Important Visa Tips for your Interview at any Consulate in India
Welcome to another blog. This particular blog wasn’t expected to be posted so early. Even I didn’t see that coming. But a good friend (senior) of mine is going to US soon and he requested me to upload his few tips for any given consulate Visa Interview.
So let’s just get started. This particular post is out especially for students who are trying for spring admits this year. Forget all fears and just have a look at today’s post.
This blog is specifically on F1 VISA INTERVIEW TIPS: F1 visa holds for Students and Visitors on exchange programs for US. F2 visa is for the dependent on the person holding a F1 visa like spouse or partner.
[themify_box style=”red announcement”]Important Visa Tips for your Interview at any Consulate in India[/themify_box]
VISA CONSULATE DOESN’T MATTER
Don’t worry if you are attending interview at Mumbai, Chennai,or Delhi or Hyderabad consulate. It doesn’t matter which consulate. Because it depends on the answers you give and your confidence. So just stop worrying which consulate to book. Just see which one is the nearest and slots are available for your preferred dates.
All that matters is how well you answer. They have been rejecting quite a little more now but don’t let that fear suck your chances and result in rejects.
Before proceeding with Important Visa Tips for your Interview at any Consulate in India article , let me ask a question.
Tell me happens at the most? They will reject you. Anything else? Apply again. What’s the big deal?
If it’s the second time already, still it’s okay. I have a friend who got rejected 5 to 6 times for the F1 visa. He had a really fine profile with no backlogs and 75% above per semester. It was his bad luck that he got rejected many times.
His 6th or 7th try was successful and now studies in IIT Chicago intake fall 2017. There was a time when he had given up hopes. But he tried right? Did he give up? Would he go to the US if he had decided to quit? Answer is NO..
Let me tell you my own Passport experience. I was freshly 18 back in 2015 when I applied for my citizenship and Identity Cards. I did not have a PAN card, my VOTER ID was stuck in the office.
I had given my Driving test just 2 days ago and my Licence was not available yet. My Birth Certificate had a different name of my mother and something else in my board cards. It was so damn complicated that I had decided to quit it. I got my passport in third try.
One or the other reason they sent me back both times. I was asked to get an affidavit for her name. I had 15 days until my next try. I rushed to the district court and got in done.
My town doesn’t have a Passport Office. I had to travel to the nearest city about 200 KMs from my town. Meanwhile an agent asked me to pay 3500 and he would get it done.
But again, he would still fix the meeting with officials and I had to go through that. I returned back with all the documents next time. Answered all questions calmly. Kept smiling.
I was given the approval but those people gave me an ECR passport despite submitting my 10th and 12th Grade sheets only because my mother had 2 names and I got the Affidavit done. Now again before I head to the US I should again travel there and get the ECNR stamp on it.
Why am I saying this? Passport is the most accepted ID and it is our rights to have it. They created so much fuss out of a small name which was changed after her marriage. That too only spellings were different. I even got my 12th ID card made again even after graduating due to the address issues.
It was such a hard phase that I was broken badly. Now imagine US Visa! You are entering their country and staying there for 2 or 3 years, studying there with their highly modern infrastructure, using their resources..you expect them to give you Visa just like that? Dude come on! It’s US. You think Immigration is that easy?
You have to fulfill their qualifications educationally, financially and morally.
There are a plenty of opportunities in other countries and in India. When the fear of rejection doesn’t come into the picture, there is no place for anxiety and you’d be calm and confident.
Luck is also a factor but not the only factor. It is just 1% in this and 99% of the factors are in our control and don’t mess it up there. Take a note on next point.. KEEP CLAM
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Have a cool mind. I have heard about people in Visa offices from my seniors that they will be shivering literally out of tension and fear. There is a threshold OK. How exactly can a person expect to answer properly in such a state of mind?
Important Visa Tips for your Interview at any Consulate in India
Remove the fear of a reject totally. When the university has given us admission, when we want to study, when we have funds ready, there is no reason why we would be rejected unless we mess it up ourselves by fumbling too much or acting suspicious. Maintain a good eye contact and keep a decent smile or just naturally fake it for 5 minutes.
[themify_box style=”red question”]WILL YOU COME BACK[/themify_box]
Will the VO believe when I say I want to come back? Answer is clear cut no. It’s a fact. Which idiotic moron would dump 40 khs USA and return back without earning it again? Think that ok. Just..
They won’t. But sound confident enough about your plans if asked. Because that is what they see in us. Be strong on your speech and show that positiveness.
“There is absolutely nothing you can do to prove that you’d return”.
If a country is strictly against immigrants, then it will not believe people on their words or on the basis of a minute long interview.
This is all a trap and a good reason for them to reject applicants. If they want, they can kick us out soon after our graduation ceremony. They wouldn’t offer us OPT’s of 12 months (extended to 24 now) and give us options.
Basically what I just mean to convey that U.S needs us more than we need U.S. Let us look at it from a different perspective now.
After providing us with world class infrastructure, do they let us return back to home countries and work against them?
Surely not. They are looking to filter and take the best brains from all the countries. Believe me on this.
This filtering is done from the visa stage as I per I have studied and learnt. Who is a potential immigrant and who is not? How can it be decided in a few seconds? Don’t try too hard to convince him ot her. If he has decided to give you that potential immigrant slip, no amount of explanation would ever convince him.
Important Visa Tips for your Interview at any Consulate in India
Now you may ask me why and when he gives this slip. As per my understanding, he uses this tool to remove people who he thinks are false, people who lie, who can fabricate, who can cheat. Many good applicants fumble, confuse, shiver which should be avoided at all costs!
A little of that is expected and VOs understand it – they are humans too. But too much of it won’t help for sure. Too much worrying will lead to nothing but bad mood and worst experience coated by rejection slip.
Conclusion is – Avoiding 214 (b) case is almost entirely in our hands. 99% I say.
Lets Consider more points as part of Important Visa Tips for your Interview at any Consulate in India. Look at each points carefully.
DON’T TRY TO BE TOO BRILLIANT IN THAT 3 MINUTES.
Don’t try to be over smart in that 3 minutes.
Can we change our GRE score? GPA? University? Add Projects and Work Exp? NO. Big NO
Nothing! Take a deep breath and Just be yourself. Look into VO’s eyes without fear and answer them. Yes, but don’t try to interpret his expressions. Face it like a casual conversation. You will feel better.
Don’t start thinking that VO would issue the visa or reject you. They should analyze YOU and not the other way round! Forget about the result and talk freely. That is important here. Not guessing the results.
BEING CRISP WITH THE ANSWERS
Be crisp with your answers. When VO asks why this university? Don’t go on and on explaining with too many technical terms. He or She might be an Arts graduate or a psychology or a political science graduate. Explain in words that VO can understand. Just mention the course suits your profile and is very much interesting to study that and learn from their research work going on.
Never ever mention the Prof’s name and tell that you will work under him. I have read over 200 Visa Reject experiences on various platforms. 10 were due to financial issues and 15 were because of fumbling and screwing up the interview. Over 150 of them were because of mentioning Prof so and so is doing this research. I would like to join him or work under him etc.
Straight Rejection slip and Potential Immigrant status is on you. No matter even if you got into Harvard or Stanford keep your excitements calm. Don’t mention that. You are going there to do Masters. Just stick to it. Mention only your intention about coursework and applications.
[themify_hr color=”orange” width=”15″ border_width=”20″]WHICH UNIVERSITY?
To those going to not so good universities, the Interviewers don’t care where we are going. They are just there to make sure that we at least know why we chose that university. I have come across terms like ‘visa rating for so and so university’. Trust me, there’s nothing like that! If it’s not a well ranked University then expect some grilling and prepare accordingly. Search for USP of the university or course there.
DID CONSULTANT FILL YOUR DS-160
If the VO asks whether consultant filled up DS-160, blindly say NO (even if you went to one). Don’t try to convince him by giving proofs.
I heard about a guy who memorized his IP address and told the VO to crosscheck with his DS160 IP address. Will anyone ever by heart the IP address? Is he Insane!?
Is it a part of interview preparation? Such things will obviously lead to further questions. Don’t complicate things. Just stick to a confident NO. If he keeps repeating the same question, you could probably tell him you have nothing to hide and can answer any question from the DS-160.
VISA INTERVIEW COUNTER NUMBERS
There is nothing to worry about specific counter numbers or specific VOs in any consulate. I have seen my seniors posting consulate names and Counter numbers and even the VO and how they looked like! Seriously who does that!
As soon as you walk to the counter, by looking at you, no one will decide whether or not to issue the visa. They are not so unfair. The initial impression you make will be the most important. Face the Visa Interview confidently. The way you walk to the counter and greet the VO itself will speak enough.
[themify_box style=”red highlight”]BLACKLISTED UNIVERSITIES?[/themify_box]
Consulate is not against RIT or UTA or NEU or SJSU. Don’t let all these things take a toll on your performance! There are exceptions as always. Few of them with perfect answers also get rejects. But such cases will be through in the second attempt without doubt.
It’s for our own good that we forget such cases. Take as little pressure as possible. Don’t bother about luck, officer’s mood etc which are not in our control.
Important Visa Tips for your Interview at any Consulate in India
[themify_box style=”red highlight”]TO SUM IT UP –[/themify_box]
#1 : You want to study, you got admission, you have funds. There is no reason to worry about anything.
Fact #2 : U.S needs you more than you need U.S A. We have an upper hand! So don’t go with a fear whether they find you good enough or not. Don’t underestimate yourself. Go confidently. Go like a brave soldier not like a wounded one.
We deserve visa. Because we have slogged our asses in studying and spent thousands on it.
The only reason we fumble and get tensed is that we feel something is lacking in us and try to convince him on that. Overcome that fear.
Do not do that. Ok? Just walk confidently and go.
This is not a professional job interview where you will be tested on the subject matter. These are questions even a 10th standard guy can answer casually. So don’t lose your sleep over it. Let us break this hype.
When we do that, automatically the anxiety, tension, euphoria surrounding will vanish. And we will give the best out of us.
Let’s look at some basic questions they ask in a Visa Interview in my next blog , Hope Important Visa Tips for your Interview at any Consulate in India might have given answer to your questions. Till then stay positive and be confident.
For any doubts and need for posts on specific issues just drop a comment or mail me.
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