F1 Student Visa - The Last Milestone

A good GRE score, Good Academic Performance can get you admissions to good schools and also scholarships but it can’t ensure your entry in to US land. The F1 student visa is the last step but probably most important one to realize your dream to study in USA.

Today our F1 Visa Specialist Ms. Shweta M Apte is sharing few tips for how to prepare for your F1 visa.

Step 1: Application (DS-160)

Once you receive your I-20 and you pay your SEVIS fees you are good to go for F1 visa application that is for DS 160.

DS 160 form will ask you very basic questions on you’re

1. Personal details
2. University where you are going
3. Who is funding you
4. Your tentative travel plans
5. Couple of contacts in India and in US

Fill up this form with correct details be honest and brief. In the event you had earlier visa rejection even if it is tourist visa please make a mention. Once the form is filled check it once before you hit a submit button.

Step 2: Pay your visa fees and book a visa date

Once your DS 160 is filled please pay your visa fees that are 160$. Once you pay the fees you can book your visa appointment along with you biometric registration

Step 3: Preparing documents

Remember there are 3 types of documents

1. Academic documents :

• All your transcripts starting from std. X till your Graduation
• Your i-20
• Your GRE and TOEFL score card 

1. Visa documents

• DS-160 confirmation page
• Visa appointment confirmation page
• Sevis fee payment receipt

1. Financial Documents

• Letter of support from the sponsor
• Proofs of financial support

Caution about financial documentation. Keep in mind that the financial documents should produce proof of funds sufficient to take care of your two years of education. out of which one year of funding that includes your tuition cost and living cost should be shown as liquid assets year two expense can be shown as immovable assets.

Step 4: Preparing for Visa interview.

You will get about 5-7 minutes to with the visa officer and in that you will need to convince the VO that your intent to go to USA is primarily to get quality education and not migration and if you are able to prove this then you will need to prove that you have sufficient finances to take care of your 2 years of costs

The probable questions for the visa will be

1. Which University you are going?
2. How many universities you had applied?
3. Why particularly this university?
4. Who is funding you?
5. What do your sponsors do?         
6. What are your plans after graduation?

Please be thorough with the facts about the university and how to you are going to fund your education

So the key to crack F1 visa is

1. Prepare all your documents perfectly.
2. Study all about your university and the course thirdly speak to your parents about the fund arrangements.
3. Lastly be very concise and crisp in answering the question. If you don’t understand the question don’t hesitate to ask again

Always remember the Visa office is not interviewing you to reject your visa but the VO has to ensure that you are the right candidate to enter in US land.

For any query please contact

Ms. Shweta M Apte, F1 Visa Specialist

(shweta.apte@vidyalankar.org)