Do not have an argument with the officer. Keep your answers to the officer's questions short and to the point, responding precisely to the consular officer's questions and statements. What you say first and the first impression you create are critical to your success. They must make a decision, for the most part, on the impressions they form during the first minute of the interview. Be Brief and Maintain a Positive Attitudeīecause of the large number of applications they receive, all consular officers are under considerable time pressure to conduct a quick interview. Consular officials may want a letter from your supervising professor or faculty member that explains your intended research goals.
If you will be a graduate student in the United States and have a research focus, be prepared to talk about your research plans. You should also be able to explain how studying in the United States relates to your career goals and employment prospects when you return home. If you are not able to explain the reasons why you will study in a particular program in the United States, you may not succeed in convincing the consular officer that you are indeed planning to study, rather than to work or stay in the United States. Know the Program and How It Fits Your Career Plans Although generally parents or family members will not accompany an applicant into to the visa interview, if you are a minor and need your parents to be there in case there are questions (for example about funding/finances), they should check with the consulate about the consulate's waiting area and any special rules or procedures for non-applicant family members to accompany a visa applicant. The consular officer wants to interview you, not your family, and a more positive impression is created if you are prepared to speak on your own. If you are coming to the United States to study intensive English, be prepared to explain how English will be useful for you in your home country.įor further details about this topic, the Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual at 9 FAM 402.5-5(F). One suggestion is to practice English conversation with a native speaker before the interview, but do not prepare speeches! Expect to have an interactive conversation with the consular officer about your plans for studying in the United States and beyond, your goals, and your ties to your home country. The interview will generally be conducted in English and not in your native language. citizens or permanent residents, it may be harder for you to demonstrate that you are not an intending immigrant.įor further details about this topic, you can visit the State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual at 9 FAM 402.5-5(E), which explains the basics of what consular officers will be looking for in the interview process. If you applied for the Diversity Visa Lottery but do not intend to immigrate, be prepared to clarify that, for instance, by explaining that you applied for the lottery since it was available but not with a specific intent to immigrate. Diversity (green card) Lottery, you may be asked if you intend to immigrate. Each person's situation is different, of course, and there is no magic explanation or single document, certificate, or letter which can guarantee visa issuance. If you are a prospective student, the interviewing officer may ask about your specific plans or promise of future employment, family or other relationships, educational objectives, grades, long-range plans and career prospects in your home country. "Ties" to your home country are the things that connect you to your hometown, homeland, or current place of residence: job, family, owning a house or apartment, financial prospects that you own or will inherit, investments, etc.
You must, therefore, be able to show that you have reasons for returning to your "residence abroad" (usually in your home country) that are stronger than reasons for remaining in the United States, and that you intend to depart the United States at the conclusion of your studies. law, people who apply for nonimmigrant visas, such as F-1 or J-1 student visas, are viewed as "intending immigrants" (who want to live permanently in the U.S.) until they can convince the consular officer that they are not. Ties to Your Home Country and Residence Abroad Updated July 2019 by members of the NAFSA International Student and Scholar Regulatory Practice (ISS RP) Travel Subcommittee.ġ.