How to Get Ready for United States Visa Interview below are some of the tips and the questions you will be asked in your interview will be used to determine the following key issues:
How can I prepare for the visa interview?
Acquire knowledge of the process. Get free, accurate information from the U.S. Embassy
website in your country. It will give you the specifics of what they will require and expect you to
know. The U.S. State Department also provides useful information on student visas on their
website: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html
Be prepared. Bring the following to the visa interview: the I-20 form, all school documents, test scores, acceptance letter from the University, evidence of funding, bank statements (if you are providing the funding), real estate holdings evidence, father’s position at home, business card if you work, letters of recommendation for your educational plan, letters from future employers in your home country, and any documents that you feel would help you prove your ties to your
home country and intent to return home. Be completely familiar with all information on the I-20
form, especially the financial information.
Answer the questions the officer asks. Avoid prepared speeches. Don’t use a prepared script.
Know your personal plan or story. Know or develop your own personal career plan, your
explanation of why you are going to the USA, what you plan to study and why you selected the
University, and what you plan to do in your home country after graduation. Your sincerity and
the reasonableness or plausibility of your plan will be most persuasive. They are looking for
evidence that you have given serious thought to your plans. Do you have an ambition, and is it
believable in the context of your country?
Tell the truth. If the visa officer thinks you are lying, you won’t get a visa. If you don’t know an answer, tell the officer you don’t know. Tell him if you don’t understand the question and ask
him to rephrase it. This is not a test; it is an interview. They know that English is your second
language and you may be nervous; stumbling over one question is not fatal. However, one
dishonest or faked answer could result in not getting your visa.
Practicing for the visa interview
All the questions asked will seek to answer the five key questions above. Some may be designed
to directly answer those issues, other are indirect ways of getting an answer.
Look at the five issues and think carefully about how you address them. Then write a few
paragraphs which answer each of these five questions: sincerely, truthfully, completely, concisely
and persuasively. Read the letter out loud to a friend or relative. Re-write it. Read it out again.
This is your story.
You may or may not have the opportunity to tell some of your story at the interview, depending
on the questions being asked. The most important part of the interview is that you respond to the
question asked, not that you tell your story. Having developed your story, however, you will
naturally be able to tell it if a question relating to it comes up, which is likely.
Below are some sample questions that are often asked of applicants:
Preparing for the Visa Interview
Adapted from
http://www.mum.edu/international_students/interview.html
- Whether the sole purpose of your travel is to pursue a program of study
- Whether you have the ability and intention to be a full-time student in the U.S.
- Whether you possess adequate funds to cover all tuition, living and anticipated incidental expenses without taking unauthorized employment.
- you have sufficiently strong social, economic, and other “ties” to your home country to compel your departure from the U.S. upon completion of the planned programof studies.
- Whether you are telling the truth.
How can I prepare for the visa interview?
Acquire knowledge of the process. Get free, accurate information from the U.S. Embassy
website in your country. It will give you the specifics of what they will require and expect you to
know. The U.S. State Department also provides useful information on student visas on their
website: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html
Be prepared. Bring the following to the visa interview: the I-20 form, all school documents, test scores, acceptance letter from the University, evidence of funding, bank statements (if you are providing the funding), real estate holdings evidence, father’s position at home, business card if you work, letters of recommendation for your educational plan, letters from future employers in your home country, and any documents that you feel would help you prove your ties to your
home country and intent to return home. Be completely familiar with all information on the I-20
form, especially the financial information.
Answer the questions the officer asks. Avoid prepared speeches. Don’t use a prepared script.
Know your personal plan or story. Know or develop your own personal career plan, your
explanation of why you are going to the USA, what you plan to study and why you selected the
University, and what you plan to do in your home country after graduation. Your sincerity and
the reasonableness or plausibility of your plan will be most persuasive. They are looking for
evidence that you have given serious thought to your plans. Do you have an ambition, and is it
believable in the context of your country?
Tell the truth. If the visa officer thinks you are lying, you won’t get a visa. If you don’t know an answer, tell the officer you don’t know. Tell him if you don’t understand the question and ask
him to rephrase it. This is not a test; it is an interview. They know that English is your second
language and you may be nervous; stumbling over one question is not fatal. However, one
dishonest or faked answer could result in not getting your visa.
Practicing for the visa interview
All the questions asked will seek to answer the five key questions above. Some may be designed
to directly answer those issues, other are indirect ways of getting an answer.
Look at the five issues and think carefully about how you address them. Then write a few
paragraphs which answer each of these five questions: sincerely, truthfully, completely, concisely
and persuasively. Read the letter out loud to a friend or relative. Re-write it. Read it out again.
This is your story.
You may or may not have the opportunity to tell some of your story at the interview, depending
on the questions being asked. The most important part of the interview is that you respond to the
question asked, not that you tell your story. Having developed your story, however, you will
naturally be able to tell it if a question relating to it comes up, which is likely.
Below are some sample questions that are often asked of applicants:
- How did you learn about the University?
- How many other universities did you apply to?
- Why did you choose this University? (Why not a bigger school?)
- Which school did you graduate from?
- Tell me why you want to go to America?
- Where do you work now?
- How much do you earn now?
- What is your academic background and why do your want to pursue this degree?
- What is this program?
- How is it structured academically and financially?
- Do you want to work in the U.S.?
- What are your resources to pay your university charges?
- Why didn't you apply for a graduate program directly after your bachelor’s degree?
- Why don't you study for this degree in your home country?
- What arrangements have you made for your spouse (and children) during your absence?
- What will you do after you go back to your home country?
- Have you taken GRE, GMAT or TOEFL? If not, why not?
Preparing for the Visa Interview
Adapted from
http://www.mum.edu/international_students/interview.html
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