STEP ONE EDUCATION CONSULTANTS PVT.LTD

What to do and what not to do during the USA/ Korea/ Australia/ EUROPE Visa Interview?

Like any interview, there are a few things you must do and then some which you must not do. Most of them are related to one another. We have tabulated the same:

Dos	Don’ts
Smile	Be Nervous
Smile brings confidence. There is no reason to look serious. Going to USA/ Korea/ Australia/ EUROPE for your Studies was your dream and you are closer to it. There, you got a reason to smile…	Your primary intent to travel to the USA/ Korea/ Australia/ EUROPE is studying and there is no reason to be nervous about it. Thousands of students from all around the world do that. While a little nervousness is natural, sweating or hyperventilating is not a good sign. If you tend to get too fidgety, try some breathing exercises before you start your interview to keep your nerves calm.
Speak in English	Speak English with a forced Accent
Being able to communicate in English is one of the primary requirements for pursuing education in the Visa officer or College admission officer. You have to be able to speak in English.	Visa officer or College admission officer can understand your accents, so do not try to throw off an Visa officer or College admission officer accent. Be clear, crisp, and without forced accents as much as possible.
Look at the Interviewer	Stare
Not being able to make eye contact is considered a sign of dishonesty. Practice at home and do look at the interviewer when answering the questions.	Looking in the eye and constantly staring without blinking are two different things. Continuous staring can make the interviewer uncomfortable – remember to blink while talking.
Carry your Documents	Offer your document unless asked
Always make sure the file you carry is complete with all the necessary documents and it is catalogued properly so that in case you were asked to present a document, you have it ready.	Visa officer or College admission officer, in all probability, would not ask for any documents. Please do not offer to show it to them (until and unless they specifically ask to see something).

Commonly Asked F1 Visa Interview Questions with Answering Tips

College or Visa Interview Questions and Answers: We cannot say it often enough – every interviewer is different and there are no set questions he/she might ask. However, the intent of the interview is simple enough:

One, to understand your intent – whether it is to settle in USA/KOREA/AUSTRALIA/EUROPE or to study and come back
Two, and more importantly, to assess whether or not you can afford your stay in USA/KOREA/AUSTRALIA/EUROPE

Based on the simple understanding, here are a few sample questions that might be asked and tips on how to answer them.

Q. Why have you chosen this specific University?

Tip: You should go through the website and handbook of your university carefully. Pen down some highlighted features such as World ranking, the research facility, the faculty profile, Alumni profile etc. Visa officer wants to know the reason behind joining the particular University. Also, reason like – because I only got admit from that University is not acceptable. Choosing the university should not come out like it did not matter which university you got through. You should be excited about going to that particular university.

Q. Which all universities did you apply to (both admits and rejects).

Tip: Visa Officer or admission officer wants to know if you are really serious about your education. Even if you applied to 4 and were accepted in 1 and got 3 rejects, honesty is the only way. Be honest about which all Universities you chose. Be confident about the selection process you followed and in as short a statement as possible, suggest how you were really happy with the accept. For example,

On the basis of my specific course requirement, I had shortlisted and applied to four universities. This was amongst my top two choices and I was lucky to get an admit from the same.

Q. Where did you complete your bachelor's?

Tip: Mention the name of the course and the university. If the university has a high ranking or some specific feature, mention that too. Keep it crisp and to the point.

Q. Who is sponsoring you?

Tip: If you have scholarship to study in USA/KOREA/AUSTRALIA/EUROPE, say that. Else mention the name of your sponsors, you may add that your father and mother are supporting you for your higher education as per the financial documents.

Q. What does your father/mother do?

Tip: The Visa officer basically wants to verify the financial capability of the sponsors. You are advised to go through the Income Tax Returns (ITR), and supporting documents of your sponsors carefully. Have a good idea of the income source of your father, mother and any other person who is sponsoring you. Also, do not simply suggest that he/she is in business or service. Be very clear about the nature of their work and their specific role

For example:

He is the Senior Branch Manager with SBI, Hetauda Branch.

She is a Professor at Tribhuwan University, she teaches Business.

Q. What is your father's/mother’s/sponsor’s Income?

Tip: Visa Officer wants to know if your sponsor’s annual income is sufficient enough to meet your expenses of studying abroad. They think that money can be put into banks, but annual income is a proof which they heavily rely upon to decide the student's sponsor’s capability to meet his/her educational expenses. You should mention the annual income as per IT Returns filed and submitted to the University for your I-20, offer letter.

Q. How many brothers and sisters do you have?

Tip: Such kind of questions is basically to verify whether your family has other members for whom your parents may have to raise fund later on. Basically, such questions are asked to evaluate the balance of income and expenses of the family.

Q. Do you have any relatives in USA/KOREA/AUSTRALIA/EUROPE?

Tip: Be truthful at this instance. Visa Officer will have a full record of this (about your brother/ sister/ mother/ father) with them. If your distant aunt or uncle stays there, then you don't have to say about them. All that matters is your immediate relatives i.e. own brother, sister, father or mother. Any of your relative overstaying their legal permitted stay in USA/KOREA/AUSTRALIA/EUROPE is not favourably considered.

Q. Why don't you do this course in your country?

Tip: You should know what difference the course would bring to you if done from USA/KOREA/AUSTRALIA/EUROPE instead of home country. If the course is not available in home country, you can tell the Visa Officer that it is not offered in home country. If the same course is available in home country highlight the differences in the quality of education and the course structure in home country and USA/KOREA/AUSTRALIA/EUROPE. You should convince the Visa Officer that doing this course from USA/KOREA/AUSTRALIA/EUROPE will add value to your profile. Talk about a few pieces of research being conducted in that field. Technical words work out when other things don't.

Q. What will you do after completing MS/MBA/UG? Tell me how can you prove that you are going to come back?

Tip: If you intend to work after completing your course then say so. Tell them you are looking forward to working with some companies back in home country. It would be good to mention the names of the few companies. If you were working, you could mention that you have an offer of joining your last organization back after completing your education. If you are inclined towards continuing your education and pursuing research, mention the same as well. But do provide a hint that your family continues to be in home country and you would want to come back to them once your academic pursuits are over.

Q. Why Study in the USA/KOREA/AUSTRALIA/EUROPE?

Tip: Visa officer wants to understand your intentions to go to USA/KOREA/AUSTRALIA/EUROPE. As you are applying for student Visa so you should only talk about how USA/KOREA/AUSTRALIA/EUROPE offers quality education which would help you bring the best of the world to your country. Focus on highlighting the infrastructure available, the research and the method of teaching. Instead of the country, try to focus on the University and the course to highlight that it is only about education.

Q. Have you received any scholarship? Why has the University granted a Scholarship to you?

Tip: You should know how many scholarships you may get and probably the reason why a university is giving scholarship to your Visa Officer wants to know if you are aware of the scholarship programs and financial aid. Also if you have submitted any Statement of Purpose for the scholarship then mention about that and carry a copy of the same.

Q. Have you got any Loans? How do you plan on repaying your Loan?

Tip: Answer about the quantum of the loan you have applied for and from where you have received the same. Also, as to repay the same, suggest that you are confident to find a good opportunity in home country after you graduate and you have all the intent to pay it off with your income. Do not suggest you would be paying off the loan by taking up.

Q. Will you come back to home during vacations/holidays?

Tip: Visa officer wants to assess your ties to your home country and family. You can say that you plan to come back to meet your family and friends here in India. You should not say that you plan to work in ANY COUNTRY as that shows you are not financially strong and you are going there to earn money. This will make the Visa officer OR College believe that even after completing your education, you would like to take up a job in ANY COUNTRY and try to settle there.

Apart from the above, the visa officer might ask you questions regarding your academic percentage, about your sibling’s education and jobs as well as your current job. Remember, you need to be confident about your purpose – which is education from ANY COUNTRY and also is confident that you can afford it.

So, take a deep breath and smile... All the best!

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