Preparing for your Interview at the United States Consulate Congratulations on your acceptance to Marist! Now that you have been accepted and have your I‐20, it is time to apply for your VISA. Make an appointment with the U.S. Consulate. Find your U.S. Consulate Office. South and Central Asia http://www.usembassy.gov/sca.html East Asia and Pacific http://www.usembassy.gov/east‐asia.html Other locations http://www.usembassy.gov/ Make your U. S. Consulate appointment as early as possible. Consulates have limited appointments. If the Consulate near you does not have any appointments available, contact the next closest Consulate. Have the soft copy of your I‐20 ready when you contact the U. S. Consulate to make a VISA appointment. Pay your SEVIS fee.
You can make your U.S. Consulate appointment before you pay your SEVIS fee. Fill out your I-901 form at
https://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901. More information about the I-901 can be found at https://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/faq.
Allow at least three days for your electronic form and payment to process before your interview date.
Prepare your documents. You will be asked to provide documents to show why you plan to go to the United States, and prove that you are accepted into college. Take all of these documents with you. Please check your local U.S. Consulate website to see if you need additional documentation.  Passport  Letters of  Marist College Acceptance Recommendation Letter  Resume 
GRE and Language Test  I‐20 document  Personal Statement Scores  SEVIS Receipt  College Transcripts You will need current financial documents. These documents must be less than six months old at the time of your interview. If your documents are too old, have new documents created.  Declaration of Finances  Bank Statement Prepare for your interview. You will interview with the Consul. Marist Students who have been through the interview process have said that they were asked questions including the following questions.  Why did you choose to go to Marist instead of another college? o Was Marist’s accreditation with Middle States part of your decision because it proves that Marist is a quality college with solid academic standing? o Did you consider Marist’s solid financial standing? o Did you consider Marist’s success educating students with similar educational backgrounds to you? o Did you hear positive comments about the educational experiences your friends or business associates have had at Marist? o How many colleges did you apply to? Prepared 5/4/2016  What is your major at Marist? o What are the subjects in your first semester?  Why do you want to study that major? o How is this degree different than other degrees you have explored? o How will this degree be useful for your career plans?  Do you plan to return to India after your education is complete? o The concept of acquiring an F‐1 VISA is to allow you to study in the United States, then return home. Is this your plan?  Do you have a plan to pay for your education and expenses? Who is sponsoring you? o Have your Bank Statement and Affidavit available to show that you are aware of the costs of attending Marist, and you have the ability to pay for your expenses. Answers to these questions should be honest, prepared, and presented confidently to succeed in the interview. The following is an excerpt from a chat conducted by a U.S. Consul. It is a great summary of what the Consul will be looking for in an interview. You can find the entire discussion at http://hyderabad.usconsulate.gov/082011‐wct.html Prospective Student: Sir, I have a question for you: Mainly, on what basis will you choose candidate for issuing an F‐1 visa. Are there any specific points? Officer: We'll end with your question. Hope this chat was useful, and hope this answer can be a good summary: students have the burden of proof to show that they're qualified for the student visa. here's what you need: a credible intent to study at the graduate student level (which is a pretty high level, of course), a credible plan for finances (which can be tough as graduate school in America is such a pricey investment), and an intent to return to a residence abroad (which means in large part that the officer can't suspect that you're using the student visa for economic or immigration purposes.) You've really got to convince us you're a STUDENT first and foremost, and going for a world‐class education, and separate yourself from the mass of folks who want to work/play on a student visa. For students who have already been refused, it means you have an uphill battle. We don’t encourage you to reapply again immediately, as all the officers are trained to evaluate students similarly. You won’t likely find a new result – at an expensive cost – unless you can demonstrate that you’re a better candidate than before. Do something that you can proudly tell the officer makes you a better candidate, whether that’s showing off some new work experience, boasting a higher test score, or better articulating a good academic plan. Other Sources for Information You may also want to check Facebook groups for more information. Some students have posted their interview stories to assist other students. Search for F1 VISA Interview or USA Student VISA. Prepared 5/4/2016