Sep 05, 2018
You’ll need an F-1 study visa to pursue higher education at a college, university, or any other accredited academic institution in the US.
Part of this application includes an interview to determine whether you qualify to receive the visa or not. This is just a part of the process and there’s no reason to be nervous if you prepare well in advance.
Visa Interview
Like any other interview, this is also just a formal interaction between the Interviewer and Interviewee. As a student, you need to be well prepared for it. Prior preparation and a systematic visa file containing all the essential documentation help you to reply promptly and confidently at the visa interview. Many times, deserving students also fail to get Visas, as they do not know how to present their evidence before the consulate office. So, this is one very important aspect to be considered.
The officer at Consulate/Embassy taking the Visa Interview is essentially interested in four things.
If you are able to convince the interviewer of the above four typical questions, getting a Visa will not be a difficult issue.
So, without any further ado, let’s start with the tips for Visa interviews.
The tips below are intended to help you prepare for your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate in your home country.
1. Visa Interview Questions
The interview questions often focus on four main issues:
In order to check this here’s what the officer may question:
Try to answer each question as specifically as possible but keep your answers clear and concise.
2. Command on English
The interview will be conducted in English and not in your native language. Thus, it’s important to be well-versed in English so that you can understand the interviewer well and face the interview confidently.
3. How the chosen program fits your career plans
The purpose of the visa is to permit you to have legal residence in the US throughout your studies. The focus here is on your study program, so you need to know about your program in depth and convey why you’re interested in pursuing the specified program and why especially in the US. Apart from this, you should also be able to articulate how studying in the US will help with your future career options in your home country.
4. Your main objective to go to the US
If you want the visa to be approved, you must remember that finding work isn’t why you’re heading to the US, but your only aspiration is studying. This should be made crystal clear in your interview answers. Though you may be allowed to work part-time while studying, you need to state that this isn’t your primary goal before, during or after your studies.
The officer will surely try to ascertain that you have strong ties with your home country, to ensure that you will return to your native place after completing your studies in the US.
You can make this clear by throwing light upon the career progression back in India and specifying your family ties.
5. Essential Documents s.com/student-services/study-abroad-visa/USA
You may need to show certain documents to the consular office. Make sure your documents are filed and neatly catalogued for the same.
• I-20 & Passport
• Academic Documents
• Financial Documents
You can check the documents checklist for the US on our US Visa Requirements page.
The consular officer should be able to gauge at a glance what written documents you are presenting and what they signify. Remember that you will have 2-3 minutes of interview time (if you're fortunate enough).
6. Be Concise
Because of the volume of applications that are received, all consular officers are under considerable time pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview. They must make a decision, for the most part, on the impressions they form during the first minute or two of the interview. Consequently, what you say first and the initial impression you create are critical to your success. As such keep your answers to the officer's questions short and precise.
7. Maintain a Positive Attitude Be Punctual
Do not engage the consular officer in an argument.
Schedule your interview appointment early on as the wait time for interview appointments varies by location, season, and visa category. Ensure to be on time to avoid any hassles or delays.
Recently, the US Government announced a new processing timeline for F-1 visa (student visa) applicants. As per this update, international students can now apply for an F-1 visa up to 365 days before the academic term begins. Before this, students could apply only I20 days prior to the start of the academic term. With this change in the processing timeline, you get ample time to prepare for your visa interview.
The key is for you to arrive at the interview calmly and with extra time to review your preparation to ease the whole process.
If you follow these tips, you will surely be able to crack the Visa Interview. Good luck!
Q1 – What is the purpose of the US Student Visa Interview?
Answer – The purpose of having a student Visa interview is to evaluate the genuineness of the candidate to pursue higher education in the US. Furthermore, it also indicates whether the candidate has enough financial resources to finance the studies & living and their plans to return to India or not.
Q2 – What are the essential documents required for US Visa?
Answer - I-20 Form, Passport, Academic Documents, and Financial Documents are the essential documents required for a US student visa.
Q3 – When can I start the application process for my US student visa?
Answer – As per the recent update, international students can now apply for an F-1 visa (student visa) up to 365 days before the academic term begins.
Q4 – How important is it to have a command of the English language for a Visa interview?
Answer – The visa interview is conducted in English, so it is utterly important to be well-versed in English so that you can understand the questions and answer them confidently.
Q5 – What’s the one thing that every US Student Visa applicant should keep in mind?
Answer – Student Visa applicants should maintain a positive attitude and be punctual for the interview.