The H-1B visaand its interview,explained.
The US work visa for a specialty occupation, stamped at a US consulate after USCIS approves your employer's petition. Here's what the officer checks.
What is the H-1B visa?
A US temporary worker visa for a specialty occupation. Your employer petitions first, then you get the visa itself at a consulate.
- The petition
- Your employer files Form I-129 with USCIS. Approval comes as a Form I-797 notice.
- The visa
- “Stamping” is the visa foil in your passport. You can apply only after the petition is approved.
- Status vs visa
- Status comes from USCIS. The visa only matters when you travel back into the US.
- Renewals
- Since October 1, 2025, H-1B renewals generally need an in-person interview too.
- In India
- Two appointments: fingerprints and a photo at a Visa Application Center, then the interview.
The H-1B stamping interview
The officer is checking one thing: that your job, employer and pay are real and match your approved petition.
What happens
- 1You file the DS-160 and book with the receipt number from your I-129 or I-797.
- 2Unlike visitors and students, H-1B applicants don't have to prove ties to home under 214(b).
- 3Expect questions on your employer, what you do every day, your salary, your worksite or end client, and your degree.
- 4The officer decides whether you're eligible and whether H-1B is the right category for your work.
- 5If approved, the India appointment service says passports are typically ready in seven to ten working days.
Why H-1B cases stall or are refused
- Salary, title, worksite or client that differ from the petition.
- A vague job description instead of what you actually do.
- No proof of the client project when you work at a client site.
- 221(g): missing documents or administrative processing. You have one year to send what's asked.
- Willful misrepresentation is a permanent ineligibility. A 221(g) is not.
What the officer asks about
- Employer and role18 questions
- End client5 questions
- Salary and papers7 questions
- Education3 questions
- Employer“Who is your employer, and what does the company do?”
- Role“What is your job title, and what do you do every day?”
- Worksite“Will you work in-house or at a client site?”
- Salary“What is your annual salary?”
How Visaful helps with your H-1B visa interview
Practice this exact interview with an AI officer: the topics it covers, out loud, in 2 to 4 minutes like the real thing, with a score after every mock.
- 1
We teach you what to say
A short guide for the H-1B visa, step by step: the answers officers want to hear, and the ones that get people refused.
9 steps
H-1B stamping
Employer · Petition
Name your worksite
- 2
and prepare you for every question
42 H-1B stamping questions drawn from reported visa interviews, with 17 nightmare ones on end clients, vendors, your degree and your petition.
42 questions
H-1B stamping
17 nightmare ones
The hard follow-ups
- 3
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A skeptical AI officer asks, cuts in and follows up on what you just said, out loud, in 2 to 4 minutes like the real thing.
- A skeptical officer who cuts in and follows up on what you say
- Window speed: short answers, quick follow-ups, 2 to 4 minutes
- B1/B2 visitor, F-1 student and H-1B stamping
- 4
and learn exactly what to fix
A score, the officer's likely decision with reasons, and line-by-line notes on your own words, so you know exactly what to fix.
Likely decision
Approve · 221(g) · Refusal
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