sujay.ghuge.for
New Member
Hi all,
A lot of students aspiring for MS in US email me regarding F1 visa formalities and the interview process. I thought it will be useful for students if I post my visa experience on this forum (this was in the year 2000 and the process has changed since then but I want to highlight some important facts/do's and dont's in this post).
Sujay Ghuge's experience at the Consulate
April 26th 2000.
My University : The University of Texas at Arlington
Semester : Summer 2000.
Aid : Partial
Consulate Address:
Nonimmigrant Visa Applications Consular Section Monday through Friday
The American Consulate General
Lincoln House, 78,
Bhulabhai Desai Road,
Mumbai 400 026
IMP LANDMARK: BREACH CANDY HOSPITAL
List of documents:
1) Original mark sheets and degree Certificates (SSC, HSC, BE)
2) 2 Photographs (37mm x 37mm) preferably with light background
3) GRE score, TOEFL score
4) Bank Statement
5) ALL passbooks
6) Property value
7) Share Value.
8) Fixed Deposit Certificates
9) CA Statement
10) Income Tax Returns-OF PARENTS
11) Parent's Salary Certificate.
12) Notarized statement of support ( on Rs 20 stamp paper).
13) Passport
14) Ration card.
15) Employment offer letter.
16) Proof of current employment .
17) Salary certificate: Pay slips at least of the last two months .
18) Form-16 of the years u have been working.
19) Bank Draft addressed to "American Consulate General, Mumbai.
Also take the pay slip with the draft (please check the consulate website for the current fee)
20) Visa processing fee (please check the consulate website for the current fee)
21) I-20 duly signed and completed with date of visa application. Both student copy and school copy.
22)Your visa application form
23)Your University offer letter and scholarship letter
VISA TIPS
Keep ready all your documents. The key is preparation and keep COOL. Answer all questions honestly.You can apply at the most 90 days before your registration date as specified on your I-20. I dunno about the bank loans. They might ask you how will you repay the bank loan. It does not matter who is sponsoring you (if possible, don't show US sponsor) as long as you can show the required amount in disposable money and justify why the sponsor is sponsoring you. If asked whether you will repay your sponsor say "No".
The officer is interested in three things:
A) Whether the student has sufficient funds to support himself in the US. So its always better to show financial ability in excess of the amount required on your I-20.
B) They want to ensure that you do not misuse the F1 visa to work in the US. So convince the officer that you will use the F1 visa only to study.
C) Your intentions to return on completion of your MS. So the more the immovable property here the better because this can be a reason for coming back.
Make a bank statement of 1.5 times (savings) of the total expenses mentioned in your I20. That will make your position very safe. You need to show the amount for the first year only. The American Consulate is closed on Indian as well as American public holidays, So prior to your planned visit call the consulate and inquire.
Write your name, ADDRESS, passport number at the back of all the DD's
TOEFL above 600/677 is a very good score GRE scores do not matter unless they are too low. You are not allowed to carry any office bags/suitcases and electronic items like a cell phone/pager etc. inside the Consulate. Only folders/files or polythene bags are allowed. If you do not have full financial aid, you will have to go through an interview(5 mins approx.)
THE VISA PROCEDURE :
I reached the Consulate at 6.00 a.m. on 26th April 2000 and came out at 11.30 a.m. The line begins at 2:00am with people coming from out-station. I was 200th in the line and there were approx. 1000 people that day. The line is common for all visas Students/JOB/visitors/Business but all those who
enter the consulate before 8:00 am get their VISA application processed the same day. The processing BEGINS AT 8.00 a.m. At the entrance, a security guard will check your VISA application form, passport, I-20 and DD and then you will be asked to enter the consulate office. Your parents will not be allowed inside. Once inside, you will have to submit your DD at counter 1. Submit it and get a receipt. Then ask the security guard where to submit your 4 documents (passport, I20 school copy, receipt, Visa application form). submit those and you will get a PINK token WITH A NO. KEEP THIS CAREFULLY with you. You will have to wait till your token number or your name is called. The name/no. will announced only once and in an accent, so LISTEN CAREFULLY. There is a separate announcement for gujratis in gujju. Also there are a lot of kids (going on tourist Visa with their families) making all sort of noises in the consulate. Sit away from those ppl or else you might miss out your no. Once your no. is called go to that counter. Wish the person on the other side of the counter. Be formally dressed. Minimize the interview duration by keeping all relevant documents handy. Don't waste time looking for the right document during the interview. You have 5 minutes only. Answer
honestly all the questions that she asks. Don't produce any document as an answer to any question. After the interview is over submit your token. In return, the officer will scribble the type of visa and the expiry date of the visa on the token and return it to you. She will keep the application
form, the I20 and the passport. Keep the token very carefully. You will need to submit it later to collect your visa-stamped passport. Go to counter no. 2 and pay in cash. Reach again at around 3:00 pm. And wait in the queue to collect your visa-stamped passport and your I-20 back. ( I had gone to
counter 8. The Philippine lady was the interviewer. Her name is "Karla" ) The questions I was asked:
1) Which school r u going to ?
2) How much time will it take for you to complete MS?
3) GRE score and TOEFL score?
4) College Marksheets... (she was very much impressed by Mumbai university and First Class )
5) Yearly expenses?
6) How do you plan to pay the fees?
7) Who is going to sponsor you?
8) Show me the bank cert.
9) What does your father do? What is his designation?
10) What's your father's salary? How long has he been working there?
11) Show me the IT returns of your parents.
12) Are you coming back ?
13) Do you have any relatives in the US?
14) Have you been out of India before?
Last one: Congrats you have got the Visa.
Me : Thank you....(Yo Man!!!!!)
ALL THE BEST TO YOU.
DOUBTS/CLARIFICATIONS: MAIL ME ON sujayghuge@hotmail.com
A lot of students aspiring for MS in US email me regarding F1 visa formalities and the interview process. I thought it will be useful for students if I post my visa experience on this forum (this was in the year 2000 and the process has changed since then but I want to highlight some important facts/do's and dont's in this post).
Sujay Ghuge's experience at the Consulate
April 26th 2000.
My University : The University of Texas at Arlington
Semester : Summer 2000.
Aid : Partial
Consulate Address:
Nonimmigrant Visa Applications Consular Section Monday through Friday
The American Consulate General
Lincoln House, 78,
Bhulabhai Desai Road,
Mumbai 400 026
IMP LANDMARK: BREACH CANDY HOSPITAL
List of documents:
1) Original mark sheets and degree Certificates (SSC, HSC, BE)
2) 2 Photographs (37mm x 37mm) preferably with light background
3) GRE score, TOEFL score
4) Bank Statement
5) ALL passbooks
6) Property value
7) Share Value.
8) Fixed Deposit Certificates
9) CA Statement
10) Income Tax Returns-OF PARENTS
11) Parent's Salary Certificate.
12) Notarized statement of support ( on Rs 20 stamp paper).
13) Passport
14) Ration card.
15) Employment offer letter.
16) Proof of current employment .
17) Salary certificate: Pay slips at least of the last two months .
18) Form-16 of the years u have been working.
19) Bank Draft addressed to "American Consulate General, Mumbai.
Also take the pay slip with the draft (please check the consulate website for the current fee)
20) Visa processing fee (please check the consulate website for the current fee)
21) I-20 duly signed and completed with date of visa application. Both student copy and school copy.
22)Your visa application form
23)Your University offer letter and scholarship letter
VISA TIPS
Keep ready all your documents. The key is preparation and keep COOL. Answer all questions honestly.You can apply at the most 90 days before your registration date as specified on your I-20. I dunno about the bank loans. They might ask you how will you repay the bank loan. It does not matter who is sponsoring you (if possible, don't show US sponsor) as long as you can show the required amount in disposable money and justify why the sponsor is sponsoring you. If asked whether you will repay your sponsor say "No".
The officer is interested in three things:
A) Whether the student has sufficient funds to support himself in the US. So its always better to show financial ability in excess of the amount required on your I-20.
B) They want to ensure that you do not misuse the F1 visa to work in the US. So convince the officer that you will use the F1 visa only to study.
C) Your intentions to return on completion of your MS. So the more the immovable property here the better because this can be a reason for coming back.
Make a bank statement of 1.5 times (savings) of the total expenses mentioned in your I20. That will make your position very safe. You need to show the amount for the first year only. The American Consulate is closed on Indian as well as American public holidays, So prior to your planned visit call the consulate and inquire.
Write your name, ADDRESS, passport number at the back of all the DD's
TOEFL above 600/677 is a very good score GRE scores do not matter unless they are too low. You are not allowed to carry any office bags/suitcases and electronic items like a cell phone/pager etc. inside the Consulate. Only folders/files or polythene bags are allowed. If you do not have full financial aid, you will have to go through an interview(5 mins approx.)
THE VISA PROCEDURE :
I reached the Consulate at 6.00 a.m. on 26th April 2000 and came out at 11.30 a.m. The line begins at 2:00am with people coming from out-station. I was 200th in the line and there were approx. 1000 people that day. The line is common for all visas Students/JOB/visitors/Business but all those who
enter the consulate before 8:00 am get their VISA application processed the same day. The processing BEGINS AT 8.00 a.m. At the entrance, a security guard will check your VISA application form, passport, I-20 and DD and then you will be asked to enter the consulate office. Your parents will not be allowed inside. Once inside, you will have to submit your DD at counter 1. Submit it and get a receipt. Then ask the security guard where to submit your 4 documents (passport, I20 school copy, receipt, Visa application form). submit those and you will get a PINK token WITH A NO. KEEP THIS CAREFULLY with you. You will have to wait till your token number or your name is called. The name/no. will announced only once and in an accent, so LISTEN CAREFULLY. There is a separate announcement for gujratis in gujju. Also there are a lot of kids (going on tourist Visa with their families) making all sort of noises in the consulate. Sit away from those ppl or else you might miss out your no. Once your no. is called go to that counter. Wish the person on the other side of the counter. Be formally dressed. Minimize the interview duration by keeping all relevant documents handy. Don't waste time looking for the right document during the interview. You have 5 minutes only. Answer
honestly all the questions that she asks. Don't produce any document as an answer to any question. After the interview is over submit your token. In return, the officer will scribble the type of visa and the expiry date of the visa on the token and return it to you. She will keep the application
form, the I20 and the passport. Keep the token very carefully. You will need to submit it later to collect your visa-stamped passport. Go to counter no. 2 and pay in cash. Reach again at around 3:00 pm. And wait in the queue to collect your visa-stamped passport and your I-20 back. ( I had gone to
counter 8. The Philippine lady was the interviewer. Her name is "Karla" ) The questions I was asked:
1) Which school r u going to ?
2) How much time will it take for you to complete MS?
3) GRE score and TOEFL score?
4) College Marksheets... (she was very much impressed by Mumbai university and First Class )
5) Yearly expenses?
6) How do you plan to pay the fees?
7) Who is going to sponsor you?
8) Show me the bank cert.
9) What does your father do? What is his designation?
10) What's your father's salary? How long has he been working there?
11) Show me the IT returns of your parents.
12) Are you coming back ?
13) Do you have any relatives in the US?
14) Have you been out of India before?
Last one: Congrats you have got the Visa.
Me : Thank you....(Yo Man!!!!!)
ALL THE BEST TO YOU.
DOUBTS/CLARIFICATIONS: MAIL ME ON sujayghuge@hotmail.com