Officer: Good Evening everyone! Welcome to this web-chat with our consular officer on F-1 visas and understanding refusals. We will now begin the chat. But before that some ground rules! Please ask one question after another and as briefly as possible. We will try to answer as many questions as possible in an hour's time.
Student: I didn't get my F1-What's Next?
Questions based on F1 Visa Interview Rejection:
Prospective Student: My F-1 visa was refused and the reason I was told is that for Public Administration there are not many job opportunities in India. If there weren’t any job opportunities then why do students like me opt for that subject? There are plenty of jobs here in India on the subject.
Officer: Thanks for your question. Student visas aren't usually refused for only one reason; usually there are several factors that lead the officer to believe that the student hasn't met the burden of proof that he or she is qualified for the student visa. What do you think were the weaknesses of your application?
Prospective Student: I was refused my visa stating that my academics are low?
Officer: Not all students will be able to convince a visa officer that they meet the requirements for the student visa based off of their academic history alone. If you have average or below average marks in your undergraduate program, it is very likely that you will need additional factors to prove to the visa officer that you will be successful in a United States graduate program.
Prospective Student: Why are there so many rejections?
Officer: Thousands of students get their student visa approved in Hyderabad every year, but you’re right, there are also many students who are not approved. The most common reason is because of section 214B. According to that law, the burden of proof is on the student to show that they meet the qualifications for the student visa. Please know that I don’t know the specifics of why you were refused, of course, I can only speak in general terms. But I hope that information is helpful.
Prospective Student: I just wanted to know the reason to my F-1 Visa application to be rejected?
Officer: I don't know why you were refused. What do you think was the weakest part of your application profile?
Prospective Student: Though my Academic grades were good and even my GRE and TOEFL score were good I was rejected twice.
Officer: Academics and GRE/test scores are two of the very important factors that officers use, but they're not the entire interview. Other factors are considered too. And how "good" is "good?" There are no hard and fast rules, no magic numbers, but sometimes students and officers have different definitions of "good."
Prospective Student: I was rejected my F-1 Visa under 214 (b) as a potential immigrant... I was asked about my selected University in which my older brother had studied and is in USA working under OPT, once I said this to the VISA officer, she started asking me about my brother and handed me with Rejection under 214 (b).. I would like to know that can I reapply as I don’t have any intention of staying there forever.
Officer: It may seem silly to compare you with your older brother (or sister) but I’ve often asked about older siblings who have studied in the past. It’s not a set-in-stone factor, but it helps me consider your application. I’d encourage anyone who has an older sibling in the US to bring a photocopy of their passport and a photocopy of their transcripts and, if your sibling is working now and will help to sponsor your education, make sure to bring a copy of their salary slips and bank documents. But part of the analysis under the law IS job opportunities and having a career plan. In addition, the student must convince the officer that he or she has a present intent to return to their home country after schooling.
Prospective Student: Why rejection rate is high compared to last year for US Visa?
Officer: I don't know the current approval rate, and I don't know how it compares to last year. Sorry. We don't keep that information, because we adjudicate each application as an individual. It's our goal, though, to consistently adjudicate student visas - both year after year and at every post around India.
Prospective Student: Is it necessary to change the University after we were rejected for the first time?
Officer: It's not necessary to change the university. (If you do change the University, be prepared to explain why to the officer.) But it brings up an important topic, explaining your academic plan.
Give careful consideration of your academic plan. In order to be eligible for a student visa, you must present a credible academic plan, and a significant part of that requirement is explaining your University selection. Consular officers do not adjudicate student visas on University choice alone, but we are well aware of Universities which have been closed down for unlawful activities. In both India and the U.S., government-regulated banks can go bankrupt, government-inspected airlines can have accidents, and government-authorized schools can be shut down. Have you spent as much time comparison shopping for Universities as you would if you were buying a new motorcycle?
I am a visa officer who has interviewed hundreds of Indian student visa applicants. Many are very good. But I am worried when I talk to applicants who seem to have paid very little attention in choosing a school, that it is almost a casual choice. Select universities that have solid reputations and be prepared to present good reasons why your final selection is the best match for you. How does this university makes sense for you, in terms of your academic background and future plans?
Questions on Deferment of Enrollment ( I20 Deferral)
Prospective Student: I got rejected twice for Fall 2011 and I am deferring my admissions for Spring 2012. May I know the chances of getting visa for the third time and I heard that if the student gets rejected by the Consulate and for the next time the same person cannot interview him. Is that True?
Officer: It's true, in order to be most fair to each applicant, that we try to give you an interview with a new officer, and most often that happens. Most students, who reapply, especially very quickly after their first interview, find that the result is the same. We don't encourage students to reapply until they've taken some positive steps to improve their candidacy.
And know that officers can see what information has changed since your previous interviews, which brings up two important points: 1. Make sure you never provide false information to a visa officer, as it could come back to haunt you! Misrepresentation that is material to a decision can result in a life-time ban on travel to the United States. 2. Always be able to tell the officer something that has changed since your previous application. Why are you a better candidate now? What have you done since the previous interview? Have you gotten some good work experience? Have you been working on projects? Retaken the GRE? Prepared a better financial plan? Because if you've only been playing cricket for the past month, you're unlikely to get a different result --- all officers are trained to make similar decisions!
Prospective Student: I got rejected twice for Fall 2011 and I am deferring my admissions for Spring 2012 may I know the chances of getting visa for the third time.
Officer: Deferring admission is a good choice for many people. Concentrate on improving your profile in the next 6 months. What are things you think you can improve between now and then? And when you've been refused once or more in the past, you've got your work cut out for you in the future. You can always apply again, but we recommend that you do so only when you can answer the officer's first question "what has changed since your previous application?" Don't just trust luck. Don’t just hope for a different decision. Improve your candidacy. Have something tangible that you can proudly say makes you a better applicant than last time.
Prospective Student: I have received admission from SIUC for PhD for fall 2011, for registration they need final master’s certificate and since I couldn't get that in time, I deferred my admission to the next semester. But my masters University said that it will take some more time. I wanted to know if I can apply for visa with my official graduation letter from University until the final certificate is ready. (Because if I wait till the final certificate is ready and then apply for visa, it may become late)
Officer: That's a good question. I'm not sure I know the answer. What I do know is that you definitely need an I-20 from the University. As soon as the University issues you the I-20, you should be able to apply for the visa interview. Oftentimes we see only provisional documents rather than the final copy, and most of the time that is fine.
Prospective Student: I got my visa stamped on Dec 2010 as my mom met with an accident I couldn’t turn up for the Spring intake (Jan 2011). So I have applied for deferral joining, for the same University and received my new I-20 with same SEVIS number and for the same course and for the same University. Kindly help me out whether I can go with the same visa or not. My college reporting is on 24th august. So kindly help me out with this issue....Thank You
Officer: We encourage you to get a new visa, you might well have a problem at the Port of Entry with an old visa, even if it is still valid. Know, though, that a new interview .
Questions on GRE & TOEFL
Prospective Student: Sir I would like to put forth a general query which lots of students have and i.e., is GRE a requirement for F-1 visa issuance or admission requirement for Universities in USA.
Officer: Great question. GRE is not required for student visa. But it is an important tool for both master’s program admission and helping the officer know if you're likely to be a credible US grad student. Especially if you've been refused in the past, it’s a good way to demonstrate that you're taking improvement seriously and gives the visa officer a new piece of information that might make you successful. The GRE also greatly expands the number of universities you can consider and apply for. All of my friends who went to grad school or professional school -- and even those who were simply thinking about it -- took the GREs. Can’t hurt, right?
Prospective Student: What is the criterion that really matters for obtaining an F-1? GRE and TOEFL scores? Or the intent to return back to India? Or the academics? Exactly what?
Officer: It's the whole picture. Except I’d add in "your academic plan." and I’d slightly minimize "intent to return back to India," as US law acknowledges that students are young, impressionable, and likely to change and grow.
Prospective Student: Sir, I have applied for F-1 visa twice in last two months. The reason for the first rejection was low GRE and the reason for the second rejection was "low tier University”. I agree that the only weak point in my profile was low GRE but I have seen myself that students with same level of my academic background whether it is backlogs or percentage ...........got a visa for same level of University WITHOUT EVEN ATTEMPTING a GRE!!!.................now I sincerely ask you Sir, doesn’t it hurt when we see such cases?
Officer: Luckily, both of the reasons that you suggest as the reasons you were refused are within your control. You can still work hard, study and improve your test scores. And you can always apply to even stronger academic programs. We don't adjudicate based on the school, but I think you'll find that higher test scores will help gain you admission to programs that will better help you achieve your goals...which can only help you convince the officer that you have a great academic plan in mind.
Prospective Student: My profile is a % of 65 in graduation with no backlogs........an average score in GRE......applied to South East Missouri State University............got rejected twice saying I was a potential immigrant and had a low GRE score.......will a higher score help me the next time?
Officer: Like I told someone one before, improving your GRE score is a good way to improve your application. It requires work, study and determination. Do you think that was the weakest part of your application? Studying and improving your GRE score is one good step that all previously-refused students can try to improve their credentials for a second interview. High exam scores on aptitude-based entrance exams are one piece of evidence that lead visa officers to believe you will be a credible, legitimate student in a United States University.
Prospective Student: I have been refused F-1 visa for twice in Fall 2011 intake. The reason for my rejection is I am not having enough work experience and have a GRE score of 930. But people with these qualifications have been issued visa.
Officer: It's true, there are no magic numbers, and you can get a student visa with a 930 GRE. But that's a score that would often lead me to ask the student if that's the best score they could get. If it is the highest score you can get, you might lag behind American classmates in a graduate-level program. And if it’s not the highest score you can get, I would wonder about your dedication to studies. Graduate school is a big commitment; you should be willing to put in the work to improve your GRE score.
Prospective Student: Actually my GRE is 880 and my TOEFL is 103, may I know for what reason my visa was refused?
Officer: Check out some websites and see how your GRE score compares with US graduate students. It is just one factor officers use, but might be one of the reasons your visa was refused. Consider studying harder and improving your score.
Questions on Visa issuance being pure Luck
Prospective Student: Hello sir, good evening, I was rejected for an F-1, without asking for a single document to be shown. My documents are all genuine and my father is a manger with 20 lacs annual income, but there are many students who got visa by showing fake documents, does visa purely depend on luck?
Officer: Oftentimes officers don't ask to see a single document, both for students who are refused and those who are approved. We’re trained to make quick decisions based on a totality of circumstances. But that said, sometimes documents become very important, so make sure to plan each document that could become important and bring it to the interview. Documents are especially important if we find out they’re fraudulent, as this will result in a refused visa and the possibility of a lifetime ban.
Prospective Student: Hello Sir. Many students who did not write TOEFL on their own got visas in the past (purely luck for them), and now they are pursuing masters, but a bona fide student like me who has all genuine documents and strong financial ties in home country have been refused thrice, I am deeply hurt by the way Visa Officers refused me without a reason.
Officer: The officer will always give you a reason, which is oftentimes a piece of paper that articulates 214(b) requirements, too. And I agree with you, it disappoints me when students use fraud to get a visa, cheating US immigration law. And it disappoints me, too, when some students abuse the student visa for other purposes. Luckily, most Indian students who study in the US go on to amazing educations and careers.
Prospective Student: Everybody says visa is based on luck and confidence in you is it true?
Officer: Ha ha, I’ll try to convince you that is not entirely the case. Luck? If you have an outstanding academic profile and plan, you're going to find a lot of success in the US as a graduate student. If you didn't work hard in your undergrad and have a poor academic plan, you're unlikely to get a student visa. In the US we have a saying "YOU MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK." But I will admit that confidence is important. :-) Prepare for your interview and present comfortably.
Questions on Accredited Universities
Prospective Student: Now I want to apply for US but I am still worried with the scams like Trivalley and all....So how can I make sure the University I apply to is accredited or not
Officer: Fantastic question. And an important one. Accreditation is tricky, I wish it was easier for international students, but you must do a lot of the research yourself. There isn't one single source; there are several accreditation bodies in the US.
Prospective Student: Please suggest any website as you have mentioned in this comment...... Officer: Check out some websites and see how your GRE score compares with US graduate students.
There are six regional accrediting agencies all under the umbrella of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools -http://www.middlestates.org/
- covers DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA. Go to the association’s Middle States Commission on Higher Education at http://www.msche.org/institutions_directory.asp to find a school.
New England Association of Schools and Colleges -http://www.neasc.org/
- covers CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT. Go to the association’s Commission on Institutions of Higher Education at http://cihe.neasc.org/about_our_institutions/roster_of_institutions/search_roster/ to find a school.
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools -www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org
-the Higher Learning Commission, www.ncahlc.org , covers AR, AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, OK, NM, SD, WI, WV, WY.
Western Association of Schools and Colleges -www.wascweb.org
- covers CA, HI. Go tohttp://www.wascsenior.org/directory to find a school.
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities – -http://www.nwccu.org/
- covers AK, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA.
Go to http://www.nwccu.org/Directory%20of%20Inst/Directory%20of%20Institutions.htm to find a school.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools -http://www.sacs.org/
– covers AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA. Go to the association’s Commission on Colleges at http://sacscoc.org/
Prospective Student: @Consular Officer 1: I would like to say you that, I have Distinction in my academic background, belong to a very good family, GRE and TOEFL are Ok, and my Universities did accept me! I dont think there was a weak point? Is working under OPT a bad sign? Or illegal? Or telling that my brother is in USA is a wrong step?
Officer: The United States is an open society. Unlike many other countries, the United States does not impose internal controls on most visitors, such as registration with local authorities. In order to enjoy the privilege of unencumbered travel in the United States, aliens must prove they are going to return abroad before a nonimmigrant visa will be issued. Section 214B requires consular officers to view most non-immigrant visa applicant as an intending immigrant – and therefore ineligible for the visa – until you prove otherwise.
You've got to prove: 1. you’re a student with a credible intent to study. 2. You have a credible plan to pay for a very expensive education without working illegally and 3. You have a present intent to return to your home country.
Prospective Student: In my first interview, the Officer asked me the reason for my backlogs (7 which were cleared). He was not convinced. In my second interview I convinced the officer informing my goals n career. He says he can’t issue the visa. I asked him the reason he says it is written in the form that I have low academics and 7 backlogs...my academics are not that low. It is 62% What was the use of attending second counseling when the officer takes a decision on depending on the comment written by the first officer. I don’t understand. Please suggest whether I have could attempt the next time?
Officer: Yes, all non-immigrant visa applicants can apply again, but know that unless you can show a change of circumstances; your new application is likely to be refused again. We recommend that students do not reapply until they can show a significant improvement in qualifications. Since you've had two refusals, it seems pretty clear that you should take some additional steps to bolster your credentials. What do you think?
But know that officers can see what information has changed since your previous interviews, which brings up two important points: 1. make sure you never provide false information to a visa officer, as it could come back to haunt you! Misrepresentation that is material to a decision can result in a life-time ban on travel to the United States. 2. Always be able to tell the officer something that has changed since your previous application. Why are you a better candidate now? What have you done since the previous interview? Have you gotten some good work experience? Have you been working on projects? Retaken the GRE? Prepared a better financial plan? Because if you've only been playing cricket for the past month, you're unlikely to get a different result --- all officers are trained to make similar decisions!
Prospective Student: Sir...I have heard that many people were rejected their visas for the reason that they had fake TOEFL scores and that was determined by the test centre which is kept in blacklists. Then what is the fate of the person who took the exam genuinely and has been rejected visa by the reason of fake exam?
Officer: Fake TOEFLs are a problem in India, unfortunately. It’s incredibly easy for American officers to determine if your TOEFL score is fake when you struggle to answer questions. It makes for a short interview. US authorities have begun to shutdown centers with known problems and rescind all TOEFLs from that center. This helps us deter fraud. If it affects a student who believes they are innocent, they should retake the TOEFL at a different testing center.
Prospective Student: If that is the case with students with 930 GRE, what about the students who have excellent technical skills where they lag in the analytical ability which make them score low in GRE. For example consider me, I have an undergraduate aggregate of 80%, done three good technical projects which are now implemented in our own campus and my thirst for knowledge is everlasting and hence I decided to go for Master's. So, took GRE, scored only 1010 even though attempted twice. Why should I deserve a Visa rejected for my low GRE? Please answer.
Officer: The challenge you will have is explaining your technical strengths to the officer in a short amount of time. Tie in your strengths to the questions that the officer answers.
Questions on Backlogs
Prospective Student: Hi Sir/Madam I had got I20 from Texas A&M University Commerce but I got rejected 4 times. Because I'm having 26 backlogs but I'm very interested in doing my masters in US. So please help me what should I do to get a visa.
Officer: 26 backlogs is a lot, no? Here are some of my concerns when I see students with many, many backlogs. You haven't necessarily demonstrated that you've been a good student in the past? How are you going to prove -- not just promise -- to me that you'll do better in the US? If you get backlogs in America, you don't graduate, you can't work in the US, you don't get your money back, and you have to come back to India...
Prospective Student: Hello Sir: I have got 20 Backlogs and low percentage of 52 in my Bachelors Degree, since I never had much interest in the program. I have realized that my right course to Study was MBA and I was been forced to study Computer Science. I have now had a good GRE score of -1100 and a TOEFL score of 95. My worry is all my friends have de motivated me not to apply to USA since I have more backlogs, and you can never update your profile. My dream is to study in USA and I feel given an opportunity I will definitely prove myself. What would you suggest me to do Sir? Should I take the privilege of applying for a USA Student visa?
Officer: Well, I think you're being very honest, 52% with 20 backlogs is not a strong academic profile. And I’m glad you've found an academic/career path you're interested in pursuing. You've got to prove that you're a legitimate "student," and undergraduate grades are important, but not the only factor. Sounds like your GRE score is headed in the right direction, that's the good news. All business students should think seriously about taking the GMAT, too... What kind of work experience do you have? That’s very relevant for a business program.
Prospective Student: I have my academics 69.55 % with NO BACK LOGS and my GRE is 1020 and TOEFL is 95. And I applied to a good University Northern Illinois University but I was rejected twice saying I am a potential immigrant?
Officer: I don't know the specifics of your case, but you do have many strong points to your application. What are the things you can still improve? I’d encourage you to take some time to improve any weaknesses. Good luck!
Questions on Visa Quota
Prospective Student: How can a student know that the University admissions are filled before he attends the visa interview? I'm raising this doubt as many of my friends were rejected saying that Visa quota is full?
Officer: I'm not sure I understand your question? You mean that specific Universities say "sorry, we can't accept any more students?" Universities should not issue more i-20s than they can handle kada? Other than that, there are no "visa quotas" on our end.
Prospective Student: Hi sir! Is there any limit for Visa Quota for certain session like ‘x’ number of visas have to give for this Fall and only few number have to give for Spring is that.?
Officer: Nope, no quotas at all! We adjudicate each person individually. And you'll be happy to know that somewhere around 100,000 Indian students study in the US each year!
Prospective Student: Hi Sir! You said that there is no quota for Visa and may I know the reason why many of the students gets rejected at the end of the Season
Officer: Good students are smart and apply early.
Other Questions on Visa Rejection
Prospective Student: Sir, we will be very happy if you conduct a session in "The U.S. Consulate General, Hyderabad in association with Osmania University Center for International Programs” on your weekends
Officer: We regularly conduct outreach programs especially for students. Please keep a tab on our Facebook page to know about any upcoming outreach sessions. We will certainly try and do one in the near future at OUCIP.
Prospective Student: Is there any way we could have a document, word or .pdf of all of these Qs & As here?
Officer: We will try and post a transcript of the full chat that took place here on our website hyderabad.usconsulate.gov by Monday.
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.
Thank you to all those who could join us today and a big thank you to our Consular Officer too for answering as many questions as possible!
Also Read:
US Student Visa Interview Questions>>>
vBulletin Message
The following errors occurred with your submission