an H-1B visa in the past and have been living in the U.S. for some time.

10.  If you are going to be placed at an end-client site, you need vendor contracts and an end-client letter.

11. The employment agreement between you and the employer which details the terms of employment.

*If your interview is in Hyderabad, please see the specific documents requirements at: http://hyderabad.usconsulate.gov/handl.html.

If you are currently working in the US on an H1B visa, please submit your pay slips for the current calendar year and your U.S. federal tax returns (IRS Form 1040 and W-2) for all years in which you were employed in the US.

For those applicants in a research-oriented field or technology-related research business, visa applications may require administrative processing of approximately ten to twelve weeks.  Please contact us if have questions whether your employee may be subject to this category of applicants.

For Initial H-1B applicants, you might also bring some or all of the following documents:

1.  Pay slips from current or most recent place of employment in India

2.  Names and current phone numbers of the personnel managers at the applicant’s present and past jobs

3.  Photographs of the inside and outside of current or most recent employer’s place of business

4.  Names and contact information of two co-workers from your current or most recent place of employment

5.  Names and contact information of two co-workers from past jobs

6.  A complete resume/bio-data and cover letter describing current job duties in detail

7.  Personal bank records for the last six months

8.  U.S. company information: photographs of the inside and outside of the company’s offices, prospectus, brochures, and annual report. Some or all of these documents may be available from the I-129 petition.

All H-1B applicants are requested to bring one extra photocopy of any original documents they present with their application package that they wish to be returned.


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