H-1B visa interview questions
Ranked by how often each topic actually came up across 258 reported H-1B interviews — with the wording applicants remembered hearing.
The questions, most likely first
Share of the 258 reported interviews in which the topic came up at least once. These overlap — one interview covers several.
- 1Social media handles40%
- “Is your social media public?”
- “Are all your socials public?”
- “Are all your social media public?”
- 2Who you work for27%
- “Which company is this for?”
- “Which company do you work for?”
- “Where are you currently working?”
- 3Your salary24%
- “What's your annual salary?”
- “What is your current wage?”
- “What's your current salary?”
- 4What you actually do24%
- “What is your work nature?”
- “What is your job profile?”
- “Do you enjoy working there?”
- 5Client / project details21%
- “What does the company do?”
- “What is the project name?”
- “Do you have an end client?”
- 6How long at this employer19%
- “How long have you worked there?”
- “How long have you been employed?”
- “How long have you been with them?”
- 7Where you will work18%
- “Are you working remotely?”
- “Where will you be living?”
- “Where do you reside/stay?”
- 8Your job title16%
- “What is your designation?”
- “What is your official title?”
- “What's your job designation?”
- 9Your degree11%
- “What is your final degree?”
- “What was your master's in?”
- “What's your highest degree?”
- 10New visa or renewal9%
- “Are you here for renewals?”
- “Is this your first H1B stamp?”
- “Which visa are you applying for?”
- 11Threats or harm at home6%
- “Do you have any threat in India?”
- “Do you have any threats in India?”
- “Do you face any threats in India?”
- 12How big your employer is5%
- “What's the size of your company?”
- “How many total employees work there?”
- “How many people are in your company?”
- 13Criminal / DUI history5%
- “When did the most recent one occur?”
- “Have you had any speeding tickets or arrests?”
- “Any DUI/arrest?”
- 14Prior visa history4%
- “Did you study on an F-1 visa before this?”
- “What was your previous immigration status?”
- “How much time have you already spent on H-1B?”
- 15Petition / I-129 details4%
- “Who filed your H1B application?”
- “Who is the sponsor of the application?”
- “How much did the H1B processing cost you?”
- 16Which university4%
- “Where did you study in the US?”
- “Where did you do your masters?”
- “Where did you do your undergrad?”
Before and after the December 2025 rule
H-1B interviews reported before and after universal social-media vetting took effect on December 15, 2025. Topics that moved by at least 6 points.
| Question | Before n=103 | After n=148 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social media handles | 2% | 66% | +64 pts |
| Where you will work | 25% | 14% | -11 pts |
| New visa or renewal | 3% | 14% | +11 pts |
| Threats or harm at home | 0% | 10% | +10 pts |
| Who you work for | 23% | 30% | +7 pts |
| Your job title | 21% | 14% | -7 pts |
| Your degree | 8% | 14% | +6 pts |
Documents asked for
Requested at the window or listed on a 221(g) slip, in these H-1B reports.
- Passport (retained at the window)43 reports
- I-797 approval notice38 reports
- LCA38 reports
- Court or police records13 reports
- I-129 petition13 reports
- CV, publications or research plan11 reports
- Payslips11 reports
- DS-160 confirmation9 reports
- W-2 or tax returns9 reports
- Client or employer letter8 reports
- Passport photo7 reports
- Marriage certificate3 reports
How to use this
- Prepare the top five, not all 27. The tail exists because someone was asked it once; the head is what you will most likely face.
- Answer short. In these reports the interviews that stayed brief were the ones where answers were direct and matched the paperwork.
- Consistency beats polish. The follow-up questions in this data almost always trace back to an answer that did not match the DS-160 or the petition.
- Self-reported data. These are applicants’ recollections, aggregated by VisaMoves — a ranking of what is likely, not a guarantee of what you will hear.
Related breakdowns
Quick answers
What questions are asked in an H-1B visa interview?
Across 258 reported H-1B interviews, the most frequent topics are social media handles (40%), who you work for (27%), your salary (24%), what you actually do (24%), client / project details (21%). Most interviews cover only a handful of these, not all of them.
How long does an H-1B interview take?
Reported interviews are typically short — a few minutes at the window. A longer interview usually means the officer is working through a specific issue rather than that something has gone wrong.
What documents do they ask for at an H-1B interview?
The documents most often requested in these reports are Passport (retained at the window), I-797 approval notice, LCA, Court or police records, I-129 petition, CV, publications or research plan. Carry them even if the appointment letter does not list them — officers ask for documents far more often than they ask hard questions.
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