F-1 Visa Application

US Student Visa(F-1 Visa) Interview Tips

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 !!

How To Apply For An F-1 Student Visa?

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.
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