H1B : Diplomatic Visa to F1 and then F1 to H1b approved

[anand_bidla]

I am Anand Bidla. I am currently working on H1B visa. I am planning to get stamping visa from India so I am filling DS 160 form for H1B visa. I don't have clear understanding related to some questions.

I would like to inform you that I came to United states of America on Diplomatic visa status. My visa was going to expire on 14th Jan 2011 but I applied for extension of diplomatic visa and my extension of visa was approved and received my stamping visa within the USA (I got stamped visa not I797 A approval notice).

My extension of diplomatic visa (stamping visa on my passport) was my last visa that was got stamped within USA. The following visa information were stamped visa on my passport

 

1. First time issued visa from New Delhi, India

Visa type : O A2

Start date : 22 JAN 2008

End date : 14 JAN 2011

Issuing post name : NEW DELHI

2. Extension of diplomatic visa was issued from USA

Visa type : O A2

Start date : 16 DEC 2010

End date : 31 DEC 2011

Issuing post name : DEPARTMENT

 

I wanted to do my education from USA so I applied for F1 visa type. I received my I-797 A approval notice for class as F1 (valid from 01/19/2012 to duration of stay). After this, I continued my education as F1 status and finished my education.

I got good job opportunity and my employer filed for my H1b visa. I received my I-797 A approval notice for class as H1B (valid from 10/01/2014 to 08/21/2017)

 

There is one section Previous U.S. Travel Information in DS 160

Have you ever been issued U.S visa? (YES/NO)

I have selected yes for above question then the below section is as follow:

 

VISA Number: 

 

The above section is asking about visa number.

Below are my actual questions:

Question 1: I need your guidance to fill the visa number.

Since I have already explained you about my previous stamped visa. Can you please guide me what visa number I should fill? Is that going to be my diplomatic extension visa number because it was last stamped visa? or should I fill F1 class as my previous visa, if so then I-797 A approval notice does not have any visa number written on it.  

Question 2: are you applying in the same country or location where the visa above was issued, and is this country or location your place of principal of residence? (as mention above in the picture)

Can you please guide me on question 2? As I have already explained you my situation. I got my extension of diplomatic visa within the United states of America (USA) . My extension of diplomatic visa was a stamped visa on my passport (it was not I 797 A for extension of diplomatic visa).

 Based on my visa information, Should I select No because my extension of diplomatic visa was issued from USA not from India. Please guide me on this.

Question 3: Family Information section : Relative

I need to fill my mother's last name. My mother doesn't use her last name as surname. She only uses her first name. All her document in India she uses her first name only. My mother also didn't use her last name on her diplomatic passport (Currently passport is expired), however my mother had use her last name on her USA stamped visa because it was mandatory field so she used her last name first time on USA stamped visa. This is the only place where she used her last name. My father had put a note on my mother's passport that her last name on her visa can be used as her surname on place of her last name. However my mother never came to USA even though she had diplomatic visa to visit to USA but she never came to USA.

Can you please guide me whether I should fill my mother's last name on my DS 160 form in family information section or not? or I should select Do Not Know? Please guide me on this question. Since USA immigration system issued one time my mother diplomatic visa so I am little worried if I leave DO NOT KNOW for her last name and USA immigration pull out my  mother name information then they could ask me your mother use her last name for VISA stamped but you select DO NOT KNOW option for your mother's name .

I am really confused to put this information however I am thinking to put blank for my mother's last name because in India she uses her first name only for all official purpose. Please correct me