Summer has set in. All my fellow USA study aspirants who have gained entrance into universities to broaden their education and life experiences in USA must be basking in the glory of their triumphs.
But, if you are relaxed that your months of toiling have culminated with obtaining an admission, then you are totally mistaken. Now you are faced with a mammoth task of gaining an F1 visa to USA. No student can count on studying in USA unless a visa has been granted. So, students get easily intimidated by the blunt questions and the personal and unpredictable factors involved in the visa process. As you have already completed the gruelling part of gaining an admission, all you have to do is to follow few steps to ensure a smooth interview process. I am putting forth few pointers that I learnt from my experience and those of others too. This article will give you a detailed idea what to expect at the visa interview and how to prepare for it.
Check if you are carrying all the necessary documents that are mentioned in the VFS website. Copies of Visa appointment letter, DS-160 confirmation, I-20 issued by your university, SEVIS Fee receipt, admission letter, mark sheets issued by all the academic institutions you have attended, competitive exams' score cards and other financial and supporting documents are a must. With every answer you give, you should be ready to support your answers with the required document. The Visa officer may refer to your documents if required. The documents should be flawless without any tarnish, torn pages or poorly printed copies.
Reach the consular's office early in time with the required documents with few minutes to spare for the security checks and other biometric system procedures.
Though you have spent many months in compiling the necessary research and applying to universities, your actual visa interview will not take longer than a couple of minutes.
Wear formal attire for the interview and greet the officer with a smile when you enter your interview booth. Maintain a confident posture and eye contact with the interviewer throughout the interview. Be confident and do not display any signs of nervousness such as trembling fingers, clenching fists, flickering of voice and stuttering voice. In case you are nervous, do not feat that it may lower your chances of getting a visa. The officers understand that you are in a foreign embassy speaking about your future in a foreign country. They are humans too and they are just doing their duty.
Give your answers confidently in a loud and clear voice. Keep them short, concise and to-the-point. Do not give any irrelevant, unnecessary and elaborated responses that might not favour you.
Be genuine while giving your answers and maintain the same in your documents too. Always give honest and correct answers. The data you enter while applying for visa and the details you give in your interview are computerized and maintained and it cannot be changed further. Also, the consular officers are extensively trained and experts in their profession.
They can easily figure out your true intentions and can detect fraud immediately.
Often you might not understand what the interviewee is asking due to the difference in the accent or inaudible sound from the microphone.
When such situation arises, do not panic and do not hesitate to request him/her to repeat the question.
Students believe in myths about the embassy having a daily quota for the number of visas issued, about attending the visa interview at on a certain day or in a month affect your chances of visa approval and a consulate being more rigid in issuing visas than other consulates. The fact is that each individual is assessed on a case-by-case basis using a number of criteria under U.S. immigration law. If applicants are denied it is because they do not meet the criteria.
Be well prepared. The interviewer will most probably ask you to explain your purpose for visiting USA and your answer should be very simple – to study. As long as your plan is not to get a visa so that you can enter the country and immigrate, this part of the interview will go smoothly.
My last but the principal advice to you is, treat the interview not as an interrogation but as a pleasant thing that you need to go through in order to achieve your goals. It is an informational talk with the embassy employee. Consider the officer your friend even though the same is not reciprocated. The embassy officer is not your enemy. They are just doing their duty.
Giving your visa interview is like taking an entrance exam or going to a job interview – as long as you are well prepared, there is nothing to be worried about.
Source: The Hindu
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