International Student Visa Interview
Mona Freeman ✹ Office of International and Global Education (OIGE)
915 South Mooney Boulevard ✹ Sequoia Building ✹ Room 103 ✹ Visalia, CA 93277
Voice 559-730-3970 or FAX 559-730-3979 or E-mail monaf@cos.edu
Apply early! No guarantee can be made that you will receive your visa, however, the following
information will help for your interview:
Review your I-20 and your financial support documents carefully along with any additional
documents you wish to present to the U. S. Embassy/Consulate officer.
Be sure you understand all your information and that it is complete and accurate.
Check your I-20 form to ensure
$ your name matches the name in your passport
$ your date of birth is correct
$ program information and reporting dates are accurate. (If your starting date is passed, then your I-20 must
be updated before your visa interview appointment. Contact Mona!)
$ financial information is correct
$ you have signed on bottom of page 1
Your Interview
You must prove to the U. S. Embassy/Consulate officer that you plan to come to the United States as a
student and will stay only temporarily! Some of the following points might assist you:
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Smile and greet the U. S. Embassy/Consulate officer.
Show how you have ties to your home country. You can accomplish this by proving most of your family are
in your home country or the majority of your financial support is coming from your home country or you
might have a job that you will return to upon completion of your studies.
Be able to explain how your finances will be handled: your parents, a sponsor, etc. You will need to
provide answers to any questions the U. S. Embassy/Consulate officer might ask about the financial
documents you bring.
Be able to state your major and why you want to study in the United States.
If you plan to transfer after attending College of the Sequoias, be able to state which colleges you are
looking at for transferring. Understand how your education will lead to a degree that will help you locate
employment in your home country.
Bring in letters of support from your previous schools written by your counselors, teachers or whoever can
speak about your study habits, grades and/or career objectives.
Be able to talk about College of the Sequoias and the program(s) we offer that will help you achieve your
education.
Speak in English as much as possible.
Keep your answers short.
Always be polite. Never be rude or sarcastic and never argue!
If you do not understand a question, please ask that the question be repeated.
Do not write a speech - be yourself and answer everything honestly.
NEVER lie – lies will prevent you from receiving a visa.
At the end of the interview always thank the U. S. Embassy/Consulate officer even if you do not receive a
visa and remember his/her name for future reference.
If you are refused a visa, ask what additional documentation might help in a future interview.
mjf/WP/foreign/forms/forms final internet/IS visa interview - 8/02/2010
1.
Ties to Your Home Country *
Under U.S. law, all applicants for nonimmigrant visas, such as student 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 home town, 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, of course, and there is no magic explanation or single
document, certificate, or letter which can guarantee visa issuance. If you have applied for the
U.S. Green Card Lottery, you may be asked if you are intending to immigrate. A simple answer
would be that you applied for the lottery since it was available but not with a specific intent to
immigrate. If you overstayed your authorized stay in the United States previously, be prepared to
explain what happened clearly and concisely, with documentation, if available.
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, but do
NOT prepare speeches! 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. 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. If you are a minor applying for a high school program and need your parents
there is case there are questions, for example about funding, they should wait in the waiting
room.
4.
Know the Program and How It Fits Your Career Plans *
If you are not able to articulate the reasons 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 immigrate. You should also be able to explain how studying in the United
States relates to your future professional career when you return home.
5.
Be Brief *
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 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.
Additional Documentation *
It should be immediately clear 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 are 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 in 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.
9.
Dependents Remaining at Home *
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 will need you to remit money from the United States in order to support themselves, your
student visa application will almost certainly be denied. If your family does decide to join you at a
later time, it is helpful to have them apply at the same post where you applied for your visa.
10. Maintain a Positive Attitude *
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.
* Items one through ten from: http://www.nafsa.org/resourcelibrary/default.aspx?id=8643
mjf/WP/foreign/forms/forms final internet/IS visa interview – 11/14/2011