DS 160 Question: Employment History

[Marie&Curt 10]

I am helping my father fill out his DS-160 form, but we're stuck on the page that asks for his work history. He has worked for a lot of companies over the past 20 years. My question is, how far back should we go? Do we have to put ALL of the companies he's worked for, dating back to 1990s, or can we just put his work history for the last 5 years? He's applying for a B1/B2 visa, by the way. Thanks for any helpful replies!

[HFM181818 750]

the most recent is sufficient.

[Marie&Curt 10]

the most recent is sufficient.

Thank you for your response! I still have concerns though; won't they check your background to see if you've worked at other companies in the past? And wouldn't they find it weird that my dad will only be claiming to have worked in one other company for the past 5 years, given that he's already 52 years old?

[HFM181818 750]

they are not going to go to that much effort....he is applying for a tourist visa, not an employment-based immigrant visa, for which his work experience would be useful, if not critical, for that application to be properly adjudicated.

[Chris and ZhiJia 146]

Thank you for your response! I still have concerns though; won't they check your background to see if you've worked at other companies in the past? And wouldn't they find it weird that my dad will only be claiming to have worked in one other company for the past 5 years, given that he's already 52 years old?

HFM's advise is pretty solid when it comes to the consular process because he is a retired Consular Officer(aka he used to be one of the guys that approved or denied Visa's of all categories)

[HFM181818 750]

they will be interested in how long he has worked for whatever company/business he lists on the DS 160.....very short term employment can make a case iffy (having just started a job, for ex, means the applicant cannot possibly have earned any appreciable leave, if the applicant is willing to take leave without pay, that strongly suggests that new job is of very little importance to that applicant, and thus his or her economic tie would be weakened considerably (a fact many applicants overlook----when I've had applicants who want 3 months off after having been on their 'job' for three weeks, well, clearly that job is of no importance, or else why would one leave it so readily for such an extended period of time? Answer: to (a) find work in the US or (b) connect up with that family 'friend', get married, then go to work in the US....guess what the success rate was for those applicants who tried that story on me? About what you would expect. Ask yourselves the same question: does it really make sense to wander off from a new job to go 'sightseeing' or a 'housewarming' or a birthday party for a one year old niece or nephew? And spend thousands of dollars they don't have in order to do whatever? It makes no sense. None. Zero. Thus, a denial followed, in spite of the applicants having brought 8 pounds of notarized papers which were used to try and convince me they had strong reasons to return...I've had applicants who were denied show up three weeks later, this time waving an employment letter in the air, which proclaimed that this applicant had been recently promoted to vice president or some such lofty position and needed 3 months off to 'prepare' for his or her new responsibilities....it was hard to keep a straight face during those interviews....I mean really....how stupid did they think I was? When I suggested that they spend about 3 years actually doing the job of 'vice president', then return to re-apply, their chances would improve greatly, most shifted to a desperate plea for a visa....(odd how none of them every did return to their 'vice presidency')....the ones who went too far with their alleged 'job letter' found out quickly that I was far from naïve, as a phone call placed to the company, asking for whoever signed that letter, and then to find out that of course, the applicant was still a new schmoe, same as he or she was the last time, cleared up any doubts, but now they were about to (a) lose that job and (b) become permanently ineligible from ever getting a US visa for the rest of their lives for having attempted fraud against the US Gov....but many were slow learners.

Edited February 9, 2016 by HFM181818

[Marie&Curt 10]

Thank you so much for your detailed response! I had no idea that you were a CO.. Lol. Knowing that now though, I trust your insights and advice. We finally submitted his DS-160 with just his most recent employment history. I appreciate everyone's responses! Fingers crossed that my dad and the rest of my family get approved for the tourist visa!