Tips for U.S. Student Visa Interview by Visa Officials
Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat
Here is a brief write up on media persons’ question and answer session with Ms. Susan Mcfee, vice counsel, US Consulate, Mumbai on student visa related issues. Susan visited Ahmedabad on 23rd of May, 2008 to guide students who intend to go to U.S. for further studies. Ms. Susan Macfee attended question and answer session with students and later on with journalists at Ahmedabad management association.
Should students prepare for their visa interview?
The best way to prepare for the interview is by relaxing and just being yourself! The large majority of student visa applicants get visas. Do not memorize your presentation or rely on stories from others about what they think you should say and how you should say it. Simply be prepared to tell us about yourself, and why you wish to study in the United States.
Students should take a deep breath, listen carefully to the consular officer’s questions, and ask the consular officer to repeat the question if they do not understand. Above all, answer all questions honestly and truthfully.
Are students given any preference to get visa appointments?
Yes. Students are top priority for Consulate General Mumbai. We are committed to providing timely appointments for students. Every day a certain number of interviews are set-aside for students only. We understand that students are different than other travelers and have a start date of classes that is not flexible. Last year, during the busy student applicant season, we opened Saturday appointments dedicated solely to student visa applicants so that we could meet the demand. Currently, a student will receive an appointment within two weeks.
Does the university that the student wants to attend make any difference to the visa issuance?
We are not looking for specific institutions or universities and we do not consider university rankings, but you should be able to explain why you chose a particular college, university or program of study.
Are visas harder to obtain for certain universities?
No. As we stated above, we are not concerned with which university you’d like to attend. What is important is your ability to tell us why you’ve chosen a particular university or institution.
Does the US consulate have any student visa quotas?
No. There are no quotas in the student visa category. In fact, over the past several years India has sent more students to study in the United States than any other country in the world. There is a strong tradition and history of Indian students attending and graduating from U.S. universities. Any student applicant who meets the student visa requirements is eligible for a student visa.
Any specific information student visa applicants should take care of?
We’ve found that in certain instances student applicants tell the consular officer what they think he wants to hear rather than the truth. Sometimes the student has been advised by friends or consultants or chat room bloggers to give certain responses or the memorize information from the university website. This is generally unhelpful and may result in the refusal of the visa. What is most important to us is that the student tells the truth and explains why he wants to attend a certain university. Do not rely on others to give you the “answers”/ If you know why you want to study in the United States and you have the funds available to cover the costs of tuition, you will more than likely receive a student visa.
General- Requirements for a student visa to the United States?
-You must be a bona fide student intending to complete a course of study in the U.S.
-You must have a residence abroad and the present intent to return after the completion of your studies.
-You must have sufficient funds for the first year tuition and access to funds sufficient for subsequent years.
Each applicant is evaluated individually and as a whole person: No single issue leads to rejection or issuance; each applicant’s plan must make sense for that applicant.
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And here is a brief write up on how Ms. Bindi Patel, vice counsel, US Consulate, Mumbai guided the students in interaction session at Ahmedabad Management Asociation hall on U.S. student visa related issues. Ms. Patel had visited Ahmedabad on 14th of November, 2007 to guide students who intend to go to U.S. for further studies.
Never lie
-Never lie in visa interview because it can block your way to America permanently. Also never hide information when it is sought by visa interviewer.
Three things visa interviewer check before issuing student visa
-Three things visa interviewer check before approving student visa:
1. Is applicant a legitimate and genuine student?
To check this, questions are asked generally like
-Why applicants want to go to America for studies?
-Why applicants want to go to America to study this particular subject?
-Why has applicant chosen this particular university?
2. Is applicant capable enough to fund his/her education in America?
To check this, they carefully study applicant’s liquid assets.
3. Does an applicant intend to come back to India after finishing education?
To check this they study social circumstances of applicant. They can assume that an X applicant will come to India for marriage or Y may come back to India because his/her family is well settled here etc. Visa office has to check these and more such factors because student visa is non immigrant visa. Visa office is liberal about applicant’s possible plane to work for sometime in U.S. after finishing his/her education there but ultimately he/she must have intention to come back to India.
When coming to visa interview, check this ..
When coming for visa interview applicant must bring his passport, DS 156 visa form and I20. Only American universities can provide I20. Applicant must not obtain it from anywhere else. Applicant’s passport must not have expiry date within 6 months of his/her planed American entry date. Applicant’s passport must have durability of at least 6 months of his/her planed date of entry in America. Remember, an applicant’s valid visa can not be considered workable if his/her passport has expiry date within 6 months of his/her planed date of entry to America.
Dilemmas are not appreciated
When you go for a visa interview, you must know which university or college you are going to join. Going to visa interview with two different universities or colleges’ options, dilemmas and difficulties of taking decision between two institutes can make your chances of getting visa grim. Before reaching America if you take a decision to change your university, it is advisable to appear again for visa interview.
You get new interviewer at second interview
If you don’t get visa in first interview, in second interview, you have to prove that the reason because of which in first interview you did not get visa has been corrected well. Remember if you don’t get visa at first visa interview, you will have another visa interviewer at second interview. Not a same person who interviewed you earlier. This gives fair and unbiased chance.
On economic support
While declaring enough economic support for your education, you can show gold as your asset too. However you have to obtain certificate of gold from Bank in your name or your family’s name. You can also show bank lone, savings accounts. Farmers are not tax payer but they can show bank account details. It is not necessary that your relatives can only be your funding source for education in U.S. You can show any person as a funding source for your education in U.S. provided you must have valid answer at the interview window about why that person sponsors you.
When not to enter U.S. is important to know
If you get admission in American university or college and your visa also is approved, even then you can not enter U.S. before more than 30 days of starting of your academic session. This means, if your academic session starts on 31st of January. You can not enter to U.S.A before 1st of January. If you come to U.S.A before more than 30 days of starting of your academic session, immigration officer at American airport can deport you and can send you back to India. In such case you have to spend another bunch or money to go back to America again in valid duration.
Generally courses start in January in America. For visa you should start procedures at least before 120 days prior to your academic session’s date of beginning ideally.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:24 am
we need to know type of the visa catagary like f1 ,f2and j1 we dont know what is the minning of the F1 visa and we huart about some collage is not allowed or get adamition of any f1 vissa fellow.if they discriminate or any other reason let us know.
thank you
June 7th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Thanks for publishing this wonderful interview! Can you please publish the same kind of interview for tourist visa or visitor visa?