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10 Points to Remember When Applying for a Nonimmigrant Visa
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 U.S. 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 in case there are questions about funding, for example, 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 U.S. 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 23 minutes of interview time, if you're lucky.
7. NOT ALL COUNTRIES ARE EQUAL. Applicants from countries
suffering economic problems or from countries where many students have remained
in the U.S. 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 U.S.
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 F2 visa, be aware that F2
dependents cannot, under any circumstances, be employed in the U.S. If asked, be
prepared to address what your spouse intends to do with his or her time while in
the U.S. 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.
NAFSA would like to credit Gerald A. Wunsch, Esq., 1997, then a member of the Consular
Issues Working Group, and a former U.S. Consular Officer in Mexico, Suriname, and the Netherlands,
and Martha Wailes of Indiana University for their contributions to this document. NAFSA also
appreciates the input of the U.S. Department of State. [Source: NAFSA: Association of International Educators (on the web @ http://www.nafsa.org)]