Tips for F1 VISA

[arumugam57]

You have to do the following in INDIA itself
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The documents required for visa is as follows-

1) I 20 received from the college.

2) The admission letter original.

3) Aid letter if any. Original.

4) Passport.

5) GRE score sheet original.

6) TOEFL score original.

7) Bank passbook showing the amount to be funded by student In savings a/c or readily cashable a/c.

8) Letter from charted accountant regarding the financial status of the sponsor of the student indicating the all-movable and immovable properties. Show as much amount as possible this will help in getting the visa.

9) Carry four bank drafts. One for the amount to cover the visa fee for three years. Three drafts each covering one-year visa fee. This will help u to pay the fee depending upon the no. of years for which visa is granted (1,2, or 3 years) The visa fee should be to the exact amount .this varies as per us $ value. Please verify with us embassy before getting the draft from the bank.

10) Keep all original mark sheets from SSLC onwards till the seventh semester (or all) of BE.

11) Course completion certificate from the college.

U need not stand in the q over night. U can go about 5am. That will be enough. U may stay in Egmore.

Go over one day in advance and find the visa fee for that week and buy the draft (if you have not yet done that)..

Keep all the documents in order and keep one copy of all the documents ready to summit if required.

[sathy]

Also if possible try to get assistantship when you were in India itselves. Heard its getting hectic nowadays. If you don't have one before departing, then try to start atleast one week earlier than your actual scheduled departing date. So that you can try for the job and support yourselves. Good Luck.

[silican]

This should be a comprehensive list of Documents required for VISA session


Master List of Documents reqd for visa

1. Score reports - GMAT, TOEFL & TSE
2. Marksheets with Passing Certificate
3. Merit Certificates
4. Transcripts - 1 set
5. Birth Certificate
6. Passport Stamped with ECNR & giving ur correct address
7. Admit letters & reject letters if any
8. I-20 from univ planning to attend fully signed & completed
9. Completed Visa Form ( only DS-156 for female applicants) with photograph attached
10. Affidavit of Sponsor
11. Sponsor's Bank Statement showing 1st year fees in savings acc of sponsor
12. Bank Pass Book
13. Fixed Deposit Receipts
14. Applicants bank account statements & passbook if any
15. Income Tax returns of past 3 yrs of yr Sponsorer
16. Summary Statement of Total Assets of Sponsorer
17. Property Documents ( carry to be on safer side)
18. Vehicle registration papers
19. Shares & Stock Certificates
20. Property Evaluation by Chartered Civil Engineer
21. Resume
22. SOP & Reco Letters
23. Experience Letters from Employer
24. Proof of Legal Residence - House Tax Bill
25. Demand Draft for payin the fees made payable to Centurion Bank - a/c US VISA
26. Additional Photographs
27. IT Returns of the Applicant
28. Photocopies of all the above documents along with the originals just in case we need to submit them. Also, we need to submit xerox copy of passport & I-20 form to the US consulate.[/b]

[silican]

10 Points to Remember When Applying for a Nonimmigrant Visa (Source: NAFSA: Association of International Educators)

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 is case there are questions, for example about funding, 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 2-3 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 US 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 F-2 visa, be aware that F-2 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.

[silican]

A bit more on the Visa issue.



A US Official Quote: "How concerned are we where money is coming from ? Not too much. We're more concerned if the 2nd cousin in US gives you money for no reason".

Another Quote: "A family does not use all its liquid assets to sponsor a child ,esp(s)he is not the only one. It should make economic sense"


FAQ's

Most frequently asked questions at counter 2 / 3 (at the Chennai Visa Counsellate) :
1. Will you come back ? Why ?
2. Where are you getting the money to pay for your education ?
3. You're in computers (or going for a course in computers). Why will you come back ?


Finally... Avoid day after a US holiday. There is a lot of rush that day from people who missed out the day before. Try one day before or after.
You cannot apply for a US F1 visa more than 90 days before the day your course is beginning. This date is mentioned on your I-20 form. You must take some photocopies of your I-20 and get them attested from a gazzeted officer before getting your visa. These photocopies is required later when you need foreign exchange. After getting the visa, the visa authorities seal your I-20 in an envelope and you are not allowed to open it.

[madhu_aish1]

You have to do the following in INDIA itself
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9) Carry four bank drafts. One for the amount to cover the visa fee for three years. Three drafts each covering one-year visa fee. This will help u to pay the fee depending upon the no. of years for which visa is granted (1,2, or 3 years) The visa fee should be to the exact amount .this varies as per us $ value. Please verify with us embassy before getting the draft from the bank.

I dont think it works like the way above quoted. Please see below for exact information.

Visa fees for Indian Nationals effective October 11, 2003

Visa fees are as follows:

Non-immigrant visa application
fee (non-refundable) * RS. 4600
Non-immigrant visa issuance fee
(paid only upon issuance)** RS. 2300

Courier fee Rs. 400

For More Information
http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/wwwhnivrdphoto.html

Thanks
Madhu

[arumugam57]

Siligan!! Good work.
Keep going.!!
Cheers.

Give lot of tips like this..

[silican]

Ya Madhu,
Sorry abt tht. I gave the documents which I used when I started off from India. Its outdated. Thnks for updating.

Silican

[sabeshan]

Most students coming from middle-class families don't have enough money to show as funds so they might want to contact some consultancies in order to obtain falsified (don't worry about this cos there is no way to check this) bank documents showing some x lakhs as theirs... this way they can manage to get away without having enough money on their own...

[Ashok_Taurus]

Hai Friends......

What makes you scary? What is the most troubling aspect for a good
student
like you, who want to 'study abroad'?. More than 90% of aspirants
seriously
consider Visa processing and the Interview to be THE issue.

And truly, so because, we have seen many sincere students with good
academic backgrounds being rejected student visas because of simple
documentation errors.

From a third world country, admission into a developed country always
will
be
viewed with wariness. Especially when the record of earlier
'students', who
presumably went for education but settled down as premanent residents
(both
legally and illegally) has created the situation of careful review for
issue of visas.

Almost all the countries like U.S.A., U.K., Australia, Canada and New
Zealand
have stringent requirements for visa applicants. To meet them or
'overcome'
these requirements is the wish of all applicants for International
education.

So, the IMPORTANT QUESTION is:
What are the factors that the consulates/High commissions consider for
issue/rejection of a student visa?

1) One 'unstated' fact is that any country wants only genuine
applicants to
visit
them for the purpose desired and return back to their native lands. If
the
applicant directly or indirectly indicates that he is a 'potential
immigrant', that
would be the single-most factor for visa rejection.

2) How 'serious' a student are you?
Have you done the necessary home work to know what are the
requirements
of universities and the consulate - to prove that you are a serious
student?
How can you do that? By taking all the necessary stepts like getting
good
scores in pre-requisite tests (like TOEFL, GRE, GMAT etc.), having
good
academic background, applying for a relevant program etc. These
factors
establish your credentials and your seriousness. More often, students
assume
that if the university does not need GRE score for example, they need
not
take
the same and still get admission and visa. Well, they may get
admission
into
'appropriate' school, but definitely not the visa!


3) Selection of the right university is another major consideration.
An 'easy' admission or a wrong choice of program would spoil chances
for
the
visa. Relevance, compatiblity and suitability are the key elements you
must
keep in mind before seeking admission into a program or university.
Gather
as
much information as you can about the university, the program and
importantly
the faculty (on the web, through catalogs, alumni etc.). And be sure
about
the
special features of the university chosen by you.

4) Financing your education forms perhaps the most important element
of
your
visa application. Irrespective of your being granted Aid, it is
essential
to prove
that you are financially sound to take up education on your own. Only
then
could you convince the Consulate staff that you are capable of
studying
abroad.
Incidentally, if you have Financial Aid, it would improve your chances
for
the
visa, that establishes your merit and credentials.

One important decision the U.S Consulate in Chennai has taken recently
was,
that applicants who are granted 50% of total expenses as Financial Aid
need
not attend an interview and can apply through Drop Box, for the visa.
Chances
of getting the visa (if all the other parameters are met properly) are
much
brighter!

Another important change made by the Australian High Commission
recently
was that, the students need to show 'total funds' in the Bank account
for
six
months before applying for the visa.

5) Be clear about your career goals. The moment you decide on studying
at
an university abroad, after expending a lot of money and time, the
Consulates
would like to know how you would 'justify' your decision. With clear
plans
and
practical focus, if you are able to convince the Consulate/High
Commission,
there will be no strong reason for them to reject an applicant for the
visa.

6) Lastly, we cannot over-emphasise on the importance of
Documentation!
All your hard work, intentions and preparation would go waste if your
documentation is not done properely, reflecting what you are. Best
laid
plans
go awry with un-professional documentation. Professional preparation
and
evaluation of each and every document that goes into your visa
application
would improve your chances tremendously.

All the best...Ashok.