F1 Visa interview experience🇺🇸 | I was asked 15 questions | Interview tips | Don't make this mistake

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares their visa interview experience for studying at NJIT. They discuss their attire for biometrics and the interview, the questions asked, and their responses. The speaker emphasizes the importance of preparation, confidence, and honesty. They also share personal anecdotes, such as attending a college farewell the day before the interview and having a sore throat, yet still successfully obtaining their visa. The video aims to reassure and guide others going through a similar process.

Takeaways

• 😀 The interviewee was a student at NJIT for Fall 2022 and had their visa interview in Chennai.
• 👔 For the visa interview, the interviewee wore formal attire to appear professional but comfortable.
• 🗓 The interview took place around the 13th or 14th, but exact dates were not specified.
• 📚 The interviewee was asked about their educational plans, the universities they applied to, and their admission status.
• 🏫 A tip was given to not mention admits from better universities to avoid potential visa rejection.
• 💼 The interviewee emphasized the importance of NJIT being a tier-one research university.
• 🧑‍🎓 Questions about previous travel outside India, GRE and IELTS scores, and graduation timing were asked.
• 💼 The interviewee's father funded their education, and it was advised to provide clear and concise information about funding.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 Having siblings was brought up, and the interviewee mentioned a younger sister.
• 🏛️ The interviewee's final year project was discussed, and it was advised to keep the explanation brief.
• 🌟 The interview felt conversational, and the interviewee emphasized the importance of confidence and preparation.
• 📢 Despite having a cough and a bad throat, the interviewee did not let it affect their performance.
• 📱 The interviewee advised not to bring extra items to the visa interview to avoid complications.
• 🙏 There was a moment of prayer for a successful outcome before the interview.
• 🗣️ The interviewee mentioned that it's not necessary to flatter the visa officer; answering questions well is sufficient.
• 💬 The interview concluded with the visa being approved, and the interviewee received a green slip.

Q & A

What was the visa interview experience like for the speaker?

The speaker described their visa interview experience as conversational and relatively straightforward, despite having a sore throat and attending a college farewell party the night before.

When did the speaker's visa interview take place?

The speaker's visa interview took place around the same time as their biometrics, which was approximately on the 13th or 14th, a year prior to the recording of the transcript.

What was the speaker's attire for the visa interview?

The speaker wore blue formal pants and a pink shirt for the visa interview, opting for a simple and professional look without tucking in the shirt.

How many universities did the speaker apply to and how many admits did they receive?

The speaker applied to five universities and received three admits, although they mentioned having applied to more but chose to say five to avoid giving a negative impression.

What advice does the speaker give regarding mentioning admits from better universities?

The speaker advises against mentioning admits from better universities to avoid the risk of visa rejection, as the visa officer may not consider personal reasons for choosing a different university.

What was the speaker's reason for choosing NJIT?

The speaker chose NJIT because it is a tier-one research university and they had done their research to determine it was the right fit for them.

Did the speaker have to take any standardized tests like the GRE or IELTS?

Yes, the speaker took both the GRE and IELTS, scoring a band of eight in IELTS.

What was the speaker's approach to answering questions about their father's profession?

The speaker provided a concise and specific answer about their father being a business owner, suggesting that being clear and avoiding open-ended answers can prevent follow-up questions.

What was the speaker's strategy for discussing their future career goals?

The speaker planned to become a software architect and mentioned that the courses they were taking were key to achieving this goal.

How did the speaker handle the question about their final year project?

The speaker kept the explanation of their final year project brief, focusing on the project's objective and the techniques used, without going into excessive detail.

What was the outcome of the speaker's visa interview?

The speaker's visa was approved after a series of questions that felt more like a conversation than an interrogation.

What was the speaker's advice for others preparing for a visa interview?

The speaker advised staying confident, being prepared, and answering questions honestly and concisely, emphasizing that the interview should feel like a conversation.

Outlines

00:00

👔 Visa Interview Attire and Experience

The speaker shares their visa interview experience as a fall 22 student at NJIT. They discuss their attire for biometrics and the interview, choosing professional and comfortable clothing. They recount the interview questions, emphasizing the importance of honesty and preparation. The speaker provides advice on how to answer questions about university choices, GRE scores, and financial support. They also share a tip about not mentioning better university admits to avoid potential visa rejection. The paragraph concludes with a personal anecdote about attending a college farewell party the night before the interview.

05:01

🗣️ Visa Interview Questions and Responses

The speaker continues their account of the visa interview, detailing the questions asked and their responses. They mention questions about their course selection, siblings, final year project, and whether it was a group project. The speaker advises keeping answers concise and focused. They share their experience of feeling unwell before the interview but maintaining confidence. The paragraph also includes a story about another applicant being rejected, emphasizing the importance of having a well-prepared reason for choosing a university.

10:05

📚 Insights on Visa Interview Dynamics

The speaker concludes their visa interview story with the outcome of their application being approved. They reflect on the interview process, noting that it felt more like a conversation than a formal interrogation. The speaker shares their strategy for greeting the officer and emphasizes that politeness and proper answering of questions are more important than excessive flattery. They recount the moment of receiving the approval and sharing the news with family and friends. The paragraph ends with an invitation for viewers to ask questions, request video topics, and engage with the speaker's content.

Keywords

💡Visa Interview

A visa interview is a meeting between an applicant and a consular officer at an embassy or consulate to determine eligibility for a visa. In the video, the speaker shares their personal experience of attending a visa interview for studying in the United States at NJIT. The interview is a critical step in the visa application process, as it allows the officer to assess the applicant's intentions and qualifications.

💡NJIT

NJIT stands for New Jersey Institute of Technology, which is the university the speaker attended for their master's degree in computer science. The choice of NJIT is mentioned as part of the rationale for the speaker's visa application, highlighting the importance of selecting a reputable institution to strengthen the visa application.

💡Biometrics

Biometrics refers to the measurable biological or behavioral characteristics used for personal identification, such as fingerprints and facial recognition. In the context of the video, the speaker mentions attending for biometric data collection, which is a standard procedure prior to a visa interview to verify the applicant's identity.

💡Formal Attire

Formal attire refers to clothing that is suitable for official or ceremonial occasions. The speaker discusses wearing a kurti for the biometrics and formal pants with a pink shirt for the visa interview, emphasizing the importance of dressing professionally to make a good impression during the visa process.

💡GRE

The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is a standardized test that is an admissions requirement for most graduate schools in the United States. The speaker mentions having taken the GRE and sharing their score during the visa interview, which is a common practice to demonstrate academic preparedness for higher education.

💡IELTS

IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System, which is an international standardized test of English language proficiency. The speaker states they took IELTS with a band of eight, indicating a high level of English proficiency necessary for studying in an English-speaking country.

💡Admits

Admits refer to acceptance letters from universities. The speaker discusses having been admitted to multiple universities but choosing to mention only a select few to the visa officer, as a strategy to avoid potential complications in the visa approval process.

💡Funding

Funding in the context of the video refers to financial support for the speaker's education. The speaker mentions that their father is funding their education, which is a crucial aspect of the visa interview as it demonstrates the applicant has the means to support themselves during their studies.

💡Career Goals

Career goals are the long-term objectives an individual has for their professional life. The speaker talks about wanting to become a software architect, linking their study plans to clear career aspirations, which is a way to show the visa officer the purpose and benefit of their intended studies.

💡Final Year Project

A final year project is a culminating academic assignment typically completed in the last year of an academic program. The speaker briefly describes their solo project, which is a demonstration of their individual capabilities and a reflection of their field of study.

💡Visa Approval

Visa approval is the official permission granted by a consular officer for an individual to enter and stay in a foreign country for a specific purpose. The video concludes with the speaker receiving approval for their visa, which is the ultimate goal of the interview process and a significant milestone in their academic journey.

Highlights

The student's visa interview took place in Chennai, India.

The student wore professional attire for the biometrics and visa interview.

The student applied to five universities and received three admits.

The student chose NJIT for its reputation as a tier-one research university.

The student mentioned a GRE score and an IELTS band of eight.

The student had not traveled outside of India before the interview.

The student's father is funding the education, and he is a business owner.

The student's goal is to become a software architect.

The student provided a brief explanation of their final year project.

The student did not have siblings at the time of the interview.

The student's visa was approved after answering all questions.

The student attended their college farewell the day before the visa interview.

The student had a cough and a bad throat on the day of the interview.

The student prayed for a successful visa interview outcome.

The student did not bring any extra items into the visa interview room.

The student observed another applicant being rejected before their own interview.

The student emphasized the importance of answering questions honestly and confidently.

The student received a green slip indicating visa approval and shared the news with family and friends.

The student encourages viewers to comment with questions or video suggestions.

Transcripts

hello

today I'm going to be sharing my visa

interview experience with you to begin

with

I am a fall 22 student I go to NJIT and

my visa interview happened around the

same time last year

um the dates I don't remember exactly

but it was something like 13th and 14th

or so

my visa interview experience was in

Chennai

I live in Chennai my experience was also

in China so I'll start with what I wore

to my Biometrics as well as my interview

for my Biometrics I was wearing a kurti

with a collar just to be more

professional and for my visa interview I

wore blue formal pants and a pink shirt

very simple I did not tuck it in it was

easy breezy

and I did have a bindi on on both days

that's pretty much it uh nothing to

sweat about you can wear anything that's

comfortable with you guys as long as

it's very presentable I have friends who

wore Kurtis on both days that also works

just wear something

formal Indian Farmers works

Western Farmers also work but I don't

mean sarees and all by Indian families

so without any delay let me start off

with what my questions were I have 15

questions written down here but I'm

pretty sure I was asked a few more

questions I just cannot recall all of

them so my first question was why are

you going to the US

I said I'm going to pursue my masters in

computer science at NJIT then they asked

me how many universities did you apply

to I said I applied to five universities

and got three admits but in reality I

applied to more

universities

but it wouldn't give off a good

impression if I told them that I applied

to 10 but got only three admins so I had

to reduce it and say I have planned to

five universities and had Administration

three the third question was which all

universities I applied to so I had

applied to Arizona State University

University of Colorado Boulder Sunny

Buffalo Arizona State University and

NJIT these are the five I told them and

then I was asked what admits I do have

so here's a tip

if you have an admit from a better

University

do not mention it

chances of your Visa getting rejected

are higher you could have a very valid

reason for not picking the better

University but they are not going to

listen to you I have a friend who had an

admit from NYU and still chose to come

to NJIT and the first time

his Visa got rejected and the second

time he did not mention NYU and then he

received his reason was he did not get

the course of his choice so he did not

go to NYU but the visa interview officer

is not going to ask you why you did not

select the better University

so my next question was why NJIT

I said it's a tier one research

University I did my research I mentioned

all of those and then they asked me when

did you graduate

I graduated in 2022 and I left for the

fall of 2022. my eighth semester results

weren't even out yet but I already had

an admit and my visa interview was also

going on by this time and then they

asked me if I wrote GRE I said yes and

then I mentioned my score to them and

then they asked me if I wrote IELTS or

Topher I said I wrote IELTS and I have a

band of eight and then they asked me if

I had traveled outside of India before

and no I had not so I said the same

thing to them the next question was

about my funding the exact question that

they asked me was have you secured an

educational loan I said no my father is

funding for me and then they asked me

what is your father my answer to this

was my dad is a business owner he does

so and so and so

I did not leave it open-ended so the

person could not ask me more questions

on this answer I suggest that you do the

same say your dad is a business owner he

produces this for this

or he manufactures this and ships it to

this

on a contract basis or on a daily basis

something like that but keep it crisp to

the point and finish the entire answer

if they do ask more questions about our

dad's profession we may not be able to

answer all of them

you could have us thinking well thinking

in front of the Visa officer not good

next question was what do you want to do

in the future I said I want to build my

career

as a software architect and then

follow-up question was which courses are

you taking now that will help you go

closer to your goals I mentioned all of

my core courses I said these are my core

courses and they are key in me achieving

my goal and then they asked me if I have

any siblings yes I do I have one younger

sister when this happened she was in

sixth grade and then they asked me

what was your final year project I

explained my project in two lines keep

it crisp you don't have to say my final

year project was

just say I worked on detecting this

using ml techniques or I worked on

predicting this this and this using

these these these techniques okay and

then

the final question was

was this a group project I said no it

wasn't I worked on it all by myself

that is the truth it was a solo project

and that's what I said so even though

they were 15 plus questions it felt more

like a conversation even when I was

telling you these questions were pretty

simple if you're prepared enough just

stay confident you can do it it's just

going to be like a conversation

be it a short interview or a long

interview it is going to feel like a

conversation if you are prepared enough

after I answered the final question she

said okay I'm approving your Visa have

fun in New Jersey

I said Thank you and I left

now that we're done with the questions

let me get into the crooks and the

details of what exactly happened so on

my Biometrics day I went there right on

time I wasn't ahead of

my slot I maybe went like 10 minutes

prior to my slot

I went in there it was a line it was a

pretty simple process I went in

they took my passport they took a

picture of me and then my fingerprints

and then I was right out and then the

next day

was my visa interview but guess what

I'm sharing this just so you don't feel

too tensed about your visa interview my

farewell my college farewell was right

before the day of my visa interview I

had my Biometrics I had to rush back

home I changed my clothes I did my

makeup everything I went to college for

the farewell party farewell party got

over I wanted to head back home because

obviously the next day was my visa

interview but my friends were not okay

with it they took me out for ice cream I

had an ice cream and then I got back

home I had a cough

my voice was bad

there was barely any voice coming out of

me I had a very bad throat I got back

home at like eight nine o'clock

at night I went to sleep I got up in the

morning my slot was I believe at eight

or eight thirty is that the earliest lot

it's been a year I do not remember so I

woke up in the morning I gargled with

salt water because my wife was still

very very bad

but I was not disheartened so anything

like that happens to you it's fine

you're going to do okay do not get tense

just stay confident you've got this okay

that morning after I gargled and

everything I dressed up I went to a

temple I prayed I was like God please

make them approve my Visa that was a

desperate time right all of you are like

that I understand so I went we were all

waiting outside the Chennai VA safe

so before going in

my dad was with me so I gave him my

phone anything extra that I had I gave

it to him and if you can do not take

anything with you try your best to leave

it behind

maybe take a friend along give it to

them make them hold it I did not see

anybody submitting any of their things

to anyone in front of me or behind me

there was nobody carrying anything so it

was pretty seamless we all just went in

so we went in for seeing so many

officers sitting there interviewing

people there was one person who was very

very kind I was like oh God please make

me get this person because he was barely

asking them any questions he was like

why are you going why are you going okay

cool

I'm approving your Visa I wanted to go

there but no I did not get that person I

did not even realize that the Visa

interviewers were sitting in an L-shaped

and I was only seeing this trip off

interviewers the other side will not

even know that there was somebody

sitting there but I did go to the other

end that I couldn't see right I went

there there was a boy in front of me he

was going to go to the United States for

his Bachelors

the Visa interviewer was asking him

questions this boy tried his best to

answer but he got his Visa rejected and

I think I know why

when the officer asked him why did you

pick this University

this kid said something like my cousin

lives there and he told me it's a good

University do not say things like that

always say that you did your research

and you know that this is the right

University for you and that is why

you're going there so the person in

front of me got their visa rejected I

was a little sad for them I had to snap

out of it and then go on with my

interview but before I could snap out of

it the officer said hello good morning

how are you I said I'm good thank you

and then my interview just went on so

quickly so why I'm saying this is I did

not even use the word officer or I'm

good officer how are you I did not ask

things like that I just said Thank you

and went off it is not necessary that

you butter up your Visa officer before

you start your interview okay you

properly answering your questions itself

will fetch you your Visa I know people

in these telegram groups saying greet

that person be nice to them I do not

think it's as important as you answering

the questions you write I'm fine thank

you is also good enough that's what I

did and I have my Visa approved

I've lived in the US for 10 months and

then I'm back here for summer break visa

interview went on

and then I got my green slip and I

walked out I said Daddy I got it

approved and then I called I told my mom

I can't approved and then I told my best

friend that I got it approved and that

was it that was my visa interview

experience if you have any questions do

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