F1 Visa Interview Experiences

$13,000 in Financial Aid and F1 Visa Rejected – Sam Houston State University

Yesterday, I had US student visa interview at Kolkata consulate buy unfortunately got 214b. Very disappointed right now. Please guide me what have to do now.

  • Decision: Reject(214b)
  • University: Sam Houston State university, Texas
  • Program: MS Statistics
  • I20 expenses: $14051
  • Funding: $13005 (TA) + Parent (FD+LIC+Saving balance at bank) + Aunt(FD).
  • Academic Qualification: BSC,Stat ( Hons ), MBA finance, PG Diploma in Actuarial Science(University of Kent, UK ).
  • GRE: 680Q 350V
  • Interview (July 2011)

Today, I attended visa interview at Kolkata consulate.

I reached the consulate at 8.30 am as my schedule interview reporting time was 8.45am.

After initial security check I went to waiting room.

My token no . 63 called after half an hour. I entered the interview room with a full confidence.

There was some formalities like document submission and finger printing have done. After 10-15 minutes VO called me at counter no 5. The VO was an american lady aged around 30-35.

F1 Visa Interview

Me: Hi. Good morning madam. How are you?
VO : No response.
VO: Why US?
Me:I am going to pursue Master of Science in Statistics at Sam Houston State university, Texas.

VO: Why this university?
Me: I have selected this university because, SHSU offer advance level statistical courses specially in mathematical statistics, stochastic process, time series and simulation, probability and inference, statistical computing secondly, it has very good statistical computing lab, Thirdly, I have to develop a thesis on application of time series and simulation in financial derivative under Dr. Ferry Butar as he has similar research interest.[ I think here I should include a line that this program will give me strong quantitative background which will give me extra opportunity to enhance my career when I will come back India after graduation . unfortunately, I have forgotten to add this line.]

VO: What other program you have applied?
Me: Could you please repeat it once as I have not heard it?

VO: What other program you have applied?
Me: I have applied 5 universities SHSU, Western Michigan , university of California Santa Barbara University of North Carolina ,Chapel hill all for MS statistics and Kent state university for PhD applied mathematics as my research interest match with some professor. Admitted to Wichita state, WMU reject from Kent state , UCSB and ,UNC result till pending.

VO : what’s you percentage?
Me: for which program madam?

VO: Undergraduate degree.
Me : Submitted( it was BSc Stat (Hons) 3 years program of Calcutta university).
VO: Show me MBA transcripts:

Me: shown.
VO: Sorry , at this time I can not approve visa. passed me a white paper(214g),selecting you have not enough socio, economic familial ties with India.
me: Can apply again madam?
VO: yes ,you can.
Me: Thanks.

This is the full visa interview.

I do not how, how she decide that I have not enough ties with India.

Friend, could you please advise me how do I overcome this situation. I wish to reapply very soon because as per I-20 I have to report university before 24th August. I am planning to reappear either 22 to 26 July to test my luck. I think I could not convince her with my answers and so she give me 214(b).

Possible Reason for Rejections:

  • No a strong interview performance
  • Communication skills

Click here to read other F1 Visa Interview experiences.

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25 Comments

  1. Hello am Seedorf from Ghana
    I went f1 interview just this year 15August and I got rejected under 214 b.VO could hardly go through my documents.she took only my I-20 and asked me just 5 questions and then told me to go and reapply and come back for another interview again ?.
    This time I hv gotten another application with partial scholarship.how is my chance for getting it this time

  2. Your answers were not good.
    who is sponsoring, the answer should be simple my dad or mom. no long external family issue
    Why this university? talk about something special about the university. you can use any qualities of any university for your school because they do not know all the universities in USA. your answer was too long.
    What other programs you have applied?
    Me: Could you please repeat it, pardon, please come again. make the answer simple
    What other programs you have applied? you deviated from the question and give him schools
    Dont ever tell them you were rejected by a school. just say you are waiting for the admission decision.

    You didnt prepare well for the interview but you had a 90% chance with the graduate assistantship

  3. dude speak as less as possible. ur speech might sound rattofied. i got visa by just answering 5 one liner answers. with just 61aggt.

  4. yah dude…..my situation was same like you…VO asked me 4 basic question and without checking my documents he give me a white page is 214(b)…i can’t believe it cause he don’t ask to provide my documents and he just refused me..he asked me these question:
    which university?
    sponsor?
    fathers occupation?
    which high school?
    when i told him that my uncle is sponsoring me he just saw me like i am joking with him….
    and i saw that my counter which is no.5 ,in this counter 90%of visas are refused where another counter which is no.7 is 90% are approved …so i think i had bad luck to see him in the counter…

  5. Hi,

    I am also in similar situation. I had my visa interview at kolkatta on 18th for central michigan university. I have Graduate assistantship too and my funding was pretty strong.
    Vo why this collge?
    Because the courses offered in this collge matches my profile. I have good SAP foundation from my work and I want to build upon that foundation.

    VO: Can I see your marks sheet? Why backlogs
    (I had few backlogs in bbm and MBA) I had met with an accident but from my final year of MBA you can notice my marks are good. Also I did my SAP consultant certification two years back and scored really well. I have expirience of5 years. i explained her entire situation when she asked me why backlogs. she gave me rejection under 214g.

    I don’t know whether i should apply again or no? Can anybody suggest

  6. Hi fends ma self Amaan khan frm hyderabad
    ma VI is vent 4 only 30 sec
    vo:wch university
    me : i jus siad dis uni is 1 of the finest uni of united states he inturepted nd said do give me rember Ans. i said him sory itz nt na rember ans
    vo: i listen dis ans 25th tym frm morng
    me: i keep quit

    vo:hav u visited any other country
    me:no..
    he given me 214(b)

    by marking on Insufficient funds

    how can he give me this resne with out seeing ma documents…..
    plz Admin suggst me wht 2 do

  7. Hi friends even my VISA got rejected yeasterday 13th July at Hyderabad consulate. I felt so depressed. Everyone who went to counter no.12 got rejected. I think that counter is only meant for REJECTIONS. I was cool, confident and answered perfectly with convincingly.
    Immediately after my rejection am in a thought n felt that ‘there’d be some right to students to book a case/complaint against that VO ‘ but anyway we can’t do that. 🙁 🙁 🙁

    1. I am about to go for an interview in the embassy please give me advice because i don’t want to miss this chance. help me pliz am nervous

  8. Wow.. The same lady, blonde short hair, in counter no. 5 issued me visa today around 10:30 AM. She asked me just the 4 basic questions. I was rejected before under section 214(b) at delhi.

    1. Congrats Umak. Sent your experience. I was actually thinking about you few hours back, when I was reading another readers experience (who got visa).

  9. dude i have 24,000$(full tuition waiver)aid from NIU CS dept…i got reject…214b potential immigrant…gre 1270(800+470) toefl 103 aggr 66%…the vo said my visa approved n then suddenly taken back ….gave me a white paper n said sorry i can not issue u a visa..WTH

  10. same thing happend in my case also in chennai ,
    ther was no reason to reject,
    she said “i cannot process ur visa at this time ” and gave 214 g
    v hv to try again

  11. I feel that they simply say that 1 is not eligible based on immigration. It is like if the person does not like u, they can always say that. I know they will argue that they have qualified people who would not do that. but once I got rejected for back logs n 2nd time I took all the documents with me to show why I had backlogs(Sports, extracurriculars etc) but I made a mistake there,n the 3rd time around when I went for the visa, the lady had no reason to reject it. Infact after all the questions I felt she was going to approve it, but then I got too relaxed right there and she just gave me the immigration reason. I really wish it was not a girl, cos they could take out their personal frustration also. Something has to be done to anyways relax the rules, as one is paying a lot already, so they should not have to prove that they will come back. As one could successfully lie here and then get through, and someone who is truthful and is not able to lie may not be able to which is not fair. Or if they are really serious then they should track the students after they have completed their studies and not allow any thing after that.

    1. Hi KS……..you are right dude. Even my VISA got rejected yeasterday 13th July at Hyderabad consulate. I felt so depressed. Everyone who went to counter no.12 got rejected. I think that counter is only meant for REJECTIONS. I was cool, confident and answered perfectly with convincingly.
      Immediately after my rejection am in a thought n felt that ‘there’d be some right to students to book a case/complaint against that VO ‘ but anyway we can’t do that. 🙁 🙁 🙁

  12. Nevermind, sometimes it happens. Apply again and forget that it is yr 2nd time. Be confident this time she will not be there to your interview. Pls answer in short. All the best.

  13. In depth detail about universities, like professors and stuff don’t seem to be appreciated by the VO’s. If there’s something the university is famous for, mention that, something that the VO might be impressed with. Details just make it long and hard to hear for them. Apply again and make your answers shorter this time. Don’t ever mention coming back to India, if the VO doesn’t ask for it.

    Also HSB, you mentioned the wrong university at the top of the post, its SHSU according to the author.

  14. Well, i dont think anyone can give a very good reason, i think she was really pissed off for some other damn reason and it was just your bad luck. at times we cant find reasons behind these rejections, may be it was more of your bad luck then anything else and i think u should surely try once again.

  15. “VO:what other program you have applied?”

    Are you sure it’s program and not universities? If that’s so you may have answered otherwise. I’m not an expert so can’t say for sure.

    1. u right mayank,
      that answer beat my imaginations, VO ask for program u applied, and u answered based on the universities u applied, hmmm whatever we still learning. better luck next time dont give up until u get through.

  16. You messed up !!! Better luck next time

    You had talked lot why this university ? ( You should say It suits my profile )
    Be confident and Don’t be nervous

    All the best

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