F1 Visa Interview Experiences

F1 Visa Rejected Under Potential Immigrant 214(b)

Following comment was posted by Divya at F1 Visa Denied under 214(b).

Sir, my F1 visa for rejected on 19th July, here is what happened at the Consulate:
Me: Good Morning!
VO: Nodded sarcastically (i didn’t expect this)

VO: You working?
Me: Yes

VO: Where?
Me: XXX

VO: Where have you studied in India?
Me: XXX College under Panjab University

VO: Which program you going for now?
Me: Master of Arts in Economics

VO: Which university?
Me: XX State University, CA

VO: Which other universities in the US?
Me: XX University, Nevada (Got admit from both)

VO: Why these 2 universities?
Me: Coz i liked the programs offered (MA Economics in CA, MS Finance in NV)

VO: These programs are offered in 100s of universities in the US, why you chose only these 2?
Me: The course curriculum was as per my needs

VO: Sorry, you are not qualified for the VISA!
Me: Why?

VO: (Hands over a booklet to me) Read this, it will give you information about the US!

That booklet gave the reason that it was denied under sec 214b as i was not able to prove that i am NOT a potential immigrant.

I am really very upset.. I had never thought that mine would be denied.. I feel that I screwed up at the VO’s sarcastic tone..

But I was also not prepared for this answer. The actual reason i chose that university is because of the weather as I hate cold weather and weather in California is the best, another actual reason was that my first cousin stays there. I did not want to disclose the 2nd reason and I felt that if I talk about the weather, they might not be convinced enough.

Moreover, both these universities are in the same area, so they would have thought that I have some relative in that location.

Please suggest me what to do, I am not a potential immigrant, I do not want to stay in the US, my fiance is in Canada and that’s where I would be going after completing my Masters.

Secondly, I did not mention during the interview that I had applied for 3 universities in Canada (none accepted). Should i mention this in the next interview? What answer should i give if they ask me that weather in and around Toronto (where i had applied) is also very cold, and why did you apply on to CA and NV!!!
Another mistake i committed was that I did not mention about the scholarship that i have got but they never asked about this, nor did i get any chance to say that, the interview lasted hardly for 30 secs.

Similar Posts

36 Comments

  1. help me everyone can i get visa to usa if i choose only devry university .. And am from nigeria .what is your advice ..because i heard vo rejects visa even by looking at the university you choose.pls help me

  2. My f1 visa is expired ,I have come to india for renewal of my visa and has been rejected twice under 214(b).my graduation is on completion,for that I need more 6 month ,but they r not providing it..I m very very frustrated..they r not providing the proper reason for rejection…pls help me friend…my whole carrier is on that visa…..pls friend suggest me something so that I can get over to this…

  3. Although the original poster may be gone long back, but I think this is where he/she lost the visa. This answer sounds like ‘I don’t know, those were the first 2 names i found or my friends suggested me’

    VO: Why these 2 universities?
    Me: Coz i liked the programs offered (MA Economics in CA, MS Finance in NV)
    VO: These programs are offered in 100s of universities in the US, why you chose only these 2?
    Me: The course curriculum was as per my needs

  4. hello sir,
    I had my interview yesterday. The vo didn’t ask any question except which university are u going for? The vo didn’t grant even a single visa at my interview time.Now i want to re-apply do i have any chances of getting visa?The university i applied is for NPU. Reply as soon as possible…

    1. same happened with me HE dint ask me any docs AND financial docs but rejected under 214(b) just because i am going for NPU he dint gave me chance to say reason he though that i will be working they full time as they are plenty of jobs. very bad HYD CONSULATE they don’t give chance to talk at all

      1. Hi guys,
        I was wondering,
        If you wanna reapply, would you prefer to go to the US Embassy in the same country which you got rejected or a new one. If the answer is the new one, wouldn’t they ask you:
        Why you didn’t go to the same Embassy?
        Why you were rejected the first time?
        Will you tell them that it’s your second time applying?

  5. I also have the same problem, I told the VO that I choose my University because of its small class size of 17:1 and also I didn’t really know why am denied. But he just said I am sorry you don’t qualify for a USA visa…..

  6. HI,
    This is Manasi. I was suppose to go to Tyler university but my F1 visa got rejected twice under 214(b) section , the reason was potential immigrant to US , in my first interview they asked me detailed info about my brother(he is in US) and in second interview they didnt asked me anything related to my brother only 4- 5 simple questions, still my visa got rejected. Please let me know if i should apply again for third time or wait and defer admission for spring ie in Jan, is it good applying third time. your suggestions will be of utmost importance.please reply

    1. What are those 4-5 questions
      And what was ur response … Plz reply

      I’m in ur shoe now …plz reply…

  7. Please am applying for F-1 Visa as an Undergraduate Student here in my Country NIGERIA..My Appointment date is February 2nd,2011….I have been given an Undergraduate admission for the Summer Term at University Of South Carolina ( B.SC Computer Science )with FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP..I have a 1423 in my SAT Critical Reading & Mathematics… Please sir am in need of all the likely Interview question and how to answer them correctly…

    Best Regards

    Teju Oye

    NIGERIA

    1. hi teju, sorry I am asking for something different. I have an fi visa, but i am looking for scholarship. do u have any suggestion.

  8. hi,

    I had my F1 interview a week ago.

    I was confident and all papers in place.

    The blunder I made was, I have been recently engaged and my fiance is in same city, which I told to my counslor.

    I told this, coz I thought this is the best bet to justify why did i choose this university.

    What I did not tell the Visa officer was that my Fiance is a medical resident on J1 Visa and we both plan to get back to our home country when our courses get over.

    I actually did not anticipate to get a rejection.

    he asked me what does he do I said he is a medical resident (Didnt specify his Visa status)

    If I wish to apply again, with a letter from him ,stating we both wish to come back will it help?

    But, what if he does not ask me nothing regarding my fiances staus etc.

    Is there some suggestion, to mend my stupidity??

    Please help

    P.S. I cant wish to apply for J2 Visa before an year , and I wish to start my course soon.

  9. hello sir ,

    this is sirisha….

    my f1 visa got rejected last week ….

    could u help me for the next time sir!!!

    i dont know what to improve in my case

    my visa got rejected under214(b) act …

    so please help me sir!!!

  10. Can somebody help me out with this, do u hav to tell the consular that u hav relatives leaving in the states though they do good jobs?

  11. Sir, i was rejected twice in the month of july i.e,,6th and 15th at hyd consulate my vi went like this for fall 2010

    me::good mrng mam

    Vi:gm,pass ur docums…

    vi:which univ?

    me:North West missouri state university

    Vi:why this univ

    me:told

    Vi:kk why r u doing masters?

    me: told

    Vi:whats ur gre score?

    me:1010

    Vi:whats ur aggr

    me:69%

    vi:do u have any backlogs?

    me: no mam its nil

    Vi:kk do u any siblings?

    me: yes mam,two elder sisters and both are married.one sister is working in hdfc and one sister in State govt

    Vi:kk who is sponsoring you?

    me:My mom

    Vi:kk what she does?

    Me:she is working in army since 18 years she is an cent govt employee,and her annual income is 3.5 laks and our familys annual income is 8.4 laks mam also i am availing 15 laks loan .

    Vi:kk wat abt ur father?

    Me:he is an ex service man,he died in army mam..

    Vi: k can i see ur memos

    Me:sure .

    Vi: sry Sir i cant vissue visa.

    i dnt knw what went wrong here

    during my 2nd vi he simply rejected Me stating that my profile is not good,i was shocked because he has not even asked me a single question.By scanning my passport he simply told that ur already rejected in the last week and u can not apply for the 2nd time with in a week in emergency slot,U have broke the System rules sir.

    But i told sir but the system is accepting when i am blocking the dates in Emergecny slot.then he replied sry sir u profile too not good i cant issue u visa.I was shocked by his words.”What does he mean My profile is not good means?”

    I dont have any backolgs and i am having 70% with 1010 gre score.Having two sisters means Does he think i am a potential immigrant?

  12. Sir, i was rejected twice in the month of july i.e,,6th and 15th at hyd consulate my vi went like this for fall 2010

    me::good mrng mam

    Vi:gm,pass ur docums…

    vi:which univ?

    me:North West missouri state university

    Vi:why this univ

    me:told

    Vi:kk why r u doing masters?

    me: told

    Vi:whats ur gre score?

    me:1010

    Vi:whats ur aggr

    me:69%

    vi:do u have any backlogs?

    me: no mam its nil

    Vi:kk do u any siblings?

    me: yes mam,two elder sisters and both are married.one sister is working in hdfc and one sister in State govt

    Vi:kk who is sponsoring you?

    me:My mom

    Vi:kk what she does?

    Me:she is working in army since 18 years she is an cent govt employee,and her annual income is 3.5 laks and our familys annual income is 8.4 laks mam also i am availing 15 laks loan .

    Vi:kk wat abt ur father?

    Me:he is an ex service man,he died in army mam..

    Vi: k can i see ur memos

    Me:sure .

    Vi: sry Sir i cant vissue visa.

    i dnt knw what went wrong here

    during my 2nd vi he simply rejected Me stating that my profile is not good,i was shocked because he has not even asked me a single question.By scanning my passport he simply told that ur already rejected in the last week and u can not apply for the 2nd time with in a week in emergency slot,U have broke the System rules sir.

    But i told sir but the system is accepting when i am blocking the dates in Emergecny slot.then he replied sry sir u profile too not good i cant issue u visa.I was shocked by his words."What does he mean My profile is not good means?"

    I dont have any backolgs and i am having 70% with 1010 gre score.Having two sisters means Does he think i am a potential immigrant?

  13. Hi,
    I had an Interview on 5th Aug. 2010.

    VO: Good Morning
    Me: Goood Morning

    VO: Name
    ME: ABC

    VO: Name of college
    ME: RIT

    VO: For which course u r going sir?
    ME: Hospital and health care facilities admin. MS

    VO: how many uni. u applied for?
    ME: 4

    VO: name them
    ME: rit,unh, msu, national

    VO: Wat's ur GRE score ?
    ME: Sir, my school does not require GRE for this course…..

    VO: Looking into my I-20

    VO: when u receivd ur bachlor's?
    ME: 2006

    VO: wat u doing since last 3 years?
    ME: i said i was working in wholesale medical stor for 3 years and from last one year i m wokring in hospital.

    VO: can correlate the subjects u going to study and how it will help u ?
    ME: i named 4 subjects and explained about one sub and also told i m dealing with subject but then i after stopped and still VO looking at me ….

    VO: Based upon this Conversation i cannot grant ur visa

    ME: Thank You, Have a Nice Day

    VO: Turned Off by rotating his chair….

  14. Hello sir,

    My visa was rejected twice at delhi consulate. My college's orientation starts on 22nd of Aug 2010 and i have to be before that , at least a week before so as to enroll for classes and make arrangements for my accommodation. I have applied for my new visa appointment at Mumbai consulate on 11 aug 2010 as i was not getting any date before 22nd august at delhi and mumbai was having a date of 11 aug. The VFS site says you must have a proper reason to tell why you are changing your consular district and giving it from any other place. Do you think its a good reason as it is my exact true condition, plz reply soon.

  15. Not trying to be too harsh or offending, but your very profile provided all the cues for the VO to reject you under 214b.

    Come on, "Coz i liked the programs offer", what kind of answer is that. Do you assume that "liking" a degree program is just sufficient to fortify your chances of getting a visa. You must have prepared an answer that would accentuate your real interest in the program and something that would prove you also spent considerable time in researching about those schools. You must have explained the reasons for your "liking" rather than merely stating it

    Secondly, "The course curriculum was as per my needs" , again what are your needs ? And how was it aligned with your needs. Yes, I agree the interview session don't last more than a minute, but be aware that whatever you speak in those 60 seconds will ultimately result in your getting a visa or being denied one. You got to be very careful ,thoughtful and watchful because even 1% doubt in VO's mind is sufficient to kill your chances of getting visa. Common sense would tell you that you can't be all the above in those 60 seconds and hence a good preparation of answers would have helped.

    IMHO, the VO didn't ask anything new or tricky. The interview seems to be plain and simple.

    Also I beg to differ that it wasn't the VO's sarcasm rather your unpreparedness that screwed the day for you.

    My humble suggestion is that don't waste your time re-appearing for interview with the same admits. If that is inevitable, then do considerable research about the schools, their curriculum before the interview. My sincere advise is that unless you are hell bent in studying in the States for a genuine reason (and for the love of God, please don't even think of "inclement weather" as a genuine reason) don't apply. I would rather apply for Canadian schools, they are by no means inferior to those in the US. And moreover your ultimate aim is to live or rather be in close touch with your fiance.

    Good luck and God Bless

  16. Hey Divya, you did not screw up, I think the main point is that you got a grumpy employee which resulted in the negative visa answer. I believe you answered all the questions to the point. You must try again.

  17. I think that your VISA decision was made before hand otherwise there is no need to be sarcastic from the beginning of the interview. I guess that some of your family members are permanent residents of USA or green card holders which would convince the interviewer that you will be following them.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *