US Student Visa Interview Preparation:

Despite having all the documents and meeting all the criteria people often get the refusal. A lot of it depends on the visa interview, whether you successfully get the Visa or not. Here are few tips based on people's experiences and facts.

Some important guidelines for F1-Visa interview. Our intention is to make you understand what kind of questions one face in F1 Visa Interview, so that one can prepare well beforehand in a better way and provide your own good answer which will be case specific according to your scenario, and circumstances (Kindly don’t send queries for providing answers). Kindly prepare your own answers for each and every question which suits to your circumstances, course of study, university, area of interest, financial conditions and opportunities available for your area of specialization etc. 

Now don't get nervous with the word "interview". This is not like a job interview, however this is an important process (for visa seeker) so take it easy with confidence and follow the following tips.

The first essential step toward a successful interview is preparation.

The most important thing that you can carry with you is your self-confidence. Applicants, who are well prepared and confident in their responses to the visa officer, are almost always successful in getting a US visa.

Document Preparation • 

General Preparation •

Points to Remember Before Going For The Interview

Golden Rules for Visa

During Visa Interview Tips •  

VISA Interview Questions FAQS.How to Book Visa Slot?

What is Sevis Fee?

How to pay Sevis Fee?

What is Embassy Fee?

Why I am Rejected? 

Document Preparation •  

1. Fill all the forms/applications neatly and completely.

2. Know what you have filled in the form. Many times it happens specially in parents case, where children or sponsors fill out the application and the applicant him/her self doesn't know what information is provided.

3. Provide correct and authentic information.

4. If getting copies for documents make sure the copies are of good quality and readable.

5. Verify the names; date of birth, etc. should match with the information in your passport.

6. Organize your documents in proper logical order:

A well organized and orderly arranged document can make it easy for you to find the right documents quickly during interview

General Preparation  

Get some information/general knowledge on what the Visa is all about? What is the process etc.?

• Prepare for the most commonly asked interview questions.

• Be there a little early.

• Ask for a interpreter if you are not conversant or confident with English

 Remember every student’s visa questions are unique to him/her conditions and only case specific.

Be positive and stay positive throughout interview.Give answers confidently and lively.Maintain continuous eye contact with VO throughout the interview.Answer to the point and don’t explain anything in detail, until asked for.Prepare your own answers to most commonly asked questions.

Make sure your answers are focusing on your achievements, skills, projecting you as a sincere student, presenting proof of having sufficient funds readily available and most important, your intentions of coming back to India after completion of your graduate or Research program.

Rehearse your own answers to common and specific questions, either by taping your answers, or by attending a mock interview with your friends, family people, and have their opinions and reviews and if you still feel you are lacking at some points, try to improve them till you become perfect. Know your strengths and weaknesses, and then try to overcome them in interviews by good preparation and practice beforehand. Practice makes perfect. This is absolutely true in visa sense.

Practice to speak at slow pace with utmost clarity possible, slowly but loud enough to hear and sound natural (as you speak in general), so that interviewer can understand what  you are saying. This is very important. Listen to the question carefully and let the interviewer complete the question before you answer. Your answers should reflect a good clarity of thought, and have a good logical flow between various points you want to present. Don’t try to put any phony or acquired accent while answering. Be your usual and natural self and answer in your usual style and in your natural accent.

Read your financial documents thoroughly and ask yourself all possible questions. You should be able to defend and support the various facts of your documents be it academics, test scores and financial documents in all ways possible for you.

Carry all the documents in an order, in a folder with multiple pouches (Like Harmonium folder). So you can put different set of documents into different pouches, (like University documents set, Scores set, Marks sheets set, financial documents set, property documents set etc), as it will be very easy for you to remove and present them to VO, without any time waste, whenever asked for. The speed at which you are able to show the relevant document(s) whenever asked for, also counts a lot in visa decision.

Points to Remember Before Going For The Interview:

1. Don’t forget to Sign I-20 before going to consulate.

2. Be relaxed and don’t show that you are desperate to go to US.

3. Avoid saying repeatedly, pardon, come again, I didn’t get you etc. Put maximum efforts to understand the question.

4. Do not give more information than needed or asked by them.

5. Answer only to question; do not try to justify your answer unless asked.

6. Do not let your answers contradict values from your financial statements. Be careful in  this regard. Many a student’s fail in this regard.

Be prepared with convincing / strong reasons for returning to your homeland. (Future  employment and career options, Family ties, business, financial set-up, etc.)

7. Act naturally, friendly, yet professionally.

8. Show enthusiasm and optimism throughout the interview.

9. Admit honestly, if you don’t know the answer. Nobody knows everything.

However, explain that you are willing and have the ability to learn, given a chance or say something like “ I am slightly out of touch in that area……….:

10. Bring up the key words yourself, like “after coming back to India” or when I come back to India after completion of MS”, while giving the answers, casually.

11.Do not feel nervous. Remember you are marketing yourself.

12. Do not be overaggressive. There’s no need for it absolutely.

13. Do not jump to answers after listening to half question.

14. Do not over answer or under answer.

15. Do not have negative attitude or be pessimistic regarding the outcome.

16. Must be positive and stay positive, naturally outcome will also be positive.

Some sample behaviors of people who take initiatives for which VO is searching for in an interview are, whether applicant:

Knows how to answer questions.

Whether the applicant is knowledgeable about his course of study, its outcome.

Knows how to deal with uncertainly.

Exudes (or shows) confidence and professionalism.

Finds ways to stay motivated.

Does what it takes to get the job done.

Shows commitment towards his course and to his home country.

Self Confidence, Goal Oriented, Focused and driven with a sense of conviction.

Willingness to learn new things, adoptable to alien culture, absorb any culture shock and move ahead with his priorities in life.

Establish good Rapport with VO.

On Final Note:

Just be cool, confident and vibe well with VO. Whenever there’s a chance, flash a simple smile. Whenever an embarrassing question was asked, and you don’t know how to answer, just flash a smile, have two invisible deep breaths and start saying the relevant thing.

Be positive in all actions and expect positive outcome. Have good body language. Even the interview is going the other way than you thought or in negative way also don’t lose your confidence. Things will be on-track again in your favor if you are confident.

Do not give boring & lengthy answers. Precise and to-the-point answers will do.

No need to explain tons and tons of irrelevant things. Have a precise answer for how you are arranging funds. Give a gist of your sponsor’s

financial position and if VO asks to explain, then only give detailed answer for that. Be prepared with a good answer, both precise one and a detailed one.Do not show any document until asked for. Most important thing is presence of mind and with that you should be able to get the

interview always on track. It’s only in you how to get the interview back on track.

Golden Rules for Visa:

Looking Good and Confident.

Looking disciplined and organized.

Create interest in VO towards you with interesting & intelligent answers.

Sounding natural in accent and communication.

Maintaining eye-to-eye contact with VO throughout interview.

Staying positive throughout.

Showing clarity of thought and logical flow in expressing views.

Speaking Loud with confidence.

Having good presence of mind.

Showing good knowledge about your area of interest.

Having good and credible future plans.

Proving you as a serious student in studies .

Add a little bit of sense of humor.

Exude professionalism in whatever you do &

Smile and put Visa Officer always at ease.

Some analysis regarding F1-Visa, every student should be aware of:

In F1-Visa, the Visa Officer (VO) or Consular Officer (CO) starts visa interview with an  assumption that, every non-immigrant applicant is a potential immigrant. So the burden of proving that you are not a potential immigrant falls on you only. You have to prove to VO that you had no intention of becoming an immigrant after completion of your studies in USA and you will be back to you motherland immediately after the completion of your intended program. One should go for interview expecting VO to be sarcastic, aggressive, not friendly, may be angry at times, trying to deny you visa with even a small irritant answer and odds are all against you due to the stress the VO’s may be going through, due to large volumes at applicants, and taking decisions very fast, and also all these things may be just tricks played by the VO to put you under tremendous stress also. Hence if you prepare well ahead for above kind of VO behavior, naturally you won’t get shocked are depressed by this in interview. Key here is whatever may be the behavior of VO, but you try to be yourself and calm, cool and smiling.  One important aspect in which VO is interested in order to sanction visa is your sincerity  in pursuing US higher education. You have to prove that you are motivated, inspired and continuously self-improving in order to go to USA for study. Sincerity of your US studies is evident from what you know about US education, it’s merits, and your knowledge –

about US school or university, about your department, about your future faculty members, about your contacting the faculty members, about your course structure and topics, about latest trends and research in your chosen field of specialization, about career openings and positions for that chosen field in India, about present Indian companies which are working or specializing in your chosen field of specialization, present salary structure for those career openings and future salary positions after two years etc and whether you know more about the place you are going to live for some time. VO, expect you to know all these things to prove yourself as a serious student of US education.  Another important aspect is, your financial condition and credible documentary evidence that the applicant has enough readily available funds to meet all personal, tuition and other related expenses for the whole study period. Apart from the readily available funds, a VO also wants to see whether your sponsors (generally parents) have the sufficient annual income to meet your expenses as explained above and also their personal family expenses while you are at study in USA, i.e., even after meeting your expenses, whether your parents and other sponsors will be having decent income to carry with their usual living and meeting their expenses without any burden. The sponsors must ensure that the applicant will not become any public charge to USA. And also a VO will be worried about your siblings. He/ She wants to know presently what are they doing and how their future will be taken care of by your parents, due to the high costs involved in your US education. VO wants to see whether your education expenses will be socially justifiable for your family in case of other siblings, in the present economic scenario and family economic conditions.

Apart from the above, a VO will also look into your personality traits in interview. Like good body language, behavioral patterns like your drive to excel in your chosen field, motivational levels, communication and negotiation skills, whether you are energetic or not, your honesty and integrity levels, your ability to cope to with stress, your readiness to take up responsibilities and challenges, your problem solving techniques, your discipline and leadership qualities. Whether you can handle difficult situations on your own or not, whether you can live in another unknown & alien culture,  can you raise to the occasion when the need arises and how sincere you sound in answering interview questions and how you are reacting to various types of questions etc. At times they also want to know what you do if they reject your visa, what your future plan is and ultimately how confident and positive you are in your answers. They try to assess you by some off-the-line critical questions. Sometimes students say that VO has asked just 1 or 2 questions only and issued visa or rejected visa without seeing any documents at all. That’s not true. They assess your personality traits within those one or two questions and clues given by you while answering them is sufficient for VO’s to decide on visa.

I advice students to prepare for interview well in advance for all scenarios mentioned above. Practice well and do as many rehearsals as possible. Go to interview fully prepared and with complete documentation. Don’t leave anything to chance. Anything is possible in visa interview. You have to face the interview as it comes. Expect the unexpected and prepare to face anything. Be ready with everything. Be positive, Stay positive, have faith in your success at visa interview.

Image is often as important as content. What you look like and how you say something are just as important as what you say. So dress up nicely and keep smiling.

Attitude Preparation:

Provide to the point and concise answers. Do not add anything which is not relevant or not being asked. (In most the cases, this is where people make a mistake, by giving unnecessary and unasked details). The following are some more interview tips:

• Do not argue.

• Do not ask un-necessary questions.

• Be polite.

 

Why USA?

• Why MS/MBA?

• Which University?

• Why you chose this University?

• Why you chose this University Why this University?

• How many schools you applied and now many you got admission & rejections?

• Who is going to sponsor your education?

• What does your parents / father and mother do

• What is their annual / monthly income?

• How will you / they pay for your education?

• What is your academic background?

• Hat is your under-graduate percentage?

• What about your scores?

• How many backlogs you had in your under –graduation, Why

• What is your career plan (or) what you will do after completion of your Masters Studies (or) what you will do in Bangladesh after your Masters?

• Will you come back to Bangladesh? Why you will come back to Bangladesh?

• Can you show the proof of your funds?

• Can you show me the transaction of your bank funds?

• Can you show me you’re IT Returns?

Now let’s see what are all the likely questions you will be facing in an F-1 Visa Interview.

During Interview Tips:

Use formal dress to appear for interview. Your dress should portray you as a professional student.

Carry only relevant documents. Do not present any papers-certificates or documents unless asked for.

After Interview is over remember to collect all certificates and documents given at the time of interview. And if you had any doubts clarify them with VO. Check for all the documents before leaving consulate. Greet the interviewer first, even if VO is not listening or not looking at you or busy with his computer.

While answering the questions (or even when not answering), remember to look at the VO instead of looking down. Keep continuous eye contact with visa officer throughout the interview. Keep looking at the VO but never at other things or other happenings in the room or at other counters. Look at VO when he/she is speaking. Don’t look away at any point of time while answering or listening. Feel like, there’s nobody between you and VO, and nothing exists in this world of your visa between you

and VO. Don’t become conscious of others looking at you either watching or listening. Remember it’s your visa and your future. This is very important. Listen to questions carefully to comprehend. If you are not sure of what’s the VO is asking, politely request for a repeat. But don’t overdo the same. Give short and “to-the-point” answers, unless asked for longer ones. Wherever there’s scope for it, it’s always better to be prepared with two sets of answers for questions, one long and one short. First give short answer and if VO asks for details then give long answer or explain in detail, so that you will be still in comfort zone. You have to be clear about your long-term and short-term goals, both personal and professional. And make sure that you can explain exactly how an MS/MBA/PhD degree will take you closer to your goals.

Confidence – the One and Only Key for Visa. So look confident, answer with confidence, listen to VO with confidence and even it the need arises, and smile at VO with  confidence. Just exude confidence in whatever you do at interview. Mouth all words clearly and speak loud enough to hear.  Answer immediately without wasting any time. Little fun with good sense of humor is always welcome. VO’s generally respond positively to good sense of humor. Answers should not be given in a raised voice, even, when the question comes n that manner. Remember VO will be having tough time too, with huge volumes of applicants and asking same kind of questions and listening almost identical answers day in and day out. They too will be under great pressure to issue a visa till the applicant’s intentions and arranging of funds are made clear to them. It’s not that you should feel comfortable in interview, but in my personal opinion you should also make VO comfortable by presenting all facts and figures through a systematic and organized way of answering, presenting documentary evidence whenever necessary or asked for. Never become desperate, wearisome and tiresome even it the interview is going in a long way than expected by you – as some students will be called for interview at different time intervals  and also will be interviewed by different VO’s again and again after initial interview. But, still throughout interview(s) try to maintain your composure, looking positive, confident and smiling at every turn and opportunity and repeat the same answer content suitably, again and again. Avoid giving additional information unless asked for it. If you care complimented for your answers, achievements, scores and percentages, remember to thank the VO.

Avoid repeating phrases or words (using same punch words again and again). Remember you have gone through GRE and TOEFL. So speak accordingly and as professional as you can but not like Sales & Marketing people. (Though here, you are trying to market yourself to VO for getting visa) Keep smiling face after giving your answer, as a welcoming gesture for VO’s next question.

It is US Visa to contradict an answer through a subsequent answer. Always stick to the  same answer whenever asked for. Same question can be asked at various times to test  you, like what’s your parent’s annual income and after sometime, what’s your parent’s monthly income etc. But your answers should be consistent and according to the figure quoted by you. Don’t show your surprise on your face, why he’s repeating the questions.

Simply give answer to that question, just as a matter of fact. The question asked should  be answered without any second thoughts, and notions. An applicant’s behavior should convince the VO about the quality of personality that the candidate has. That’s why people say Attitude is everything. Just stay positive, be positive and answer with confidence. Avoid any exhibition of emotions other than showing a feeling of welcoming questions and eager and ready to give the answers with a smiling face. In interview you must avoid – speaking just for the sake of speaking without any positive attitude and confidence, repeating points, words, exaggerating the facts, turning up to interview without knowing the facts about the university you are going to attend, about the department, and without knowing about the course, it’s structure like credit hours, subjects etc.

On final note, thank the interviewer for his time.

Some More Tips:

If you feel it’s difficult to understand the VO’s accent, Try to watch CNN and Hollywood  movies regularly for some time before visa interview to get familiar with American accent. (But don’t go for BBC, which will give British accent). Learn about research areas happening in your major field at your university along with some of the professor’s research areas Past & Present. Be confident and positive throughout, and apply presence of mind. Do not contradict your previous answer in your next answer. Have a good memory of CA statement or funds-flow statement before going to consulate.

Visa Interview FAQs

1 .Introduction

• How you doing today Great

• How’s today?

• How are you feeling today very comfortable?

• How’s life? Great

• Why you are here today? To get the Visa

2. On Purpose of US Trip or on doing MS in US?

• Where are you heading?

• Why USA?

• Why not M.tech (Or other Masters Program) in Bangladesh?

• Why do you to go to USA?

• What is he purpose for your trip?

• Why did you choose US to do your master/

• Why study in USA?

• Why do you wish to study in the US and not in India or Bangladesh?

• Why do you wants to study in USA but nor in UK, or Australia, Canada?

• There are good universities like IIT’s also in Bangladesh. So why do you want to go to USA for your Masters.

• Why do you plan to do Masters?

• What are you going to do with this degree?

• What are your major / areas of interest?

• What is the duration o your course?

• How long do you intend to stay in US?

• Why you want to waste so much of your parent’s money on these program?

3. About University

• Why this university?

• Why the specified university?

What did you select this particular university

• Why this school was your first choice?

• How did you come to know about the university?

• What do you know about the university?

• Name some professors / faculty members of your chosen university?

• How many universities did you apply for?

• Tell me something about your admission process?

• How you short listed these 3 or 4 schools from so many schools in USA?

• Tell me something about your university selection criteria?

• Which universities accepted you? Rejected you? & Why

• Do you know anyone in your university?

• Have you contacted “any one/professors” in your university?

• What in your university famous for?

• Can you name some famous people from your university?

• Any nick names for your university?

• How far is the university from a particular city?

• What is the nearest “Port Of Entry” to your school?

• This University – what do you want to do there?

• What’s the duration of your course?

4. On Aid & Scholarships:

• Did you have any scholarships?

• Have you got any aid from the university?

• What do you think – why this university is giving you scholarship

• What do you think – why university is not giving any aid to you?

• What do you have to do as a TA? (IF TA was sanctioned)

• What do you have to do as a RA? (If RA was sanctioned)

• Are you apprehensive because most of the teach them? (If TA was sanctioned)

• Good scores / Academics, why no scholarship?

5. On Educational Background:

• Can you show me your GRE & TOEFL scorecards?

• Where did you undergraduate?

• What’s your under-grand college?

• What’s under-grad aggregate?

• What’s your under-grad %?

• What’s your individual year-wise under-grad percentage?

• Do you have backlogs in your course?

• How many backlogs do you have in your course?

• How serious you are about your studies after these backlogs?

• Why your scores are low (I they are low)?

• Why you haven’t applied for the universities mentioned in your score reports? 

What’s your position in your “class / college / department “?

• Do you think American professors are better than Indian professors?

• What were you doing from the middle of 2003 to late 2004? (If you are applying for visa after one year or more than that after your graduation?)

• You had many backlogs; you are not suitable for US Education?

• I don’t think you can cope up with US Education with your average performance in your under graduation here.

• What subjects you liked very much? And why?

• What subjects you disliked very much ? And why?

• What Faculty members you liked very much? And why?

• What Faculty members you disliked very much? And why?

• Tell me something about your undergraduate project?

• What you proved through your undergraduate project to this world?

• If you are working

• Tell me about your role in the present job? Describe your job?

• Why you want you leave these jobs?

• After gaining good experience, why you want to go for studies right now?

• What difference this US program makes to your career?

• Why don’t you go to USA on H1b visa?

• I feel H 1 b visa is good for you rather than this F1?

• Tell me about your colleagues? Project leader Or Higher authority to whom you report on day-to-day basis.

• Tell me about your company?

• Show me your appointment letter / pay-stubs / experience letter?

• Will your company take you back once you complete your US program?

• What will be the salary at that point?

6. On future plans:

• What will you do after completing your Masters program?

• What is your future plan?

• What are your career goals?

• What are you going to do with your Master Degree?

• Do you intend to come back to India after your studies?

• Tell me how you can prove that you are going to come back to India?

• Why will you come back to India? Why you would like to come back to India?

• How do I know u will come back? What will u do after coming back?

• Supposing you meet someone in the US whom you like, would you consider marrying him/her? 

Do you plan to study PHD after MS?

• Your scores are good and your academic background is good, you’ll get a good

job in America, why do you want to come back? What’s the need for it?

• Where does your study benefits you / USA?

• Who do you think you will return after your US Education?

• How much do you think you will get paid in India after MS?

• Who are the clients 4 these companies? Or “What types of work do these

Companies do?

• Do you plan to work in the US supposing on-campus?

• I don’t think you will return to India, You look like a potential immigrant?

• Even in this condition of economic recession, you want to go to US, WHY?

• Will you come back to home during summer holidays and other holiday sessions?

7. On sponsors & financial status:

• Who is sponsoring you?

• Who is sponsoring your education?

• How does they plan to fund you?

• What does your “father / mother” do for living?

• What is other sponsor doing (if other than your parents)?

• What is your father’s annual income?

• What is your father’s monthly income>

• Why your mother is getting more income than your father (If it’s so)?

• What are annual expenses of your course?

• How many siblings?

• How many brothers and sisters do you have?

• What are they doing?

• You have so many brothers and sisters. And your father’s saving is for all of you people. Then how he will be able to und you?

• Won’t there be any problems within the family if your “father / parents” spend most of their savings for your education purpose only? How can you justify this?

• Parents retired? Then how they going to fund you ?

• (If parents are retired) How they going to live once they spend all their Lifetime saving’s for you?

• How will you finance your education for two years?

• What are the sources o your finance?

• Why your brother not sponsoring you, though he is working?

• When did you start saving for your graduate studies?

• Have you go any loan for your studies and are you going to us it? 

Are you going to use up all your parents savings?

• So what does your dad do for a living?

• So, how do you intent to support yourself? Your parent’s 3-year annual salary will go for your studies. How they live?

• What’s your father’s Monthly Income?

• Who’s going to pay for such an expensive course?

• Your parents have this kind of money. Isn’t this an expensive course to afford?

• Why is your father sponsoring you?

• Why is your cousin sponsoring you?

8. Miscellanous issues:

• What will you do if your visa is rejected?

• What if reject your visa?

• Why should I allow you a visa?

• Will you come back to home during summers / semester holidays?

• Do you have a brother / sister, or any other relative already at this university?

• Do you own a car? What color? What model? And year of purchase ? What it’s number?

• Do you own a two –wheeler? Model? Year of purchase? It’s number?

• Do your family own 2nd car? (or) How many four-wheelers owned by you?

• Who is using this car? Or cars? You use which car?

• How many bedrooms you have in your house?

• How many how many bedrooms are fitted with AC’s

• How many servants work in your house?

• Tell me how can you prove that you are going to come back?

• Why are you leaving your current job? (if you are employed)

• If you leave to USA for studies, who will take care of your parents?

• Where you will be after 5 years from now?

• Have you got any loans?

• Do you like American Football?

• Tell me about yourself?

• Why did you wear formals? Do you like them?

• Why did you wear casuals? Do you like them?

• What are your interests?

• What are your strengths?

• What are your weaknesses?

• How do you approach to solve any problem?

• What serials do you follow in TV?

• Can you tell story o any recently seen Hollywood film?

• What are your hobbies?

• What does success mean to you?

• Tell about your achievements?

• Why should I give you the visa?

• What is your favorite book?

• What games do you play? 

What will you do if your visa was rejected?

• What are you looking from life?

• How did you prepare yourself for the interview?

9. Golden Rules for visa:

Looking Good , confident, disciplined, and organized.

Create interest in VO towards you with interesting & intelligent answers.

Sounding Natural in accent, communication,

TONE in HIGH PITCH but AT SLOW PACE.(LOUD & CONFIDENT)

Maintaining eye-to-eye contact with VO throughout interview process

Staying positive and try to put smile on face after every answer

Showing clarity of thought and logical flow in your answers

Having good presence of mind

Showing good knowledge about your area of interest

Having good logical and credible future plans.

Proving you as a serious student in studies

Add a little bit of sense of humor.

Exude professionalism in whatever you try to do in visa interview.

Smile and put yourself as well as VO at ease.

On final Note:• Know about why you want to go to USA.• Know about your university.

• Know about your department.

• Know about faculty members.

• Know about research happening in your department.

• Know about your course structure.

• Have a well laid and logically believable & presentable career plan.

• Know where you will be after 5 year from now.

• Know about your finances and availability of funds from all sources.

• A ware of your individual and year-wise aggregate %’s.

• Know some present Indian companies working on your chosen area.

• Know probable positions you may enter with your Masters degree from US, inIndian/ Bangladeshi companies and their salary ranges.

• Know how to be positive while answering / stay positive while facing difficult questions / stay cool throughout interview and smile.

 (All the best for Visa Interview & May the force be with you.)