F1 Visa Interview Experiences

Here’s How to Get F1 Visa for Low Ranked, Low Profile U.S. University

F1 visa low ranked university

Following F1 Visa Interview  experience was shared by HSB reader. Looks like this person applied for Low Ranked University.

Visa Officer even asked about the quality of the  University and advised  the person to transfer to better university.  Even though this experience is year old, there’s good deal of information to be learned from this.

Read through this interview. I have added my comments about the interview in the end.

 

  • Date of Visa Interview: First week of May 2013
  • Course Applied for: MS in Information Assurance in a low tier school.
  • Admission : 13 May 2013 Date when a Decision was made to study In USA: 14 Feb 2013

More Facts before we begin:

  • Applied through: Self (No Consultancy)
  • Date when GRE was taken: April 01,2013 TOEFL was taken: April 14, 2013
  • GRE Score: 300/340 TOEFL Score: 100/120
  • Amount specified in I20: $23k approx

Steps before Visa Interview:

  1. As soon as you receive I20, Complete and pay SEVIS fees.
  2. Complete DS-160 form, print DS-160 confirmation page and Visa Fees payment form (to pay the visa interview fees in Axis Bank or DRUK Punjab National Bank)
  3. Schedule visa interview as per your location
  4. I think scheduling VI in a location as prescribed by US Consulate eliminates element of doubt and works in your favor even if you have to apply in a highly scrutinizing location like Chennai.
  5.  Visa Interview date should be scheduled atleast a day after scheduling appointment at Stanley to submit finger prints and photo.

As advised by many students on HSB, I purchased a multi-packet folder and arranged documents in the following order.

  • 1st pouch: DS-160 Confirmation, SEVIS Payment receipt, I-20, Online GRE and TOEFL results
  • 2nd Pouch: Acceptance letter from University
  • 3rd Pouch: Financial documents – CA Statement, Bank Pass books, Fixed deposit statements
  • 4th Pouch: Printouts from IBM and TCS showing their plans to invest in a particular technology
  • 5th Pouch: Other photocopies of fixed deposits that have been cancelled to locate sufficient funds to meet the amount reflected in I-20.

As the plan to study in USA was taken only a couple of months ago, I had no other admits from any University except this one.

Here My F1 Visa Interview experience:

Arrived in Chennai on the day of my interview. Then my friend picked me up, the refreshed and got ready for the interview.

I wore a suit for the interview despite the hot Chennai summer.

My interview was on a Friday at 09:30 AM and I arrived at the consulate at around 09:15 am.

In ten minutes time we were all let into the Consulate.

After a couple of on-screen Optical Marker readings we were let inside the consulate.

As soon as we entered I was allocated a window number 15 and I stood in line as the next one to be interviewed. I really thought that this is another queue for some screening and stood at ease.

While I looked at the next  window, I realized that this was a visa interview as every one of them in the queue were issued a visa.

As the current person in my queue moved out after receiving his visa approval, I was waiting to be called in.

Visa Interview Questions and Answers

VO: Hi, How are you doing?
Me: Hello Officer, Pretty Good sir.

VO: please pass me your passport
Me: Good Morning (I was crazy I know) – passed my passport

VO: Pass me on your documents please (I passed on the documents that were attached together in one of the previous screens I-20, GRE and TOEFL online marksheets, DS-160 confirmation)
VO: University of ** **, I have never heard of any such University?
Me: Perhaps they are located just besides the famous American university

Vo: Do they have any tie-ups between them?
Me: (I never knew anything about it) They do not have any tie-ups but certainly do have an understanding where by students are encouraged to attend classes in other university’s environment and share the facilities mutually.

VO: So you are going to study Computer Science?
Me: Yes

Vo: What other Universities have you applied to?
Me: University of North Dakota, University of Cincinnati, Colorado State University

VO: Any admits?
Me: Uni of Cincinnati is awaiting  my TOEFL  scores to consider my application..

VO: Why did you choose this University  then?
Me: While I decided to do my masters 6 months before, I began shortlist universities based on curriculum that facilitated hands on skills, non research based classes – I ended up with the universities that I have applied to. As returning to India post graduation is my motive, a better return on Investment with this University influenced my final decision.

VO: What were you doing in UK before ? (as the passport had UK work visa stamps)
Me: I was working in a Bank.

VO: what was your designation and how long have you been working for?
Me: I was working for a year and as an Analyst

VO: How much experience do you have in total?
Me: I have around 2 years.

VO: OK bear with me for a second – (took my documents and closed the window – FAKE SCORE CHECK as mine were online score results for GRE and TOEFL – I was the last person that was being interviewed in this window. I was desperate and prayed all the gods to come to my rescue.)

VO: (Returns after 10 minutes and began typing continuously without bothering me a second look – I was scared to the core thinking about a visa refusal and after a couple of minutes..)

VO: How are you planning to pay your fees?
Me: A part through my savings and a part through my father.

VO: (Keeps typing.. Looks at me in the eye and takes my passport in his hand) You seem like a genuine student to me. You know frankly speaking this doesn’t sound like a great University that your profile is worth. Please bear in mind that you can switch Universities should you receive offers from other Universities and I will suggest you to do so. I approve your visa however.

Me: Thanks Officer – I am planning to commence my journey next Friday will the visa arrive by this time?

VO: You should receive an email sometime next week.
Me: Thanks Again –

Two minutes after this conversation I was outside the consulate – Was scared whether he might call me back and cancel the visa issued.

I am in USA at the moment – getting started on my courses. I’m yet to see what it is like here is USA to what it is perceived to be.

Why I Got My F1 Visa Approval?

  1. I wrote GRE and TOEFL, though my University did not have any such requirement. Plus higher scores helps.
  2. Casually added the words that reflected my intention to return to India.
  3. My prayers were answered. Sometimes you feel this especially when you return from UK in April and get your visa in May.

Thanks HSB, Thanks to my friends who worked with me every day through this stressful period.

Thanks to my parents and family members for the support.

Raghu Says

Congrats on your visa approval. I think reason you got the visa was due to the impression you had created with your confidence, answers, appearance and approach.  You could have got F1 approval based on your overall genuine personality with any other university as well. This proves that quality of university plays a small role, if you have other factors to impress visa officer.

I hope you are having good time here in U.S.A.

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10 Comments

  1. I have GRE score of 287, i am worried to be rejection for F1 due to low GRE score, i am pretty confident of a good TOEFL score, though my university clearly states it does not need GRE. I am worried of the F1 rejection, please advise.

  2. Name = M.S.S.Bhargav,
    Qualification = B.Tech and M.Tech
    Work Experience = 4 years as Assistant Professor
    GRE Score = 289
    IELTS Score = 7.0
    University = University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

    Teaching Assistantship Awarded

    I got rejected on 28-12-2015 at hyderabad consulate. The reason is “VO asked me about the tuition fee Structure (he asked me twice)”. Which i mentioned wrong “I told 34022$ for two years instead of saying 68044$ for two years” (it happened because of the tensed environment present there – exactly i know the answer).

    Even after VO asked me the same question for the second time, i could not even identify the mistake i have done and instead answered the same question with same wrong answer.

    I am going to face another visa interiew at chennai consulate on 04-04-2016i.ie, tomarrow.
    Can you help me guys if the VO asks me

    What went wrong during last visa appointment?
    What changes have done in your documentation this time?

    can you help me in this regard?

  3. I am from bangladesh. I completed my ssc with 5 and hsc with 4 and ielts 5 . now I found bechalor cse program in south seattle college in washington. I applied and they offered me 2+2 years university transfer program. my uncle is funding for study in us. his annual income is 288440 dollars. his savings has 123498 dollars. he completed i34 form behalflf on me and in form he has written that he intend to support by 3000 dollars per month for school payment. he gave solvency cirtificate of his savings account and his income tax. I got admission letter of us school’s and i20. is there something else I need? now how should I be prepare for the interview?

  4. I am applying for MS in USA for spring 2016 intake! however, i have not received the replies from the university… I need to know when is the best time for me to start applying for the visas?

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