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A little background on my parents' profile
My father, Dr. Prakash, is a nephrologist. He retired from the Indian Navy in 2019 at the rank of Rear Admiral after 37 years of service, and he is currently working as a professor and head of department at a medical college in Bangalore. My mother is a homemaker, but she has rental income from properties and income from investments — she is far from financially inactive. I am sharing this because profile matters, and the way you present that profile on the DS-160 form matters even more.
What the biometrics and interview process actually looks like
The US visa process for my parents happened in two separate trips to Hyderabad. The first trip was for biometrics at the VFS Visa Application Centre. They flew in the morning, completed the process, and flew back the same evening. The biometrics itself took barely five minutes. The only thing to know about the VFS centre is that you are not allowed to bring bags inside — only your visa application, appointment letter, and passport. There is a paid baggage storage arrangement outside, so this is not a problem at all.
About five days later came the interview trip. Because their appointment was at 10:00 a.m., they stayed in a nearby hotel the night before and arrived at the US Embassy at 8:30 a.m. By the time they reached the counter, it was close to 10:00. So if your parents have a 10:00 a.m. slot, plan to be in the queue at least an hour and a half before — the line is long and there are several checks along the way. The interview itself lasted about five minutes, and they were done well before noon.
One thing my parents noticed inside the embassy: the visa officers are businesslike, not unfriendly. They ask brief questions and want answers to the point. If your parents have a language barrier, there is always an interpreter standing next to the officer. My parents also saw one couple get rejected just before them — the officer's impression is formed quickly, and confidence matters.
How I structured their DS-160 form — and why it made a difference
In my experience working with parents' visa applications, visa officers focus on three things: income, employment, and funding. Here is how I handled each one for my parents.
Employment
My father is employed and has a salary, so employment was straightforward for him. For my mother, I did not simply list her as a homemaker and leave it there. On the DS-160 form I selected 'not employed' but made sure to indicate all her income sources — rental income from properties and returns from investments. Do not write off a homemaker parent as having nothing to show. Present the full picture.
Income
One of the most common mistakes I see parents make is listing only their active income — salary, business income — and forgetting everything else. Many parents have passive or secondary income from rentals, agriculture, pension, or investments. For my father, I consolidated three sources: his current salary, his Navy pension, and his investment income. For my mother, I combined her rental income and investment returns. The figure entered on the DS-160 form — and the figure quoted in the interview — was the consolidated total, not just one stream. This gives a far stronger picture of their financial standing.
Funding
My parents were self-funding their trip. To show this clearly, I consolidated all their assets — not just the bank account balance, but FDs, mutual funds, PF, PPF, equity holdings, and properties they own. All of this was reflected in the DS-160 form. This matters because the DS-160 is the visa officer's first impression of your parents' profile, and the answers they give in the interview must match what is written there. If there is a mismatch, it raises questions.
The interview questions and how my parents answered them
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Book a Mock InterviewThe interview covered these questions: What is your occupation? What is your purpose of visit? What is your travel history in the past five years? Do you have any local contacts in the US? What is your gross annual income? Do you have any children, and are they accompanying you?
On purpose of visit: my parents have been traveling to a different country almost every year for the past ten years. So the answer was natural and honest — they travel regularly, they had not yet visited the US, and it made complete sense to go. My father also mentioned that he has a niece in California who would help with local guidance. Many applicants feel scared to mention a relative in the US, worried it will raise red flags. In reality, when framed correctly — 'she is there for local guidance, the primary purpose is tourism' — it actually supports the application. The officer even asked specifically why California, and the answer was clear: the niece lives there, and it is a natural starting point.
On occupation, my father gave the officer a clear, full picture: nephrologist, treats kidney disease including dialysis and transplantation, currently professor and head of department at a medical college, previously served 37 years in the Indian Navy medical service, retired as Rear Admiral in 2019. That answer, in roughly thirty seconds, told the officer everything she needed to know about his professional standing, his ties to India, and his reasons for returning. He is not someone who has any reason to overstay.
On children: the officer asked whether his daughters would be accompanying them. My father simply said no. He did not elaborate. Adding more detail would have opened more questions. Answer what is asked, and stop.
The preparation strategy we followed — step by step
The preparation happened in three stages: DS-160 familiarity, answer structuring, and mock interviews.
Stage 1 — DS-160 familiarity
I filled the DS-160 form for my parents, but once it was done I sent the pages to my father. He printed them out, sat with a pen, and physically ticked and read every single line. He even suggested a few modifications. This step is non-negotiable. If your parent cannot comfortably speak to what is written on their own DS-160 form, that gap will show in the interview.
Stage 2 — Answer structuring
We worked through approximately 18 to 20 questions tailored specifically to their profile. For each question, we worked out not just what to say but why — what the visa officer is actually looking for with that question, and how the answer demonstrates that my parents meet that need. This was especially important for my father. Initially he felt some answers were too long. I had to explain that when your interview might only cover three or four questions, you need to maximise the value of each answer. It is not about talking a lot — it is about including all the relevant information. For example, on funding it is not enough to say 'I have money to cover the trip.' The answer should be: I worked for X years, I have a net worth of X, I own properties, I am comfortable bearing these expenses. That is the difference between an answer that satisfies the officer and one that leaves questions open.
Stage 3 — Mock interviews
We did two mocks. The first was after the biometrics appointment, by which point my parents were fully focused and took the exercise seriously — they gave answers, took feedback, and even corrected each other. The second mock was the night before the interview, essentially a final rehearsal and confidence booster. My father put it well: you may know the answer, but it has to come out correctly in that moment, under pressure. The only way to build that reflex is to rehearse.
A few final things to keep in mind
If two parents are being interviewed together, only one should speak at a time. Do not talk over each other. If the officer asks the same question more than once, give the same answer — do not change it based on how you think the officer wants you to respond. And do not volunteer information that was not asked for. Stick to what you have prepared.
My mother put it simply: go prepared, take professional help, and go confident. The process itself is short — the interview really is just a few minutes — but the anxiety that comes with it can make even a well-prepared person stumble. Structured preparation removes most of that anxiety because you are not guessing what might be asked. You have already answered it.
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