Analysing the US student visa process

With the student visa season fast approaching, students and their parents are beginning to feel pressured. The most common concerns are the unavailability of visa dates and being rejected by the visa officer. Are these concerns justified?

"There is unnecessary hype about student visas. I went for my US visa interview and was practically asked nothing. The visa process has been simplified and my advice to applicants is -- don't make a big deal about your visa and just apply with all the papers that you have," says Aniket, a student who was just granted a US student visa.

"We make every effort to ensure that all students planning to study in the United States get their visas on time. In fact, we have established separate procedures in each of our four Consulates to handle the large number of student visa requests during the months leading up to the start of the academic year," states a US Consulate Officer.

So what is the US consulate doing to encourage more students to apply?

"The US Consulate is doing everything possible to assist qualified students obtain US visas. Specifically, student visa applicants receive expedited appointment dates, currently within three weeks of completing the visa application and paying the required fee. In addition, visa officers work hard to reach potential students with information about the visa process through question and answer sessions, seminars, and published articles on the visa process," said the US Consulate General.

More US visas for Indians

The most important part of your US visa application process is your visa interview. Consulate officials have always advised applicants not to memorise answers for the visa interview. Instead, speak honestly and openly about your reasons to study in the US, your career goals and your finances. You should be prepared to answer any questions pertaining to your parents, your sponsor and the school you plan to attend. Be honest, confident and straightforward in your answers and your visa interview will be a cakewalk.

If you are planning to apply for a 'high tech' field such as Chemical Engineering or Advanced Quantum Physics at the Master's or Doctorate level, there is a good chance that your visa processing will take longer. In such cases, approval from Washington DC is required and hence applicants applying for visas in these fields are advised to apply as early as possible. Please keep in mind that if you are applying for these fields, it does not mean that you visa interview will be more difficult, it just means that the visa processing will take more time.

Students often believe that if their standardised test scores are low or if they have not appeared for any standardised exams, they will gave a hard time getting a student visa. Again, this is not true as the consulate is aware that certain programmes in the US do not require any standardised tests and hence the consulate reviews your visa application individually. Similarly, there are no 'blacklisted' colleges in the US and as long as your college is accredited and issues an I-20, you could qualify for your student visa.

"No single factor determines whether a student applicant qualifies for a US visa. Consular officers may look at test scores, finances, student history, and many other factors, but each interview is an individual interview and there is no minimum test score requirement that student applicants must meet. If a university has admitted an applicant, the Consular officers give due consideration to the determination by the admissions board in making their own determination of visa eligibility," states a US Consulate visa officer.

Students with last names of Patel, Shah, and Mehta stress more about their visa interview anticipating greater problems solely because of their last name. This, by far, is the greatest myth surrounding the US visa for many years now. The US consulate on several occasions has stated that this is a myth and certainly not true. Each applicant is reviewed independently and a particular last name cannot disqualify you for a visa. For example consider the student visa application of Rahul Patel. Rahul's mother, father and brother all live in the US and in addition, Rahul does not have sufficient funds to pay for his education. Rahul is not sure why he wants to study in the US and his main goal of getting to the US is to live with his parents. When Rahul applied for his US visa, his visa was denied. Now, was his visa denied because his last name was Patel?

Steps for a successful US visa interview

Your visa can be denied under two sections -- Section 221 (g) and Section 214 (b). Section 221 (g) implies that there is some 'procedural' problem with your visa application and after correcting the problem, your visa may be issued. Examples of this include an invalid SEVIS fee receipt or a missing bank document. A denial under section 214 (b) implies that you are a potential immigrant and you have not convinced the visa officer that you plan to return home after your education. If your visa is denied you can apply again; there is no limit to the number of times you can apply for your student visa.

Final words of advice from the US Consulate General, "As with all visa applicants, student visa applicants should apply as early as possible for their interview date. In addition, student applicants should relax during their interview and be prepared to explain honestly why they want to go to a particular university and how that choice fits into their overall life plan."

As the student visa season approaches people will tell you that Friday is not the best time to apply for your visa as consular officers want to leave early for their weekend and hence will deny all visas after 2.00 p.m. You will also hear about the Chinese or African American lady who sits at 'Counter number 4' and denies visas to all students.

Finally, 'your uncle's friend's son's wife's brother' knows someone at the US consulate and promises a student visa for a ridiculously high sum of money. Please do not succumb to such rubbish and use your common sense before believing such rumours.

During the 'visa season', it is normal for your anxiety levels to reach an all time peak but understand that there is nothing tricky about the student visa process and by following simple guidelines, you most likely will get your visa.

Note: Days the American Consulate is closed: