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USA Interview Guide

F1-Interview Guide

This interview guide is for you if you decided to further your education in the US! Your visa interview will be set with the American consulate or embassy in your country after your application is submitted and approved. Given that this interview will likely rank among the most significant you will ever do, it is best to prepare thoroughly in advance for any possible inquiries. Let’s first have a basic understanding of the F-1 student visa:

For a maximum of five years, international students are eligible for this non-immigrant visa. It is given to students who intend to enroll in academic institutions such as colleges, high schools, language schools, and universities with US locations.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the F-1 student visa, you’ll have to keep these in mind: 

  1. Prove your intentions to return home once the program is completed, any sign of settling in there permanently might increase the chances of rejection.
  2. Ensure that your application is accepted by your desired educational institution in the US.
  3. Be aware that everything you possess ties you to your home country i.e., family assets, bank accounts and other significant likes. 

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F1 (Student) Visa Stamping Documents

You will need the following documents for getting an F-1 visa stamping.

Mandatory Documents

  • Current passport as well as all old passports
  • One photograph (Only for a dropbox appointment)
  • Confirmation page of online submitted Form DS-160 with CEAC bar code. 
  • Visa fees
    Fees to be paid in advance before taking an appointment. 
  • Original interview appointment letter and one copy.

Both pages of the bar-coded, original SEVIS generated Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status) obtained from a U.S. college, school, or university and signed by you and a school official.

All students, as well as their spouse and dependent children (everyone that is applying for a U.S. visa), must be registered in SEVIS. Your school is responsible for entering your information for the Form I-20 into SEVIS.

In addition to the original, one copy of Form I-20 is required.

Your I-20 does not need to be sealed in an envelope. However, you have to make sure that you carry the I-20 when you travel, as you have to show it to the immigration officer at the port of entry in order to be admitted into the U.S.

  • When you get the visa, there will be nothing stamped on your I-20. When you enter the U.S., the immigration officer at the port of entry will stamp the I-20 in the allotted space.
  • Original proof of payment with the SEVIS Fee Receipt I-901 and one copy, if applicable.

Supporting Documents

Photocopies of the first page, last page, and remarks pages of your current passport. 

Evidence of Financial Resources:

Proof of liquid assets sufficient to pay for the entire first year of education and living expenses as well as proof of readily available funds to cover the remaining year(s) of studies. 

Any financial documentation you provide should be in support of this. This applies to ALL student visa applicants. 

To establish your financial resources, you should bring to the consulate:

  • Original tax returns for the past 3 years.
  • Original bank records (bank statements, pass book, or bank book) for the past 3 years and/or a fixed deposit statement of your parent or sponsor. (Although anyone may sponsor your education, the Consular Officer will be more convinced if your parents or close family members finance your studies)
  • Pay slips, employment letters
  • Chartered accountant statements
  • If you receive a scholarship, it is noted on the I-20 and favorably considered by the Officer.
    The U.S. Consulate discourages applicants from bringing property deeds or certified copies of financial documents. Only bring financial documents that can support your (or your sponsor’s claim) that your studies in the U.S. will be fully funded. 

There are no specific documents that prove a student is able to pay for his/her education. These are only suggested documents. A visa is not assured if you have any or all of these documents. 

 

Proof of ability to afford schooling in the United States. 
Part 7 on the I-20 shows the amount of funding you must have available to cover the first year’s expenses. The total amount includes tuition and fees, living expenses, expenses of dependents (if applicable), and other expenses (as applicable). You must prove that you have immediate funds available to cover this amount. If you are going to a two-year master’s program, then you must also show that funds are or will likely be available to cover the same amount for the second year. For example, if you are a prospective master’s student for a two-year program, and the total amount in Part 7 of the I-20 includes $5,000 for tuition and fees, $5,000 for living expenses, and $500 for other expenses (books, supplies, etc.), then you must prove that $10,500 is immediately available to you. Additionally, you must show that another $10,500 is or will likely be available to cover the second year.

 

Form I-134 (Affidavit of Support), if you are financially supported by an individual in the U.S., along with three years of that individual’s bank statements and tax returns. 

If you have taken a loan from a bank to cover your tuition, please bring official documents, which verify the loan approval and not just the application. If the banks in your country ordinarily give educational loans of relatively modest amounts, the applicant must still demonstrate additional liquid assets.

Paying the tuition expenses in advance is a good way to show proof of funds, but it is NOT a requirement to pay in advance. 

Education Documents:

  • Original degree certificates along with mark sheets / transcripts.
  • You may still apply if you have not yet received your degree certificate. However, make sure to include your mark sheets and provisional certificate if available. 
  • Original Bachelor degree transcripts or high school diploma along with mark sheets / transcripts from previous institutions attended.
  • Relevant test scores, e.g., TOEFL and SAT, GRE, GMAT, or LSAT.

If your university does not require that you take certain tests, such as TOEFL or GRE, you should get a letter from the university stating the same. However, the embassy strongly recommends that all student visa applicants provide standardized test scores.

SEVIS Fee for Students and Exchange Visitors in the USA

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) program requires schools and exchange programs to verify the enrollment status of all continuing and new foreign students and exchange visitors. However, the visa cannot be issued until your SEVIS fee has been paid.

Applicants applying with I-20 forms processed are required to provide the SEVIS I-901 fee receipt as proof of payment. You can log on to www.ice.gov/sevis for further details. 

The SEVIS I-901 fee for students (F-1, F-3, M-1, M-3) is $350.

  • For J1 visa applicants, the fee is $220.

Certain short-term exchange visitors (au-pairs, summer work/travel, and camp counselors) pay a reduced fee of $35.

Fee Payment

The fee must be paid in time to ensure that the payment can be deposited and recorded in SEVIS prior to the scheduled visa interview. The interviewing consular officer will confirm that the fee has been paid by accessing SEVIS. To allow for adequate processing time, the fee must be paid:

  1. At least three business days prior to the visa interview date if paying electronically.
  2. At least 15 business days prior to the scheduled visa interview if submitting payment through regular mail. (This time frame allows adequate time for the fee payment to be received at the DHS address listed on the Form I-901, deposited, and recorded in SEVIS.)
  3. Be sure to add local mail processing time to this processing estimate for accuracy.

Fee Exemption

Do not pay the SEVIS I-901 fee, if you already paid the SEVIS I-901 fee and are:

  1. Reapplying for a visa within twelve months of the date of initial denial
  2. From a visa exempt country and reapplying for status as a student at the POE within 12 months of the date of initial denial
  3. Filing a motion to reopen a denied change of status application for a change of status to F-1, F-3, M-1, or M-3

Appointment Without SEVIS Fee Payment

You can schedule your interview appointment and submit your application to CGI though the SEVIS fee has not yet been paid. However, you must submit proof of payment at the time of appearing for your interview.

School Transfer

You do not have to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee if you transfer between approved schools at the same educational level. If you are an F-1 student, your I-20 will have initial attendance at the school in block 3, but your SEVIS records will show that you have maintained your status and are continuing your education. It will be helpful if you ask your DSO on campus to put Continuing Student – Transfer in the remarks (block 9). This will help prevent issues with visa issuance, re-entry into the United States, and fee payment.

F2 (Dependent of Student) Visa Stamping Documents

You will need the following documents for getting an F-2 visa stamping.

Mandatory Documents

  • Current passport as well as all old passports
  • One photograph (Only for a dropbox appointment)
  • Confirmation page of online submitted Form DS-160 with CEAC bar code. 
  • Visa fees
    Fees to be paid in advance before taking an appointment. 
  • Original interview appointment letter and one copy.
    Sample 
  • Both pages of the bar-coded, original SEVIS generated Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status) obtained from a U.S. college, school, or university and signed by you and a school official.

All students, as well as their spouse and dependent children (everyone that is applying for the U.S. visa), must be registered in SEVIS. Your school is responsible for entering your information for the Form I-20 into SEVIS.

In addition to the original, one copy of Form I-20 is required.

Your I-20 does not need to be sealed in an envelope. However, you have to make sure that you carry the I-20 when you travel, as you have to show it to the immigration officer at the port of entry in order to be admitted into the U.S.

When you get the visa, there will be nothing stamped on your I-20. When you enter the U.S., the immigration officer at the port of entry will stamp the I-20 in the allotted space.

Original proof of payment with the SEVIS Fee Receipt I-901 and one copy, if applicable.

Supporting Documents

  • Photocopies of the first page, address page, and last page of your current passport. 
  • A copy of the Form I-20 of the Principal Applicant. 
  • Photocopy of the Principal Applicant’s valid visa (if applying separately). 
  • Original marriage certificate for the spouse along with the entire wedding photo album. 

    Additionally, it would be helpful to provide genuine marriage proof. 
  • Wedding invitation card. 
  • Original birth certificate for each child. 
  • Additional proof of financial resources to support the dependents during the primary applicant’s entire course of study.
  • If applying separately, a good quality photocopy or the original of the primary applicant’s passport – all pages. The copy should be of good quality, and the photo must be clearly identifiable.