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Update 1: The Fraud Detection Fee for Blanket L-1 Visas Has Moved Online
If you are applying on a blanket petition — whether L-1A or L-1B — the fraud detection fee payment process has changed significantly. You no longer pay by demand draft, credit card, or cash at the embassy on the day of your interview. The fee is now paid online in advance.
Here is how it works: a few days before your interview, you will receive an email with a payment link. That link takes you to the pay.gov website, where you fill in a short form with your details and complete the payment using PayPal, Venmo, a debit card, or a credit card. Once the payment goes through, you get a receipt. Print that receipt and bring it with you on the day of your interview — there is a separate counter at the consulate that verifies this payment.
Three things to keep in mind about the online fee payment
First, do not go searching for the pay.gov website or try to find the link yourself. The instructions are clear: you wait for the link to arrive in your email. If it is a couple of days before your interview and you still have not received it, contact the US visa scheduling customer support through your visa portal and ask them to generate and send you the payment link.
Second, the email address where this link will arrive is the same one you used when you created your account and booked your appointment on the US visa scheduling website. Keep track of that email ID — that is where to look.
Third, officers are actively encouraging applicants to pay online and discouraging demand drafts and cash. Several of my clients who went for blanket visa interviews recently reported exactly this. Pay online, carry your receipt, and you are good to go.
Update 2: Blanket Visa Rejections — What Is Actually Causing Them
One of the biggest misconceptions I see among clients is this: 'My blanket petition is approved, so I am all set.' That is not the full picture. When you go in for a blanket visa interview, the officer has no information about you at all — not your background, not your expertise, not your managerial track record. The only documents called for are the I-129 and the I-797, not even the support letter. Everything the officer learns about you comes from two places: your DS-160 form and what you say in the interview.
Blanket rejections were noticeably high in 2025. In 2026, I have seen the numbers improve — more approvals are coming through. But when I analyse what the approved cases have in common, a few patterns stand out: the applicant works for a well-known, established MNC with a strong presence; they have worked with the company for a significant number of years (this matters more for L-1A in particular); and their salary is on the higher side. When the officer asks about your US salary, mention the gross fixed figure as per your petition — and if you are also receiving a bonus, incentives, or RSUs, mention those too. You may not know the exact value, but simply letting the officer know that additional compensation exists can make a difference.
What I saw firsthand at a blanket interview — a client's account
One of my clients was approved at his blanket interview. While he was waiting in line, he watched several other blanket interviews happen and paid close attention to why people were getting rejected. What he observed was striking. One applicant had 15 years of experience but gave contradictory answers about where he would be working — first he said at the company, then at a client location, then mentioned a team he manages. The officer flagged the category as wrong and sent him away. Another applicant, when asked about his role, simply said 'I am a software engineer' — and later answers were equally vague. A third applicant spoke entirely in 'we' language: 'We work on semiconductors, we develop this transistor system.' The officer stopped him and said, 'I am not asking about we. This is a specialised knowledge interview. What do YOU specifically bring that your company wants in the United States?' He still could not answer it that way. The officer wasn't hostile — just looking for a clear, individual, specific answer and not finding it.
For your DS-160, do not write vague, short descriptions of your work. If you are applying on specialised knowledge (L-1B), spell out your specific technical expertise, the proprietary platforms you have worked on, what you built from inception. If you are applying for a managerial role (L-1A), your DS-160 should clearly name your direct and indirect reportees and cover your budget responsibilities, P&L ownership, strategic decisions, and stakeholder management. Then be ready to speak to all of that clearly in the room.
Update 3: Interviews Are Now More Technical — For Both L-1A and L-1B
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Book a Mock InterviewOfficers are no longer sticking to broad, standard questions. They are going one level deeper — probing your day-to-day work, the architecture of platforms you have built, how your organisation is structured, and whether you personally did what your petition says you did. This is directly connected to the tighter scrutiny around blanket visas. Officers want to be sure the expertise and the managerial authority are real.
Technical questions being asked at L-1B interviews
Based on interviews I have been tracking, here are the kinds of questions L-1B applicants are being asked right now: What exactly does the platform do? Can you explain the architecture? Which specific component did you develop and how? How does your service communicate with that other service? What happens if your component fails? What technology did you use — was it proprietary or open source? Why couldn't another engineer do this work? How did you acquire this particular expertise?
Technical questions being asked at L-1A interviews
For L-1A applicants, the questions go beyond just listing your direct and indirect reports. Officers are asking about the full hierarchy — who do you report to, who does your manager report to, and so on up the chain. Other questions I have seen come up include: Do you conduct performance reviews? Who controls the budget? Which decisions can you make without approval from your own manager? And how much of your working day is genuinely managerial versus you doing the operational work yourself? That last question is particularly important to be ready for.
Update 4: Appointment Availability in 2026 Is Tight — Start Early
Getting an L visa appointment in 2026 is harder than it has been in previous years. Overall US visa slot availability has dropped significantly, and L visas are no exception. Blanket visa interviews can only be done in Chennai. Individual visa interviews can be done in Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad — so if you are on an individual petition, you have a bit more flexibility.
The strategy here is straightforward: start early. As soon as your company confirms the process is moving forward, begin your DS-160 form. You now need to submit the DS-160 before you can access the appointment system, so get it filled and reviewed as a priority. Once your DS-160 is submitted, create your profile on the US visa scheduling website, pay your visa fee, and begin tracking. Appointments tend to come in bursts, so check the portal three to four times a day at different times of day. It may take a while — that is completely normal. Do not wait until everything is 'perfect' to start the process, because the clock is ticking on availability.
Update 5: A New Question Is Now Being Asked at Every L Visa Interview
This one catches a lot of applicants off guard. Officers are now asking every applicant — L-1A, L-1B, and their dependents — whether they have faced any harm in their home country. This is a mandatory check that is being done to reduce cases where people travel to the US on a work visa and then apply for asylum by claiming they faced harm back home. By asking the question at the interview and recording the answer, the consulate creates an on-record response.
You may hear this question in several different forms: Have you faced any harm in your country? Have you faced any threat to your life or property? Have you faced any harm in your office? Have you faced any harm from neighbours? And do not be surprised if the question is asked more than once — some of my clients have reported it being asked at the beginning of the interview, again in the middle, and once more at the end. This is routine. If you have not faced any harm, answer calmly and clearly: 'No, I have not faced any harm in my home country.' That is all that is needed. If you are travelling with adult dependents, they will be asked the same question separately.
Preparing Your DS-160 and Interview Answers
Across all five of these updates, one thing keeps coming up: the DS-160 form is critical. It is often the only written record the officer has of your profile in a blanket application, and it sets the foundation for every question you will be asked. Do not treat it as a formality. Have it reviewed before you submit it. And once it is done, prepare your spoken answers with the same level of care. You need to know your story, what is in your support letter, and how to articulate your expertise or your managerial role clearly and specifically under the pressure of a real interview. I work with clients one-to-one to frame answers, structure their story, and run practice interviews. If you want support at that level, reach out through the details on this page. And if you want to connect with others going through the same process, join the L-1 WhatsApp community — the link is below.
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