Recent F1 visa experience collected to help spring
2012...
VISA Experience
Consulate: Mumbai BKC
Date: 5th Dec 2011
Time: 7:45 am
I reached consulate around 6:30 am, thought I was very early but to my surprise there was crowd waiting already. At 7:15 am I was standing in a queue of students, HDFC receipt checked with i20 and passport. Then I entered the room where token number was given. My number was N 242. Then came the security check. All Docs and things were passed through X ray check.
Then I entered the Main Hall of Interview which has around 42 counters. Done Finger printing at counter number 42, an Old American man greeted me “Good Morning Krunal”, I also wished the same. Then I sat on seat waiting for my number. After 12-14 mins my number was displayed. I got window number 35. She was a American Lady aging 30-35 years. A girl was in front of me who misinterpreted info on LCD and was redirected to other window. Now I was first one for this lady for that day. Now my interview Begins, it was little long, lasted for 3 minutes:
VO: u N 242
I was at 6 ft distance
Me: yes mam
VO: Come come come….
Me: Good Morning Mam, How r u???( With a Big Smile)
VO: smiling back… I m gud, How r u?
Me: I am fine
VO: your passport pls
Me: Yes mam
VO: So which school r u going for?
Me: sorry mam( I cudnt hear "school")
VO: which school?
Me: UTA, University of Texas at Arlington
VO: whats ur undergrad degree?
Me: I have done Computer Enggineering with first class distinction
VO: what is first class distinction?
Me: mam its a highest attainable grade. There are grades like first class, second class. I got this grade with 70.30% mam
VO: whats ur GRE?
Me: 1200 with split up of 730 in quant and 470 in verbal
VO: 470 in verbal?
Me: yes mam
VO: TOEFL?
Me: 96 mam
VO: Why u choose UTA?
Me: research oriented studies + I get Focus on software Engg. Also, research work is done in software engg lab by Dr. Christoph Csallner and Dr. Yu Lei impressed me, So I would have academics + research + this would fulfill my long term goal of working as a Sr. Software Engg in TCS, India
At this time, She went away with my i20 sumwhere… these were hardest 3 minutes… Dont know what doubt she had, or had other work…. god knows…
She came back and Sat on chair but still was murmuring with VO on her right side…. I was like " JALDI KARO YAAR!!!!!!!!!"
Then she smiled me back…and said " Oh !!! sorry…"
I asked myself why sorry, then realized oh she was not attending me for 3 long minutes that why she said sorry…
Me: No problem mam
VO: smiled
VO: tell me sumthing abt UTA?
Me: UTA has good campus, one of the best colleges of UT system, My dept have 18 research labs.( Dnt knw jst spoke anything abt UTA without organization)
VO: So, Do u have texas as a location preference?
Me: No mam, it is having excellent software Engg curriculum and so I wud get academics + research opportunities.
VO: So, How wud you fund? How wud you pay these fees? ( By looking towards i20)
Me: My father works as a production manager In German MNC named XX pvt ltd.
VO: do u have any assets?
Me: I have assets worth XX lakhs and My father have savings worth XX lakhs and so there would be no problem financially. Should I show you docs…?
VO: Not Required.
VO: whats your fathers annual income?
Me: XX lacs per annum
VO was continuously typing for 1 minute, nodded her head up down, looked Happy… I now thought I would get it…
Then came Golden awaited Words
VO: "Congratulations, Your VISA is issued…. Your Passport will be deliverd ina week.
Me: Thank you mam leaved, but again went to window and asked I would get passport in a week?
VO: I dont know actually but it depends on VFS courier services.
Me: Ok, thank you mam. Have a nice Day..(smiling)
VO: smiling… Good LUCK…
I came out of Consulate Smiling, Gave a Hug to my father who came with me at Mumbai.
Friends just show confidence and have a smiley face… They judge your confidence and your genuineness, dont try to make complicated answers. Thats it. Thanks a lot to this group. I wish all of you Best Of Luck…
Hi friends, I have attended my F1 visa interview on 28/10/2011 in Hyderabad Consulate. I was given 221(g) on that day. On 23/11/11 i received my passport stamped.
Back Ground and profile:
Stream : B.Tech Mechanical Engineering
Academic percentage - 73.
GRE : 990
IELTS : 6.5
Applied For : Masters program in Aeronautical Engineering, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach Campus, FL.
Heres my VISA Interview experience, It might help you if you are going to attend an interview.
VO : Gud Morning,
ME : Hello,Very good morning.
VO : which University?
ME : Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
VO : Why Embry Riddle ?
ME : As it's the one of the best university in the world of aeronautics. I chose ERAU.
VO : Why Aeronautical?
ME : I'm very much interested in this field.
VO : Why you are interested?
ME : Umm, aah.. Because I would like to know about the design of the modern aircraft's and I love to fly.
VO : okay, Whats your GRE?
ME : 990
VO : Percentage?
ME : 73
VO : Any backlogs?
ME : 1,
VO : Show me your documents, I need to check.
ME : Okay, here they are.
VO : Okay, Whats your father?
ME : He is running his own business.
VO : what Kind of business.
ME : Business related to .... industry.
VO : Whats Your annual income?
ME : It's around 5 Lac's.
VO : Okay, What all the other universities you have applied?
ME : ERAU, University of Alaska Fair banks and Florida Institute of Technology.
VO : Okay, I will send you an email please reply to that and with in few days you'll come to know your status in the website.
ME : Okay, Thanks.
VO : Good Luck, Bye.
ME : Good Bye.
I was Quite confident through out my interview and I gave all short and straight answers. After many days of suspense I received my VISA.. :-) All the very best to all who are going to attend the interview's.
Guyzz here is my visa interview experience. Hope this is useful to all : -
29th Nov, Mumbai Consulate : -
A young lady was sitting in front of me : -
Me : - Gm mam
VO : - Gm. Which university r u going to. (she meant business)
Me : - Carnegie Mellon University.
VO : - What is ur major?
Me : - Masters in Engineering and Technology Innovation Managament.
VO : - Show me your I20
Me : - Gave.
VO : - When did u complete ur undergrad?
Me : - May - 2007
VO : - What have u been doin since then?
Me : - Told her about my work experience.
VO : - How r u funding ur education?
Me : - I am cofunded by my parents. I also have an education loan and a scholarship.
VO : - How much education loan r u takin?
Me : - Around 20 lac INR mam.
VO : - What is ur parents annual income?
Me : - Told.
VO : - What do ur parents do?
Me : - Told.
VO : - How much scholarship do u have?
Me : - $10000 mam.
VO : - Is this scholarship goin to be offered in d second year as well?
Me : - My course is of only 1 year mam.
VO : - Oh. Ok. Which other universities did u apply to?
Me : - Told.
VO : - Congratulations Sir! Ur visa has been approved.
Me : - Thank you mam. Have a nice day!
Guyz she dint even bother to check any of my documents accept I20. CONFIDENCE is d key guyz. Keep ur ans short n simple n plzz "DONT MUG UP". U will not remember anythin there. If u have really put ur heart into ur application u shud have no probms gettin thro....
All d best to all u guyzz!!!! I am now looking forward towards joining CMU..
Mumbai Consulate - 9.00 am
University of Florida
Date: 22nd Nov
3rd Attempt
Reached around 8.15 to the consulate . Was allowed
inside arnd 9 only ..... aft the security chk nd
everything was over by 9.20 was waiting for my turn. The
new consulate's gt a lot of counters but sadly all of
them are open counters .... so cud see a lot of ppl
getting rejected sadly ..... especially the one at
counter no. 37 ... the lady was of Asian origin nd was
rejecting all the ppl
My no. was called out at counter no. 34 .... was a fat
guy .. rejected a lady before me so kinda gt tensed .
Me: Good morning sir.... how are you ??
VO: No reply.... told me to pass my passport ... was
looking in his computer for a a while and said to
me.....So seems like you have been for the visa a couple
of times before??
Me: Yes sir y
VO: So I'l come straight to the point ....just tell wat
all changes you have done since your previous attempt??
Me: Told
VO: Just tell me why you want to go to this univ ??
Me: Told
VO after typing in his computer for a while said I'm
approving ur visa .... ur passport will reach you by
courier in a week's time
Me: Thank you sir
Just 2 ques .... no docs were asked ... nuthin
Just be confident guys !!
Shashank Akula
Date: Nov 23rd, Hyderabad
Status: Approved
Me: Good Afternoon sir (with smile)
VO: Good Afternoon
VO: Oh u already got a visa for USA
Me: yes sir. I have recieved B1 visa for some XXXX
reason.
VO: Where did u go ?
Me: Places like NY, NJ, Orlando, Atlantic City, Niagara
falls.
VO: Wow Some nice places, u must have enjoyed a lot.
Me: yes sir
VO: Ok now lets come to ur academics, What's u r gre
score ?
Me: 1110 sir
VO: Toefl ?
Me: 94
VO: Ug percentage?
Me: 69%, Missed distinction by mere 1% sir.
VO: How Many BackLogs ?
Me: 2 sir
VO: thats a good profile.
VO: Why university?
Me: Arkansas Tech University for XXXX reasons (here i
gave 5 reasons and some proff names)
VO: ok,How Many university's did u apply?
Me: 4 sir started telling there names, UHCL, ATU, LTU,
university of Texas,San Marcos.
And i have all the four admits sir.
VO: fine
Started typing and said those magical words "U R VISA IS
GRANTED SIR, U WILL GET U R PASSPORT WITH IN 3 DAYS"
Thats it guys.
For More Visa related guidance visit:
http://msinus.com/US-F1-visa-Frequently-asked-Questions-faqs.htm
Some important visa interview questions
http://msinus.com/impvisaquestions.htm
Sample Visa Interviews( submitted
by old students)
http://MSinUS.com/samplevisaexperiances.htm
Student Visa General Questions
http://MSinUS.com/f1visa.htm
how to prepare for F1 Visa
Interview
http://MSinUS.com/visatips.htm
Visa
Documentation
http://MSinUS.com/VisaDocumentation.htm
Regards,
Ajay Cherukuri,
www.MSinUS.com
For CPT/OPT jobs
Guidance call me at 405-334-1428