Applying for a US F-1 Visa

n order to schedule an appointment at a U.S. embassy or consulate you will need to follow the instructions and required documents on the website of the U.S. embassy or consulate you will visit. While you can apply for a visa at U.S. embassy or consulate in any country outside the U.S., it is always better to apply in your home country. Schedule an appointment for your visa interview at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy as soon as possible. 

To address the backlog of visa applications from the pandemic, the U.S. Secretary of State has authorized the U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide to grant waivers of the in-person interview requirement in certain circumstances. Eligibility for the interview waiver will be determined by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate after you submit your DS-160. If you are granted an interview waiver, you will be instructed by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to mail in or drop off your application materials. In some circumstances, the U.S. Embassies or Consulates may still require the in-person interview prior to granting the visa. Please see the Department of State announcement, or your country’s U.S. Embassy or Consulate’s website, for more information.

If you are required to book a visa interview, and there are no visa appointments currently available to book at the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate, you will need to keep checking their calendar for more appointment spots to open. If there are visa appointments available to book, you should book the earliest appointment possible. You need to book an appointment even if its past your start date- then you will need to follow the U.S. Embassy or Consulate’s instructions to request an emergency or expedited appointment, or keep checking back to see if more appointment times open in the coming months. Most Embassies or Consulates have these instructions available on their website. Please note, different U.S. Embassies and Consulates have different instructions and different timelines for when they will allow you to submit an expedite request. Failure to follow your U.S. Embassy’s instructions could result in a denial of your expedite request.

Applying as a group is an advantage here as all the family members will automatically get access to the Emergency Dates (whereas separate applications under different User IDs may not get this). The same thing happened to us, we applied for a visa in April, and despite the above workaround I used, we were only given a September Interview appointment. As soon as we got the i-20, we submitted the DS-160 and then applied for an emergency appointment. We were reallocated a May appointment and that gave us plenty of time to plan for the move.

Review country-specific instructions on the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website. Note, the DS-160 visa application fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. You must pay this fee first before booking a visa appointment. If you need to change the location of your visa interview after paying this fee, you will not be able to transfer your payment and will need to pay a new DS-160 visa application fee before booking an appointment at a new U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

1. TIES TO HOME COUNTRY:

Under U.S. law, all applicants for non-immigrant visas are viewed as intending immigrants until they can convince the consular officer that they are not. You must therefore be able to show that you have reasons for returning to your home country that are stronger than those for remaining in the United States. “Ties” to your home country are the things that bind you to your hometown, homeland, or current place of residence: job, family,
financial prospects that you own or will inherit, investments, etc. If you are a prospective undergraduate, the interviewing officer may ask about your specific intentions or promise of future employment, family or other relationships, educational objectives, grades, long-range plans, and career prospects in your home country. Each person’s situation is different, or course, and there is no magic explanation or single document, certificate, or
letter, which can guarantee visa issuance.

2. ENGLISH:

Anticipate that the interview will be conducted in English and not in your native language. One suggestion is to practice English conversation with a native speaker before the interview. If you are coming to the United States solely to study intensive English, be prepared to explain how English will be useful for you in your home country.

3. SPEAK FOR YOURSELF:

Do not bring parents or family members with you to the interview (unless you are a minor and your Embassy location allows parents to accompany). Even then you should only call in your parents into the interview in case there are questions, for example, about funding, and otherwise they should wait in the waiting room. The consular officer wants to interview you, not your family. A negative impression is created if you are not prepared to speak on your own behalf.

4. KNOW THE PROGRAM AND HOW IT FITS YOUR CAREER PLANS: See the next section.

5. BE CONCISE:

Because of the volume of applications received, all consular officers are under considerable time pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview. They must make a decision, for the most part, on the impressions they form during the first minute or two of the interview. Consequently, what you say first and the initial impression you create are critical to your success. Keep your answers to the officer’s questions short and to the point.

6. SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENTATION:

It should be clear at a glance to the consular officer what written documents you are presenting and what they signify. Lengthy written explanations cannot be quickly read or evaluated. Remember that you will have 2-3 minutes of interview time, if you’re lucky.

7. NOT ALL COUNTRIES ARE EQUAL:

Applicants from countries suffering economic problems or from countries where many students have remained in the United States as immigrants will have more difficulty getting visas. Statistically, applicants from those countries are more likely to be intending immigrants. They are also more likely to be asked about job opportunities at home after their study in the United States.

8. EMPLOYMENT:

Your main purpose of coming to the United States should be to study, not for the chance to work before or after graduation. While many students do work off-campus during their studies, such employment is incidental to their main purpose of completing their U.S. education. You must be able to clearly articulate your plan to return home at the end of your program. If your spouse is also applying for an accompanying F-2 visa, be aware that F-2
dependents cannot, under any circumstances, be employed in the United States. If asked, be prepared to address what your spouse intends to do with his or her time while in the United States. Volunteer work and attending school part-time are permitted activities. If your spouse and children are remaining behind in your country, be prepared to address how they will support themselves in your absence. This can be an especially tricky area if you are the primary source of income for your family. If the consular officer gains the impression that your family members will need you to remit money from the United States in order to support them, your student visa application will almost certainly be denied.

The F1 Visa interview is unique, and rejection rates are very high. They were 1 in 3 in 2022 and 1 in 5 in 2021. However, here is the framework that has delivered results!

• Develop your “why”. Speak to your long term career aspirations.
• Identify the benefits of your study. Make sure it ladders up to your why.
• What do you plan on doing immediately after graduating (outside of US, preferably in your home country).

In your answers, find an organic way to share your why, how your studies/program feeds into it, and ultimately what you plan on doing after completing your studies.

Examples of F1 Visa Interview Questions

• Why did you choose to study in the US instead of joining the workforce in your home country?
• Why did you choose this school and why is it the best school for you?
• What are your test scores (GRE, GMAT, SAT, TOEFL, IELTS), your GPA, and your overall performance as a student in the past?
• How are you funding the entire duration of your education, including tuition, room and board, transportation, and all other expenses?
• After you graduate, do you plan to return home or will you stay in the United States?

During the student visa interview the visa officer may ask these questions in different ways, but they are all asked for the same purpose — to be sure you qualify for the F1 visa, as stated above. If these questions are answered in a satisfactory manner, the consular officer can approve your application. It is important to answer all questions truthfully and sincerely.

Approach the officer with confidence. Ultimately the F1 Visa interview is a conversation, and one needs to be able to effectively provide this information to the visa officer.  Finally, remember to smile and maintain excellent body language. Good luck with your interview!

I was going to drop off my kid alone to Purdue (as my wife had to be home with the school/exams for my younger child). The list below is of all the things I took to the US Embassy.

• National ID for Mother (if applicable)
• National ID for Father (if applicable)
• National ID for Siblings travelling along (if applicable)
• Passport Father
• Passport Mother
• Passport Student
• Passport Siblings
• Birth Certificate Student
• Birth Certificate Siblings
• Marriage Certificate Parents
• Passport Pic Student- 2 copies (US size)
• Passport Pic Accompanying Family members- 2 copies
• O level original transcripts/ test scores
• AS and A level original transcripts/ test scores
• School Grade 10 reports
• School Grade 11 reports
• School Grade 12 mock reports
• TOEFL/ IELTS Certificate (Front & Back)
• Proof of finance- if privately paying include things such as an Original Letter from Bank – showing all Fixed Deposits; Copy of Fixed Deposit Certificates 3 months; Bank Savings/Current a/c with bank stamp all pages; All Owned property title deeds; Employment Letter for Both Parents; 3 month salary slips for Both Parents; Lease agreement with Tenants (if you have property) and a Parents letter for Student to consent for going abroad and financial support (if self financed). If sponsored, include the proof of sponsorship.
• If your parents are self employed, carry things such as: Business licence, Tax Payer Identification Number of the business, Tax clearance-if available, Certificate of Incorporation for the business etc.
• University I20 with Sign
• SEVIS fee proof of payment
• Visa application fee receipt for Student
• Visa application fee receipt for Family Accompanying
• Confirmation page DS-160 visa application- Student
• Confirmation page DS-160 visa application- Family
• Accompanying Appointment Confirmation and Instructions page-Student
• Appointment Confirmation and Instructions page- Family Accompanying
• Take cash along to pay F1 issuance Reciprocity fee
• Previous US Visa (if any)- Student
• Previous US Visa (if any)- for Family Accompanying
• Visitor Health Insurance for Family Accompanying
• Air Tickets for student To USA
• Air Tickets for Family Accompanying To USA

If your child is a minor (i.e. under 18), one parent can accompany them for the interview, even though he/she may not be going themselves or applying for a B-2 Visa. This is sometimes overlooked by many parents and your presence may be crucial to keeping them calm as well as answering any financial or other questions with which your child may not have a satisfactory answer.

Be careful of what you can take along, for instance certain Embassy locations will not allow any electronics (including Mobile phones) and also may not provide any secure lockers to store them while you are there. In effect, in those cases, you will be forced to leave your mobiles etc at home or have someone waiting outside with them for you while you attend the interview.

Despite my extensive preparations, on the day, they did not request to see anything from the documents we carried and instead, it was just a 3 question interview for my child (“Where are you going to study?’ “Why did you choose this major?” and “Who is paying for your studies?”). But I would recommend you take along as much as you can and be fully prepared to answer all the questions.

If approved, you may be required to pay a visa issuance fee, and in addition, they may charge a F-1 Visa issuance Reciprocity fee, depending on the applicant’s country of citizenship. Detailed information about reciprocity fees can be found at here. Digital fingerprint scans will be taken for records. Your passport will be taken so that you can get your visa and you will be informed when you can get it back, either by pick-up or in the mail.

Keep in mind that visa issuance is not guaranteed. Never make final travel plans until you have your visa approved. If your visa is denied, you will be given a reason based on the section of law which applies to your ineligibility. Filing a waiver of ineligibility is possible in some cases.

Do not engage the consular officer in an argument. If you are denied a student visa, ask the officer for a list of documents he or she would suggest you bring in order to overcome the refusal, and try to get the reason you were denied in writing.

After you collect your visa, check your photo, name, gender and all other details are in order. Also check the visa expiry date. Depending on your nationality you will be granted different expiry dates, even if you are enrolling at the same University and program.

The purpose of a visa is just to allow you to enter US. When you enter US for the first time you will get a stamp on your passport. It generally reads D/S. (which is Duration of studies) That is the time you are allowed to stay in US. The Duration of Studies is as per the Form I-20 issued by Purdue i.e. 4 years. Any further stay after the study is over needs to be applied for.

My kid, being a Tanzanian, was issued with a F1 visa expiring in just 1 year, as that is the maximum given by the US embassy to any Tanzanian citizen. But because he has a stamp on entry that reads “D/S,” he can stay in the US for all the 4 years of his studies legally as long as he doesn’t leave the US. If he departs the US, as he did to visit us, he will need a new F-1 visa to re-enter. If he comes to visit us annually, he will need to apply four times for his F-1 Visa. See my post on Renewing your F-1 Visa for further details.

Conversely, if you are given a 4 year visa but finish your Degree in say 3 years (maybe because you have transfer credits), you can’t stay on for the 4th year shown on your F1 (without applying for it for e.g. OPT), as your status also being ”D/S’, will no longer be valid.

There is therefore a difference between your visa and your status- you can read more on this here, from a different university as Purdue doesn’t make this clear.