Longing Dream of Pursuing MS in US is Almost Over
My life is ruined and a longing dream of pursuing Master’s in US has almost gone kaput.
I have been rejected by US Consulate-New Delhi twice for F-1 Visa.
I have been rejected as the ‘potential immigrant’ both the times and neither I fumbled with my answers, nor nervous or produced long answers. I maintained perfect eye contact and smiled at VO appropriately. Learned from mistakes I made 1 time and did everything which I possibly but luck played a real hard ball both the times. Even VO was smiling and kinda impressed with my answers but things took different turn.
I want to reapply but some says if rejected for third time as well, it all over for ever.
I need your advise and need to know what should I possibly do in this situation. I am really tensed up these days and can’t think straight. Please help in despair.
– HSB Reader
F1 Visa 214(b) Rejection
- I have seen students get visa 3rd time around.
- You haven’t mentioned about the mistake you did during first interview.
- Did you address the mistake (substantially)?
- 214(b) Potential Immigrant shows you have not proven strong ties back to the home country. Which means you need to solve that problem. Again, your email doesn’t provide further details to see what could have gone wrong.
Read this F1 Visa Interview – 214(b) Rejection 3 Times learn from your mistakes and from others.
Life is not ruined because visa is rejected. Life is a journey and education in USA a stopover in your journey. If not USA, then consider other countries. Australia revamped their immigration policy to welcome skilled workers. Of-course you can apply for Canada too.
Before you think about other countries, have hope, make sure you don’t make the same mistake 3rd time.
Update – Visa Experience 2
Sorry I didn’t mentioned my interview experience here. Please have a look at it. I am posting the HSB link for the 1 VI (I week of May 2011).
Second visa experience: (3rdweek of June 2011)
Me: Good Morning Sir! How are you?
VO: GM! m good. How are you?
Me: I m fine, thank you.VO: So which University?
Me: Georgia State University.VO: How many univ you applied to?
Me: 6VO: Names?
Me: told him.VO: …and how many got accepted from?
Me: from 5 of them except from GWU.VO: What was your GRE score?
Me: 1200 sir.VO: Why GSU?
Me: flexibility of the program and researches going in my concentration are really excellent.VO: What do you mean by the flexibility of the program?
Me: Sir, Univ offers 5 concentrations and one can choose them as per his interests.VO: But that would be in other univ as well?
Me: No sir but no disrespect but none of my other univ offers such kind of program structure.VO: So if concentration was so important, I think you applied to wrong universities?
Me: I computed all my options wisely. Research work and curriculum also matters to me equivalently.VO: Sorry I can’t grant you visa.
Me: [was still calm and composed till now and still was] may I know the reason for my rejection?VO: Me and my colleague who interviewed you earlier don’t think that your prime intentions for going to US is for studies.
Me: [in a very polite manner] Sir, how can I make you believe that my sole intention for application are for nothing but studies.
VO: okay but you can apply next time but I would advise you to take your time, though you can apply whenever you want but take some time until your conditions improve. you can apply for programs in other countries.
I know I made a mistake but the real question is, How can I improve this?
I know people who got it in 3/4 time but it’s useless unless I improve the condition. Can someone please help me to analyze it and tell how to present it differently III time.
Also, I am planning to book III slot in II half of July 2011. Would it a good enough gap?
PS: my program starts on Aug 22, 2011.
Hi, My nephew appeared for F1 interview twice from Chennai Consulate ( he is residing in Bangalore). Is there any bar in appearing for the third time? Should there be a time gap between the last rejection and the fresh application? Is he permitted to appear from another consulate, say, Hyderabad? An immediate response will be helpful. Thanks
Krishnan
@ N S Krishnan
No there is no bar. one may give as many attempts as he likes. applicants being rejected twice would have to pick dates from entirely different slot though. ideally there should be a gap between last rejection and fresh application but its not something which a rule book says, just the VO might ask him what has changed in this duration. he is permitted to appear from any consulate of his choice but this won’t affect his case a bit. but again arises another ques: reason for changing the consulate.
regards
(May peace be upon you)
Do not worry about this. I know it was your dream. It hurts. Hurts bad. But would you rather feel hurt this way than to actually get physically hurt. Suppose you were working at a gas station and someone shot you (has happened before) or suppose you were going somewhere and a group of people came and hurt you – and you would be like a dead body lying on the road in the United States of America (has happened before too). I know this is probably not what you want to hear, but I am just trying to show you the other side of the coin. Try looking at it.
Thank you
Thank you
Hey Brad
Just want to ask you a teeny tiny ‘lil question:
ARE YOU CRAZY OR PSYCHO??
if not then you are like the worst pessimist guy ever!!
PS: if my ultimate fate would be lying on the street being shot by some hoodlum. well, it can pretty much happen in any part of the world!! WTF US has to do with it!!
*superlyk! đŸ˜€
“flexibility of the program” is not an answer they would settle for. Most US Univs offer elective courses and “flexibility of the program” unlike Indian Univs and this does not distinguish your selected Univ from others. You need to distinguish your univ and at the same time make sure you don’t say anything bad about US education or Indian Education or the rest of the Univs.
If going to a US university for higher education is a dream for most of you…you must reflect on what efforts have you put in to realise this dream?
The preparation starts much earlier than you actual application process and if you prepare well..things will definitely fall in place
Graduate study is a serious business in the US and no casual approach can put you there!
One more introspection is that are you capable of qualifying to enter a top indian college/university? Or would you not mind settling into a lower grade university in a lesser state within India?
VO officer is not sitting to shatter your dreams but to ensure that only genuine ,serious and qualified individuals enter US
Sorry but you picked an un-ranked university, that was the first red flag for the VO. Always try to stay inside the top 150, which are considered Tier 1. If you opt for an unranked university, well even I would think twice before giving you the visa.
Hi,
i request you to keep your hopes high,its not the end of the road USA is just a part of your dream,try 3rd time,i can understand your feeling because my visa too got rejected twice under same category,in mumbai consulate but i am still aplying,if rejected this time too i have canada as an option..al the very best to you.
@Sheetal
Thanks for the post. Since we are in the same boat, I was hoping if we can exchange views on it. Just a thought. If you agree, please let me know.
Regards
Hi Apoorv and Sheetal,
I sharing the same roof of rejection-dejection, I cant handle it too seriously now after wasting such high energy and efforts. I have my 3rd attempt in Mumbai on 14th July, have already been dumped twice on 3rd June and 14th June. This time I have changed my university, as the VO concluded that there was no any change in my application from past, god forbid but if it is refused for the 3rd time…i’ll definitely file a refund of 21k+9k SEVIS fee as well…..LOL
Hi Kashyap
Sorry to hear about your rejections. I know exactly how you would be feeling. I am no expert at this but dude you made mistake which I can point out:
– There wasn’t much gap b/w the previous appointments. Probably that’s why VO said your condition/situation hasn’t changed.
besides, changing a university would definitely reflect that you are a potential immigrant and just want to enter US. In my humble opinion, you should rather spend some time in analyzing mistakes you made previously but that’s my opinion.
Very good luck for the next time and I wish you do get the visa.
Regards
hello, freind u have misconception that if you have been rejected thrice its all over… there is nothing like that, i have seen many people getting visa 5th time 7 th time…… so dont worry try hard ull deffinetly get visa
DUDE…COME TO KOLKATA…AND GIVE YOUR VI..ITS SO EASY TO GET IT FROM HERE..AND PEOPLE ARE REALLY NICE HERE..AND LESS QUESTIONS..LESS RUSH….DUDE.. DNT LET YOUR CONFIDENCE FLAG… BEST OF LUCK.. I WILL STRONGLY SUGGEST KOLKATA..CONSULATE.
If you got caught lying in US Consulate, you are not getting visa in any consulate in the world.
My visa got rejected last week due to my low gre score (900) and I have toefl (100).
I got i20 in Stevens institute of technology for pharmaceutical manufacturing. I applied for 4 and got 2 other is LIU.
I have 68% in my ug and no backlogs everything went perfect initially at last he asked me my gre and toefl.
I explained him that it was a bad day for me and I was panic and I don’t have touch with quants during my ug and +2 but he pushed out my passport and said better luck next time.
Pls guys help me…… For my nxt interview…
It is important that you must demonstrate significant seriousness in pursuing a Master’s from the chosen US University.
There are hundreds of them in USA and not all of them are splendid.
If you must opt to go to USA for Higher education-an aptitude towards research has to be a pre-requisite and aim must be to target the tier-1 or at the most tier-2 universities which fairly match your interests and potential
Once this is done-that is your aspirations are aligned with selection-the visa interview would be a cakewalk
unfortunately most of applicants are not sure of their needs,aspirations,goals and hence keep fighting with temselves to somehow reach there.
Genuine aspirants will be successful…no matter what
Also..just on the sidelines..most of you write poor english with disjointed thoughts..it in many ways is a reflection of clarity/or lack of it in your goals
Dude don’t worry . I have worst profile than you ,but I got visa. Only think you should need more confident and prepare well in interview . I was preparing one month for interview. ( Confident , Eye contact ,Well dress , Documentation , Way of answering are playing important role there)
****Even I am not happy with your answers
If I were you at your position in Visa
Me: Good Morning Sir! How are you? (Need eye contact with confident n well dressed )
VO: GM! m good. How are you?
Me: I m fine, thank you.( I am doing good is better than I am fine)
VO: So which University?
Me: Georgia State University.
VO: How many univ you applied to?
Me: I have applied 6
VO: Names?
Me: told him.(Correct)
VO: …and how many got accepted from?
Me: I have got admission from 5 (Name those univ)
VO: What was your GRE score?
Me: 1200 ( You have excellent GRE score dude , Mine 1030,but I said VO proudly I got 1030)
VO: Why GSU?
Me: Attraction on choosing GSU is that is public university, more over syllabus completely suits my profile , another advantage university gives independent on choosing research program depends on student on choice so i have chosen GSU
( You have talked about flexibility :Almost all university programs are flexible . It is a negative part )
You went wrong from here
( I guess you have lack of confident , Once again i would like to tell you , I have worst profile than you but I had lot of confident because I feel that I am genuine student also I was wearing suit .First impression is the best impression so wear well dress which give you confident better luck ext time .Don’t give up)
@Ron
Thanks for the input dude…
I’ll surely keep these points in mind the next time I apply.
don’t west time and mony coming USA for education, try some IT company ,get work visa , when you come on H1 , you don’t need MS work, still if you want to do MS you can do it
That waht I did , After Bsc , I was woking in IT , got H1 from Bomay co, come to USA in 95
Do you think coming to US via H1 these days is easy?
I strongly go with Punja & agree with her.
If you prove in your company & stand apart from others u will definitely come to USA.
even though H1 has become tough they are still approving H1.
Lot of my friends came to USA with H1 only.
so cheer up
Well Wisher and Punja, you are missing the point, its not just about being in States for most of us HSB readers. Its the quality of Education provided their, flexibility of courses, the learing, world class faculty, the exposure, the UNIVERSITY LIFE EXPERIENCE as a whole that attracts us to this country which cannot be compared with majority of the Univesities in India.
And if his intention is not going to US for this but to just migrate then dont you think the VOs are bang on with their Job.
P.S: No Offence Punja but reading what you’ve typed I have my reservations about you being in US and having worked their. And Wellwisher trust me, a saying in US goes, particularly for Indians, that the most unreliable source of Information is FRIENDS. Trust HSB, getting into US directly with a H1 is not an easy Job.
Life is not ruined because visa is rejected. Life is a journey and education in USA a stopover in your journey. I’m in US now.I’m not seeing anything BIG in waisting ur time . Try Canada. thats also a good choice. Also if u have atleast 1 yr exp, u can apply for canada Immigration , U can study and work in this visa. No restrictions.
All the best
More over in canada u can get permanent residence sooner & citizenship also when compared to USA
Hey HSB
Sorry I didn’t mentioned my interview experience here. Please have a look at it. I am posting the HSB link for the 1 VI (I week of May 2011).
Link for 1 VI: http://www.happyschoolsblog.com/f1-visa-rejected-reasons/#comment-121748
—————————————————————————
II visa experience: (III week of June 2011)
Me: Good Morning Sir! How are you?
VO: GM! m good. How are you?
Me: I m fine, thank you.
VO: So which University?
Me: Georgia State University.
VO: How many univ you applied to?
Me: 6
VO: Names?
Me: told him.
VO: …and how many got accepted from?
Me: from 5 of them except from GWU.
VO: What was your GRE score?
Me: 1200 sir.
VO: Why GSU?
Me: flexibility of the program and researches going in my concentration are really excellent.
VO: What do you mean by the flexibility of the program?
Me: Sir, Univ offers 5 concentrations and one can choose them as per his interests.
VO: But that would be in other univ as well?
Me: No sir but no disrespect but none of my other univ offers such kind of program structure.
VO: So if concentration was so important, I think you applied to wrong universities?
Me: I computed all my options wisely. Research work and curriculum also matters to me equivalently.
VO: Sorry I can’t grant you visa.
Me: [was still calm and composed till now and still was] may I know the reason for my rejection?
VO: Me and my colleague who interviewed you earlier don’t think that your prime intentions for going to US is for studies.
Me: [in a very polite manner] Sir, how can I make you believe that my sole intention for application are for nothing but studies.
VO: okay but you can apply next time but I would advise you to take your time, though you can apply whenever you want but take some time until your conditions improve. you can apply for programs in other countries.
———————————————————————-
I know I made a mistake but the real question is, How can I improve this? I know people who got it in 3/4 time but it’s useless unless I improve the condition. Can someone please help me to analyze it and tell how to present it differently III time.
Also, I am planning to book III slot in II half of July 2011. Would it a good enough gap?
PS: my program starts on Aug 22, 2011.
Hai..
nw i realise, it is too late for me nw…I am 2011 passed out student…i am passionate and have a strong desire to pursue my Masters in abroad…i was applied my passport day back…and have a plan to write my GRE in month of August or September dint yet booked my date…most important one is I need to go for January intake 2011 in good university…bt new pattern is nw a big prob for me..the results willnot announce on same day and consultants told that the results will be declared in month of November or december if i write in Aug or Sep….when dec is deadline most of univs..?? how can i get rid of this prob…??..I need another answer is any good universities in US or UK which offer MS for 10 lakhs for coursework..I need a financial assistance !!!
I ain’t interested to delay my career for one more year..!!!
Kindly help me out..!!!
hey I am a 2009 batch student and had been working for 2 yrs and going for my Masters this year. Do you one thing, when i decided to masters around December 2009 the deadline for most univs are over ( i didnt had my GRE or TOEFL by that time), then i planned accordingly to apply for fall 2011, i took GRE in July , TOEFL in August and applied to univs according to their deadline. I had planned this for more than a year , never lose hope . Moreover Work exp will do impact your profile and give you a idea about industry so that you can choose your univs according to your interests . My profile was greatly improved by my work experience.
Don’t give up hope and keep trying.Consider Canada as an alternative.Still better, marry someone who holds a US citizenship.
poor guy. America is a country of non-sense and senseless people live there. U dnt become a fool n try 4other countries. I have gone to US and came back. India is a developing country, so u develop india by staying right here and bring that a’merica to india then we’l teach them what we are. United india lol
In complete complete accord with you my friend.
Well rejection on that case in which this poster mentioned is generally in few cases:
1. You haven’t applied to many Univ/any good Univ, they seem to think you are not serious and if you have a relative in US, it gets worse
2. You choose a lower reputed University over a high reputed Univ and not able to satisfy them( I saw a guy getting rejected on edulix who choose Univ of Texas Dallas over Univ of Massachusetts, Amherst). Relative of course makes it worse.
3. If you have good Univ, then VI is piece of Cake. Say to them Cornell, Harvard or any good Ivy League College, the VI officers are not themselves in position to reject your VISA.
Lastly confidence,eye contact and smile.
Do more research, if they ask why this Univ, say to them course work, tell about any Prof who is outstanding in that Univ, try to convince him.
All the Best
Anyone going to Oklahoma state university for fall 2011 wants accommodation partner please let me know.
hi I am rejected once in my VI and i am applying again do by any means the VO will get to know my previous answers do they have any records because i am planning to change my ans.
How to persuade/prove that you have a strong tie to the home country and you will surely come back after completing your studies. Can we show that our parents have handsome amt of money and property so we are willing to come back. Most of the students get rejected for this reason, so HSB please guide us.
of course, you have to show them money, property and business and its worth or in short a CA statement.
But dude once again i will say, no one cares about your returning or not if you are going to good Univ.
My friends have given VI of TAMU, Cornell, NCSU. UMass and believe me i had not heard anything from them not getting VISA.
Even i knew a person who was on 20 lacs loan at Cornell, VI asked him about such heavy loan and he said he would get some experience in US. and then return.
So i believe when you say the name of Univ you are goin to attend which Univ, your 80% work is done there itself.
If not that good Univ, pursue them anything. It should seem you have good idea about Univ. Avoid words like “I think”, “people/seniors say it is good Univ”, “It seems to me” and please never say it is one of best Univ if you know it is not, you can say that XYZ prof is doing great work there.you had talked to him, mail some of the prof, and keep those mail ready with you.
All the Best