US Visitor Visa Interview Questions & Answers

Question: Why are you going to the US?

Answer: I am going to visit my son/daughter and for tourism purposes.

Question: Have you been to the US before?

Answer: Give an honest answer – yes or no. This can be checked by the consulate for accuracy.

Question: Do you have relatives in the US? If yes, who?

Answer: Give an honest answer – yes or no. Also mention which relatives currently live in the United States.

Question: Who is going to sponsor your visit?

Answer: Let them know who is sponsoring your visit to the US, whether it is your child or other family member.

Question: Where will you stay in the US?

Answer: Tell them the exact home address of the residence where you will be staying in the US. The address should correspond with the address listed on your visa application.

Question: What does your son/daughter do for a living?

Answer: “My son/daughter is a designation for name of company.” For this answer, make sure to memorize what your sponsor does for a living. Only if asked to, you may show proof of employment or other employment related documents.

Question: How much does your son/daughter earn?

Answer: Give an honest answer to this question, such as “my son/daughter earns $ ___ annually.” You will also want to carry financial documents to support your answer, and your answer should correspond with the amount listed on your visa application.

Question: Where does your son/daughter work?

Answer: “My son/daughter works for name of company.”

Question: What does your son/daughter do?

Answer: “My son/daughter-in-law works for ____ company or is a homemaker or studies at ___ University.”

Note

Mention that they study only if they are on an F1 or student visa. If they are on an H4 dependent visa, don’t mention anything about studying.

Question: Who is paying for your son/daughter’s studies?

Answer: “My son/daughter is paying for their studies. They are able to pay for all our expenses over and above the expenses of their studies.” Make sure you have supporting documents to show that your sponsor is financially stable enough to sponsor your visit and pay for their own expenses, including schooling if applicable.

Question: How long has your son/daughter been in the US?

Answer: “My son/daughter has lived in the US for number of years.”

Question: Which visa does your son/daughter hold?

Answer: “My son/daughter is on name/number (for example H1) visa.”

Question: Did your son/daughter study in the US? Where?

Answer: Answer honestly with yes or no. Give details of the university where they studied, if applicable. Knowing their degree/field of study is helpful as well.

Question: What visa did your son/daughter enter the US with?

Answer: This is the visa in which was used to enter the US, not their current visa status. For example, if they came on a student visa and later changed to a work visa, share this information. This can also be verified by the consulate.

Question: Is your son/daughter married?

Answer: Yes or no.

Question: Does your son/daughter have any children?

Answer: Yes or no.

Question: Is your daughter/daughter-in-law pregnant?

Answer: Yes or no.

Question: Will your wife/husband accompany you on your trip?

Answer: Yes or no. “Yes, my wife/husband will accompany me.”

Question: Why are you traveling alone? Why isn’t your husband/wife accompanying you?

Answer: If you are a widower/widow, you may mention this. You may also be single. Give the true reason for your solo visit. “My husband is unable to get leave to go to the U.S.”

Question: When do you plan to travel?

Answer: “I plan to travel in name of month.”

Question: Why do you want to travel at that time?

Answer: “My son/daughter has arranged for leave from work during that period. They will be able to show us around then.” If the trip is in spring/summer, you can say “we want to visit during summer as the weather will be suitable for us and we have heard that everything is beautiful at that time of the year”. If visiting in fall/winter, you can say “we want to visit at that time because we want to see the fall colors and snow”. You can also mention any specific events or milestones that are occurring that inspired your visit to the US.

Question: What are you going to do in the US?

Answer: “We are going to travel/visit _______ and spend time with our son/daughter and son/daughter-in-law.”

Question: What is the purpose of your trip?

Answer: “We are going for pleasure and tourism, to see some of the interesting places in the US and to spend time with our son/daughter (and son/daughter-in-law).”

Question: Have you booked your tickets?

Answer: Yes or no.

Question: Do you have return air tickets, medical insurance, etc.

Answer: “Our son/daughter will arrange for that after our visa is approved.”

Question: What expenses do you expect from this trip?

Answer: “My son/daughter will be sponsoring this visit.”

Question: Have you been outside India before?

Answer: Yes or no. If the answer is yes, be prepared to answer questions about your previous departures.

Question: Is this your first visit to US?

Answer: Yes or no. If you answer yes, be prepared to answer questions about your previous visits.

Question: What places do you want to visit?

Answer: “We want to visit give names of interesting and famous U.S. tourist attractions like Disneyland, Las Vegas, Niagara Falls, Washington D.C, etc.“

Question: How long will you stay in the US?

Answer: “We want to stay for number of months.”

Question: What is the reason for the length of your stay?

Answer: “There is a lot to see in the US and at our age we cannot do it all in a hurry. We would also like to see fall foliage towards the end of our visit (if going in summer). If we stay for six months, we will be able to do sightseeing and spend time with our son/daughter (and son/daughter-in-law). But a shorter visa will be acceptable if you think it is appropriate.”

Question: What is the guarantee that you will come back?

Answer: “I have family and property here in India, so I will definitely return.” Give all the reasons and mention all the strong ties that you have. Showing strong ties to your home country is very important. If you have other children and grandchildren in India, definitely mention that. If you have a job or run a business, mention it. Any dependents you may have in your home country should be mentioned. You should carry any relevant proof of strong ties, such as proof of property ownership, photos of grandkids or family members in your home country, etc.

Question: When did you last see your son/daughter?

Answer: “We met out son/daughter when he/she/they last visited us in month and year.”

Question: When did your son/daughter last visit India?

Answer: “My son/daughter last visited India in month and year.”

Question: When does your son/daughter plan to visit India next?

Answer: “My son/daughter may visit late next year or maybe even later than that. They have no fixed plans right now.”

Question: Where do you stay in India?

Answer: “We stay at address in India.”

Question: When did your son/daughter go to US?

Answer: “My son/daughter went to US in month and year.”

Question: What work do you do and where?

Answer: Give an honest answer. If you are retired, share that.

Question: What is your job?

Answer: Give job details, responsibilities, etc.

Question: How much do you earn/what is your annual income?

Answer: Provide honest and accurate details, and carry financial documents to support your answer.

Question: Did you take leave from your job?

Answer: “Yes, I have accumulated ____ months leave over the past years.” You may also be asked to show your leave certificate.

Question: Your income is not enough to support international travel. What do you plan to do?

Answer: “My son/daughter is sponsoring my visit. He/she will take care of all my expenses for this trip.” For this question, you may want to show financial documents provided by your sponsor that show that they are financial stable enough to support your visit.

Question: Who will look after your business in your absence?

Answer: “I have arranged for ____ person to take care of my business in my absence.”

Question: When did you retire?

Answer: “I retired in month and year.”

Question: How much pension do you get?

Answer: “I get Rs ___ pension annually.”

Question: What assets/property do you have in India?

Answer: “I have _______ property/assets”, for example a house, business, etc. in India. Mentioning property or assets in India can help during your interview because it shows strong reasons to return home.

Question: Who will take care of your property in India while you are gone?

Answer: “We have made arrangements with relatives/friends to take care of our property for the duration of our visit to US.”

Question: Can I see your business/visiting card?

Answer: If you have a card, show it. If not, say you don’t have one.

Question: Do you have a credit card?

Answer: Yes or no. You may be asked to show your credit card.

Question: Will you work in the US?

Answer: “No, I am going for tourism and sightseeing. I have no intentions or reasons to work in the US.”

Question: How many children do u have? And where are they? What do they do? Are they married?

Answer: “I have ___ children. My son/daughter is married. He/she lives in India and they have a son/daughter.”

Question: What is your son/daughter’s birthdate?

Answer: Give the correct answer.

Question: When is your son/daughter’s wedding anniversary?

Answer: Give the correct answer. You may carry a few wedding pictures with you.

Question: Can you tell me your son/daughter’s contact details?

Answer: Give them their phone number and e-mail address. Your answers should correspond with your visa application.

Question: Show me your documents or has your son/daughter sent any documents?

Answer: Show any documents you have brought with you that can help support your case.

Question: My passport is going to expire soon. I have a valid US visa in this current passport. If I apply for a new passport, do I need to get my US visa stamped in my new passport?

Answer: No. A valid existing visa is good. You just need to carry your old passport which has this visa stamped along with your new passport.