Updated October 27, 2026

H-1B visa stamping interview questions

At an H-1B stamping interview, the officer checks that your job, employer and pay are real and match your approved petition. Expect questions about who you work for, what you do every day, your salary, where you'll work and whether there's a client in between, and how your degree fits the role. Unlike student and visitor applicants, H-1B applicants don't have to prove they'll return home, so the interview is about the petition, not your ties.

How H-1B stamping works

"Stamping" is the everyday word for getting the H-1B visa itself in your passport. The steps:

1. The petition comes first. Your employer files Form I-129 with USCIS. Once USCIS approves it, they send your employer a Notice of Action, Form I-797. You can't apply for the visa until the petition is approved.
2. DS-160. You fill in the online visa application. Have a copy of your I-129 open while you do it, as the State Department advises.
3. Appointment. You need the receipt number from your I-129 or I-797 to schedule. The State Department says to book at a US embassy or consulate where you live, and that it may be hard to qualify outside your place of permanent residence.
4. The interview. The officer decides whether you're eligible and whether H-1B is the right category for what you'll do. Fingerprints are usually taken the same day.

What's different about H-1B. Under INA 214(b), most visa applicants are presumed to be intending immigrants and must show strong ties to home. The State Department says H-1B and L applicants, along with their spouse and minor children, are excluded from that requirement. That's why an H-1B interview rarely asks what brings you back. It asks whether the job is what the petition says it is.

Interview waivers changed in 2025. Since October 1, 2025, the State Department says nonimmigrant applicants generally need an in-person interview. The renewal exceptions it lists are B1/B2 and H-2A, not H-1B. So plan for an in-person interview even if you're renewing, and check your embassy's website for your case.

Read before you go. The State Department asks H-1B applicants to read the Legal Rights and Protections pamphlet before applying. It explains your rights as a temporary worker in the US.

H-1B stamping in India: what to know

India is where much of the world's H-1B stamping happens, and the US Mission in India publishes a few rules worth knowing (checked October 27, 2026):

• Book where you live. The mission says nonimmigrant applicants should schedule at the US embassy or consulate in their country of residence or nationality.
• Social media must be public. H-1B applicants and H-4 dependents are instructed to set every social media account to "public" or "open."
• Fixing your DS-160. If you correct your DS-160 after booking, and your appointment was booked on or after November 15, 2023, bring both the original and the corrected DS-160 confirmation pages. Without both, you must cancel and rebook with the new application number.
• Expedited appointments. You can ask for an earlier date through the appointment system, but only once you already have a confirmed appointment. Slots are very limited.
• Medical devices. If you need one inside the consular section, bring a hard-copy letter from a medical professional.

We don't list stamping dates or wait times here because they change constantly. Check the State Department's visa appointment wait times page for your city.

Employer questions

"Who is your employer, and what does the company do?"

• Why they ask: it's the baseline check that you know the company sponsoring you.
• What a strong answer does: names the company and its business in one or two plain sentences.

"How many employees does your company have, and what is its revenue?"

• Why they ask: officers compare what you say with the petition. Small or new employers get closer looks.
• What a strong answer does: gives figures that match your petition, or says honestly that you'd need to check.

"What's your CEO's name, and where is the company headquartered?"

• Why they ask: someone who really works there knows the basics.
• What a strong answer does: answers directly, without guessing.

"How many H-1B workers does your company have?"

• Why they ask: it's another way to understand the employer's size and model.
• What a strong answer does: gives a fair estimate if you know it, and doesn't invent a number.

"Why did you leave a large company for a small one?"

• Why they ask: a move to a smaller employer can raise questions about the job being real.
• What a strong answer does: gives your real reason, such as the role, the work or growth.

Job and daily work questions

"What is your job title, and what do you do every day?"

• Why they ask: the officer checks that your duties match the specialty occupation in the petition.
• What a strong answer does: describes two or three concrete tasks in plain words, not a copy of the job description.

"Who is your manager?"

• Why they ask: it shows who actually directs your work.
• What a strong answer does: names the person and their role.

"Explain a technical concept in your work."

• Why they ask: specialty roles need specialized knowledge, and officers sometimes test it.
• What a strong answer does: explains it simply, the way you would to a smart non-expert.

"Your work is in AI chips. What exactly do you do?"

• Why they ask: some technical fields get extra review, so officers ask for precise detail.
• What a strong answer does: is specific and accurate about your own role, without jargon walls.

"Why can't an American do this job?"

• Why they ask: it's a pressure question about why your skills are needed.
• What a strong answer does: stays calm and focuses on your own skills and the role, never on other workers.

"Why can't you do this job remotely from India?"

• Why they ask: it tests why the role needs you in the US.
• What a strong answer does: names the real reason you need to be on site, such as the team, the equipment or the client.

"What will you do if you're laid off?"

• Why they ask: it checks that you understand what your status depends on.
• What a strong answer does: shows you know your status is tied to your employment, without drama.

"Has your employer started a green card process for you?"

• Why they ask: H-1B allows for this, so it isn't a trap, but the answer must be true.
• What a strong answer does: answers honestly, yes or no.

Salary and paperwork questions

"What is your annual salary?"

• Why they ask: the number should match the petition.
• What a strong answer does: gives the exact figure, not a range.

"Can I see your recent pay stubs and W-2?"

• Why they ask: for renewals and job changes, pay records show you've been working as the petition says.
• What a strong answer does: hands them over, organized and matching your stated salary.

"Did you pay any money to get this job or H-1B?"

• Why they ask: reported interviews show officers using this question to check for illegal fees or deposits.
• What a strong answer does: is short and truthful. If you were ever asked to pay, say so plainly.

"Did you work for this employer before the H-1B was approved?"

• Why they ask: working without authorization is a serious issue.
• What a strong answer does: gives the true dates of when you started.

Client site and vendor questions

These are the questions most often linked to 221(g) slips in reported stamping stories.

"Will you work in-house or at a client site?"

• Why they ask: third-party placements get extra review.
• What a strong answer does: gives the real worksite, matching the petition.

"Who is your end client? Show me the end-client letter."

• Why they ask: the officer wants proof the project exists and who it's for.
• What a strong answer does: names the client and has a recent, signed letter ready if your case involves one.

"Is there a vendor between your employer and the client?"

• Why they ask: layers of vendors can blur who controls your work.
• What a strong answer does: explains the chain clearly, from you to your employer to the client.

"You work for a small consulting firm. Who actually supervises your work?"

• Why they ask: the employer-employee relationship has to be real.
• What a strong answer does: names who directs and reviews your work day to day.

"How long is your project, and what happens when it ends?"

• Why they ask: the job should last, not end next month with no plan.
• What a strong answer does: gives the project dates and what your employer has planned after.

"Your petition lists a worksite in Texas, but you say you work in Ohio. Why?"

• Why they ask: a worksite mismatch can mean the petition doesn't match the job.
• What a strong answer does: is accurate. If anything changed since the petition was filed, raise it with your employer's attorney before the interview.

Degree and work history questions

"What is your highest degree, and where did you get it?"

• Why they ask: H-1B is for specialty occupations, so your degree matters.
• What a strong answer does: states it exactly as on your documents.

"Your degree is in mechanical engineering, but your job is in software. Why?"

• Why they ask: a mismatch between degree and role needs a clear link.
• What a strong answer does: shows the bridge, like coursework, certifications or years of related work.

"You transferred colleges during your master's. Why?"

• Why they ask: transfers in your history can draw questions years later.
• What a strong answer does: gives the true reason briefly.

"Where did you work before, and why did you switch?"

• Why they ask: your history should make sense and match your DS-160.
• What a strong answer does: lists your recent employers in order with one-line reasons.

Family, social media and past visits

"Is your spouse coming on H-4? What does your spouse do?"

• Why they ask: dependents are part of the application.
• What a strong answer does: answers simply and matches what's on file.

"Your LinkedIn shows a different job title than your petition. Why?"

• Why they ask: H-1B applicants must make social media public, and officers compare it with your petition.
• What a strong answer does: explains the true reason, such as an internal title, and fixes the profile before the interview.

"Is this your first H-1B stamping? Have you been to the US before?"

• Why they ask: your history in the US is part of your record.
• What a strong answer does: answers accurately, with dates if asked.

"Have you received a 221(g) before?"

• Why they ask: past processing is in your record.
• What a strong answer does: says yes or no truthfully and what happened.

H-1B red flags and 221(g)

What tends to slow down or stop an H-1B interview:

• Answers that don't match the petition. Salary, title, worksite, client or headcount that differ from the paperwork.
• A vague job description. Buzzwords instead of what you actually do.
• No proof of the client project when your role is at a client site.
• LinkedIn or other profiles that tell a different story from your petition.
• Guessing. Making up a number is worse than saying you don't know it.

What a 221(g) means. The State Department says a 221(g) refusal means the officer didn't have all the information needed to decide. Either documents are missing, and you'll get a letter listing them, or your case needs administrative processing, and the embassy will contact you when it's done. You have one year from the refusal to send the missing information. After that, you must reapply and pay again. The State Department says administrative processing time varies with each case.

Honesty matters more than a perfect answer. Willfully misrepresenting a material fact to get a visa is a permanent ineligibility, according to the State Department. A 221(g) is not.

What to bring

The State Department's list for temporary worker visas:

• Passport valid at least six months beyond your period of stay (unless your country is exempt)
• DS-160 confirmation page
• Visa application fee receipt, if you paid before the interview ($205 for petition-based temporary worker visas as of October 27, 2026)
• Photo, only if your DS-160 upload failed
• Your petition receipt number, as shown on Form I-129 or Form I-797

Your embassy may ask for more. Check its website before you go, and see our US visa interview tips for interview-day rules.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.