Answers to 3 Most Important F1 Visa Interview Questions

The most important way to ace the Student Visa interview for the U.S.A. is to Plan, Prepare, and Practice.

There are over 100 F1 Visa interview questions that a consular officer could ask you during the interview. Or you may be one of the lucky few who can get the Student visa stamp in your passport without a single question.

Here are the most puzzling three Student visa questions for the USA that you could be asked during the F1 Visa Interview by Visa Officer.

• Why Study in America?
• Why do you want to study in this university?
• What is your plan after completing this degree?

1. Why Study in America

There’s another article on how to answer the exact same question – 2 Most common F1 Visa Interview Questions you could be asked. Here’s another take on the same question.

What they are looking for: They know this answer way better than you and I.  So don’t make a fool of yourself with lame answers.

They want to hear from you directly: Why you have decided to Study in America.

Here are a few ways to answer

• The USA is widely known throughout the world for its well-structured education system.
• The US education system heavily emphasizes Practical knowledge.
• Moreover, I will get international exposure a different perspective of people towards technology, and many more people come to study in the US around the globe. This will add a huge advantage when I return to India after two years.

Now, if you memorize that, you will be in trouble. You have to sound natural and add your flavor to that answer.

If you look at students who don’t get a visa, you can sometimes figure out that they memorized the answer without adding your spin. Don’t make that mistake.

2. Why This University

What they are looking for: They want to know about the university, as they only know the data provided by Homeland Security about it. So, tell them you have applied and been admitted to this specific university.

• SDSU  has superior coursework in the Computer science field.
• The Computer Science department has very good research and development in the compiler design area.
• Widely recognized professors in the computer science community are teaching this coursework at SDSU.
• I have completed two research papers on compiler design in IEEE.
• After exchanging a few emails with the Professor, she accepted me into her research lab.

That is why I chose this university study at SDSU.

3. Plans After Graduation:

What they are looking for: The most obvious thing they wanna know is your plan.

The second thing they wanna know is how determined you are about your future career.

They are expecting you to prove by some way that you are not a potential immigrant means you are coming back.

Your answer should prove

• You are not a potential immigrant
• Your family ties
• Your property ties

Here’s one sample:

After completing my studies, I want to come back to India and settle down in Bangalore as lots of technical companies reside here.

They know the facts. Indian students studying in America might not return to their home country. They would get OPT, H1B Visa, and then apply for a Green Card.  So, you need a convincing answer to prove “strong ties” to your home country.

“Sir, I plan to come back after Graduation” might be a simple answer, but if the consular officer is not convinced, your student visa to the USA could be denied as a Potential Immigrant 214 (b).

What is 214 (b) Visa Denial?

Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer, at the time of application for admission, that he is entitled to a nonimmigrant status.. 

It’s difficult to prove “strong ties” to your home country as a student.

Here are some tips from a U.S. Embassy about that “strong ties”

[alert type=”info”]In cases of younger applicants who may not have had an opportunity to form many ties, consular officers may look at the applicant’s specific intentions, family situations, and long-range plans and prospects within his or her country of residence.[/alert]

When you plan your answers, see what makes your answer unique or how to make your answer to this question unique.

Summary: 

Now, you know how to answer the three most important student visa questions for the USA.

Do you have a different answer that you would like to know if you can use during the interview? Post it in the comments below.

Series: F1 Visa Interview Questions and Answers

1. 101 F1 Visa Interview Questions and Answers
2. Answers to Two Most Common F1 Visa Interview Questions
3. An answer – Why Study in This University
4. Why Do You Want to Study in the USA
5. Answers to 3 Most Important F1 Visa Interview Questions (this article)
6. 6 Lessons I Learned from My Student Visa Interview for University of Houston
7. The Best F1 Visa Mock Interview Questions & Answers – UCLA