F-1 Visa

Tips to ace your F-1 Visa Interview

Before you are granted your student visa (F-1 visa) to the U.S, all prospective students must attend a face to face interview at the U.S Consulate. This visa interview is usually the final step in your visa application process. During the interview, you will be asked various questions about yourself and your decision to pursue an education in the United States.

Your visa interview is a crucial step in the whole student visa process. A misstep here and you could be rejected. If there is one things that most students dread then it has to be the visa interview. The important thing to do is to realize that by constantly worrying about it you are doing yourself more harm than good. After all, you don’t want to be a nervous wreck on the day of the interview. Make sure you understand and have followed all the requirements and application process as detailed in our previous articles “Requirements for an F-1 Visa” and “How to apply for an F-1 Visa“.

The duration of your interview will depend on your personal and academic information. It will also depend on the consular official who is taking your interview.

Below are a few tips that will help you ace that interview.

• Be well groomed and ensure a clean and well kept appearance. Have a smile on your face ad greet the consular officer with a smile. It is not necessary that they will respond back, but do it anyways!
• Do not be late for your interview.
• Talk clearly into the receiver and be to the point. Keep your answers short and to the point.
• Take along all of your documents with you, including all additional documents. The consular official could ask you for anything or nothing at all.
• Do not get into an argument with the consular official since this would hinder your chances of obtaining a visa.
• Have a clear understanding of why you want an education from the United States and have complete information about the university or college and the course you are applying for. Do not give answers such as ‘The United States is a great country and their colleges have excellent education’…it will not help!
• Take along documents pertaining to your education, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, etc…All documents pertaining to your financials and college funding must be taken along. Read our article on “Funds to show for an F-1 Visa” for more clarity on your financials.
• Be prepared on questions pertaining to strong ties with your home country. Give ample evidence that you have complete intentions of returning to your home country after your education.
• If you are asked an ambiguous question, Do NOT answer abruptly, pause, think and then respond.
• Have a confident tone as most consular officials are trained to interpret your responses.
• Do not dress up in a garish manner and do not wear flashy make up or jewelry. Ensure that your clothes are not too exposing or too flashy.
• An important point to remember is that your answers should match with the information given in your application form. Do not respond with ‘ I have mentioned the same in my application’
• Be honest about your answers. Do not make up things. If you are asked a question like if you’ve ever been rejected before for a visa, then answer truthfully, do not beat around the bush.
• DO NOT even think of producing fake documents or certificates. You will be caught and banned from entry to the United States for a minimum period of 10 years.
• Finally, relax, be yourself and take it easy. Be calm and composed. For all you know, your interview will not more than a minute and at the end of it you will have your student visa approved.

And there you have it, keep it simple and try not to stress over it too much especially the last few days leading to the interview. Schedule your visa interview well in advance and be prepared with your documentation. Good luck !!

What is F-1 Visa?

An F-1 visa or a U.S. student visa is a non-immigrant visa granted to non-U.S. citizens to allow then to study in the U.S. While applying for a student visa (F-1 visa) to the United States, an important requirement to qualify is the ability to demonstrate financial capability to fund your education and living expenses in the U.S. This is probably one of the most often requested documentation that a visa officer will ask for during your visa interview.

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Before approving your U.S. student visa, the visa officer will want to see clear and demonstrated evidence that you are financially viable to sustain your study course and yourself during your period of stay in the United States. The visa official will need proof that you will have sufficient finances to sustain yourself for at least the first year. Further, you have to demonstrate that you will have undeniable and unquestionable availability of funds for the subsequent years. If you can show that you have your financing in place then your chances of approval are considerable higher. Of course there are other requirements that you have to satisfy which we have explained in detail in our article on “Requirements for an F-1 Student Visa“.

Financial Proof for F-1 Visa

So the big questions for all prospective international students is how much money to show when you apply for a visa? Well, simply put, you need to be able to show financial resources for the amount of your tuition fee for the first year plus you need to have funds for your lodging & boarding, supplies as well as transport and other miscellaneous costs.

If we were to look at an example, if your tuition fee for the first year is $25,000 and your room, board and other costs add up to around $9,000, then you need to show a total of $34,000. Any scholarships or grants will go a long way in reducing that amount. If you do not have any scholarships or grants then you need to show these funds in your bank account. These funds have to appear in your bank statement nearest to your interview date.

An education in a reputed U.S. college or university does not cheap. Make sure you have these funds available or that you are backed for most of your funding through scholarships, grants or student loans. Student loans are fairly easily available or you could look at other avenues like personal loans and other modes of financing to raise the money required for your education. If the visa official is not satisfied with your financial situation then your chances for a student visa will be really low. Having an I-20 form will be of no use if you cannot show finances to back your claim financially to study in the U.S.

Make sure you have all attested copies, be it bank statement, loan approvals, scholarships or grants. Documentation is key and having all of them neatly arranged to enable you to hand them over when requested will help show your preparedness..If not, then you are looking at delays and further running around to satisfy documentary evidence. We have a detailed article on the documents required for an F-1 Student Visa. Read them thoroughly and be prepared for the immigration officer’s request for more proof. If for some reason you do not have documentary evidence currently on hand, you can always come back with the additional evidence to support your case.

The US student visa also popularly referred to as the F-1 Visa, is the non immigrant visa that students who are non U.S citizens have to apply for to be able to study in the United States. The requirements for an F-1 visa can be broken down into two main sections, eligibility and supporting documents. Of course, there is also financial capacity which is covered under both eligibility and supporting documents. We did cover the requirements briefly in our “How to apply for F-1 Visa” article and for those would like more details on the F-1 visa, go ahead and read our “what is F-1 visa” article first.

The most important factor to be eligible for a student visa to the U.S is that you must have a confirmed admission in an SEVP certified educational institution. What this basically translates to is that you have an I-20 form issued to you by an approved university. This is by far the single most important requirement. Only if you satisfy or conform to this requirement can you proceed to actually apply for the US student visa (F-1).

Eligibility requirements to apply for a F-1 Student Visa

When it comes to the F-1 visa, the Immigration and National Act is very stringent pertaining to the eligibility requirements which have to be met by each and every applicant. The consulate will ascertain whether or not you qualify for the US student visa (F-1).

As an applicant you must demonstrate that you meet the following F-1 student visa requirements-

• Availability of a residence in your home country and you should demonstrate no intention of abandoning that residence
• Demonstrate the intent to depart from the United States on completion of your study course
• Possession of sufficient funds to pursue the prospective study course

F-1 Student Visa Documents

Study in the United States

Below are the documents you are expected to bring along with you to your visa interview. Make sure to make copies where required as well as have the original set of documents with you before you enter the U.S Consulate. These documents are to be submitted while applying for the visa.

The documents can be classified into two sections, a mandatory section and a good to have section. If you were me, I would consider all the documents listed below as mandatory. After all you don’t want to be rejected just because you cannot produce a certificate or something vague like proof of finances. Let’s take a look at the important documents first or should I say mandatory documents.

• I-20 form – First and foremost is the I-20 form. The I-20 form must be signed by the school and you. Again remember in the beginning of this article we had stressed on the fact that the I-20 must be from an approved university. What with the recent cancellation and deportation that took place in the case of Tri-valley university, students must be careful and do their due diligence before applying to a school.
• Form DS-160 which is the non immigrant visa application form that you fill out after downloading from the U.S Consulate website when scheduling for a visa interview date.
• Valid Passport – You must posses a valid passport. This part is obvious but make sure that your passport is not expiring in the next one year.
• One 2×2 photograph that has a white background. Like many countries, U.S Immigration requires the picture to conform to certain specifications. Make sure you take a picture from a studio that understands these requirements.
• Your visa application fee receipt.
• Fee receipt of the SEVIS I-901 fee paid.

Apart from the above mentioned documents, you should also be prepared to produce the following documentation if requested by the visa officer.

• All the educational related documents such as degrees, diplomas and or certificates along with transcripts from all previously attended educational institutions. Make sure to have certified copies with you just in case.
• Your scores from standardized tests that apply, like the SAT, GMAT, GRE, TOEFL scores.
• Detailed financial evidence that can clearly show how you will be paying for your studies and living expenses once you are in the United States. Documents regarding scholarships, grants and other financial aid as well as proof of sponsorship if any must be with you when you go to your visa interview.

References

• http://travel.state.gov/

International students work options in the U.S

A question that is of great importance to most students considering studying in the U.S is if they can work while on their student visa. A student looking to work while studying is basically trying to lower his living and total education costs by working part time while continuing to be a student full time.

Now before we give you a straight Yes or No answer let us look at some of the options that a student has at his or her disposal to be able to fund their education and living costs. Like all resident students, international students first objective or priority when it comes to financing their education is to look at available scholarships or grants. While international student are not eligible for federal scholarships, there often are private scholarships or financing available from the college itself that can really help lower your total education costs.

Working while on Student Visa

Back to the question of working on an F-1 visa. Yes, you can but there are many conditions. Make sure you read them thoroughly before you get carried away. On an F-1 Student visa you can work only on campus and only part time. Also remember that working on campus is only permitted if you are a full time enrolled student. Colleges and Universities often have many teaching and research assistantships that are part-time and on campus. This satisfies both the conditions that you can work only on campus and part time.

Now remember, working on campus does not mean that you not be eligible for scholarship funding or you cannot receive scholarship funds. While colleges and universities try to be fair when it comes to disbursing available funds to as many deserving students as possible, you should take heart in the fact that it is always to deserving students that scholarships are awarded. So if your grades are great then you can expect a bit of both. When you work on-campus, you can work for a specified number of hours during the week and you will be paid on an hourly basis. Bear in mind, you cannot exceed your working hours than what is specified. You are, after all, a student who has come to the United States to pursue an education. Once again, just so it is clear, working off-campus is not permitted.

Working while on OPT & CPT

Once you have completed your course, an international student on an F-1 visa can apply for what is called Optional Practical Training (OPT) or the Curriculum Practical Training (CPT).

The OPT is the training period where an undergraduate or graduate international student having completed his degree course that is for a minimum period of nine months are permitted to put their training and education into use by working for a maximum period of one year. They are permitted to work on an OPT by the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) for a maximum period of one year on their F-1 student visa. They do not need to get an H-1B visa or a different type of work visa for their practical training. The same rules apply for the CPT.

The students need to be certified by their college or university and their employer (trainer) that the OPT or CPT is related to their field or course of study and will be useful in achieving their degree goals. The training time has to be divided between the OPT and CPT and the student as to ensure that the period of 12 months is not exceeded.

An F-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa and is applied for by non- U.S. citizens. An F-1 Visa is for pursuing academic or vocational courses at SEVP certified educational institution. For a detailed overview of the F1 visa, read our previous article on what is an F-1 visa.

Applying for an F-1 Visa

The first step in obtaining a student visa is obviously the application for admission to a Student and Visitor Exchange Program (SEVP) certified educational institution. When your admission has been confirmed in a SEVP certified educational institution, the educational institution will issue you an I-20 Form. This form is an informational record in the database of the Department of Homeland Security. The database system is called the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). It is the college or university’s responsibility to enter your details into the SEVIZ. On confirmation of your admission, the I-20 will be mailed to you and you must produce the I-20 when you apply for your F-1 visa.

Ensure that the information in the I-20 form correctly and completely matches with the information in your passport. There should be no spelling errors and your name and date of birth should be mentioned correctly and should be the same as in your passport. If there is a mistake, then it is your duty to contact your educational institution and make sure that they make the necessary corrections. Once the I- 20 is completed, you must now pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.

The next step is to apply for student visa appointment at your local U.S consulate. Apply for your visa appointment as early as possible so that there is ample time to process the same. Consulates and Embassies will be able to issue the student visa within a period of 120 days before the date mentioned on your 1-20 or the start date of your college or university. However, if the application for the visa is done before the stipulated period, the consulate or embassy will hold the application and issue it before the date specified in your I-20 as the start date of your college registration or college start date.

The application process includes an interview that takes place at the consulate or embassy. Based on your personal information and education course, you may be required to submit additional documents. Each student will have different documents that would be required of them. The mandatory documents required to be submitted by each student are as follows-

• The I-20 form (signed by you and your issuing school), Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students and Form I-20A-B.
• One 2×2 photograph with a white background.
• The fee receipt of the visa application fee.
• Form DS-160, Online Non-immigrant Visa Electronic Application.
• A valid passport for travel to and from the United States. Do make sure that your passport will not expire in the near future.
• The fee receipt of the SEVIS I-901 fee paid.

Besides the above documents, students should also produce the following educational documents or certificates-

• Certificates, diplomas and transcripts of previously attended educational institutions
• Scores of standardized such as SAT, TOEFL, GRE and GMAT, etc…
• Financial evidence to prove that whoever is sponsoring your education, has adequate financial resources to pay for your tuition and living expenses during your period stay in the US.

For the most updated list of document and for further information on documents required, visit- http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html#1

On completion of your interview, you will be informed whether or not your visa has been approved. If your visa has been approved, you will be informed on the process of collecting your passport. Usually depending on the option you choose and the embassy in question, your passport along with the approved F1 student visa stamped in it will be mailed to the postal address of your choice. Keep in mind that there is no absolute certainty when it comes to receiving your passport by mail, therefore do ensure that you plan your travel accordingly and keep a few days in hand as a safe rule. Infact, tt is advised that you do not make any travel arrangement until you receive all your documents from the consulate or embassy.

Eligibility criteria for an F-1 Student Visa?

The U.S Immigration is very strict when it comes to visas and they go according to the book. This is especially true when it pertains to visa requirements. Student visa requirement and eligibility must be met by each and every applicant, in order to qualify for an F-1 student visa. The consulate will ascertain whether or not you qualify for the F-1 visa based on the documentation you provide and the information available to them. Further, as an applicant you must demonstrate that you meet the following F-1 student visa requirements-

• You must demonstrate the intent to return to your home country on completion of your study course.
• Show you current residence and the assurance that you will not abandon that residence.
• Demonstrate the ability to pay for your education and living expenses while you are in the United States.

Reference

• http://www.ice.gov/sevis/
• http://www.ice.gov/sevis/students/