Fall 2018- F1 Student Visa Experience: (Hyderabad Consulate | North Carolina State University, Raleigh | Industrial Engineering- Approved)

Applicant Background:

University: North Carolina State University, RaleighProgram: MS in Industrial Engineering

First Attempt

Hyderabad ConsulateDate: May 2018Result: Approved

Visa Interview Encounter:

Reached the consulate at 8:30 AM, though they were admitting applicants with slots from 8 to 9:30 all at once on a first-come, first-served basis. There was a very brief queue of roughly 5 individuals outside, and I got inside within 2 minutes. Once inside, you undergo security screening, fingerprint verification, and passport inspection, followed by joining a line to receive your counter number. As soon as I positioned myself behind the candidate currently being interviewed, they collected my passport and i20 in advance.

ME: Good morning ma'am.

VO: Why did you opt for NCSU?ME: Mentioned research opportunities and curriculum and provided details.

VO: In which year did you graduate?ME: 2014.

VO: What have you been doing since that time? (Noted that I currently have a gap year)ME: Explained that I worked at a company for two years post-graduation and chose to take the previous year off prior to my Master's.

VO: How did you select this institution?ME: Spoke about discussions with friends, college professors, and my own online research.

VO: Who is funding your education?ME: My father.

VO: What is his profession?ME: Provided the answer.

VO: What is your father's income?ME: Provided the answer.

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VO: Do you own any real estate in India?ME: Yes, and stated the estimated value.

VO: Have you traveled outside of India previously?ME: No.

VO: Are you your parents' only son?ME: Yes.

VO: Your visa has been approved, you can pick it up in 3 to 5 days. Thank you.

Two YouTube videos depicting what happens during the OFC and visa interview that I found very realistic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yli9HiOsJ5chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPb2bzdjD-Y

My recommendation is that once you finalize your university, attend the visa interview as early as possible; do not listen to consultants and waste time gathering superfluous financial paperwork.

Edit 1: OFC Procedure in detail: You will be permitted to enter the building 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. The first check involves necessary paperwork including the DS160, appointment confirmation, passport, and SEVIS fee receipt. Following this check, you proceed to the OFC room where multiple verifications of your DS160 and passport take place to ensure there are no discrepancies between the DS160 confirmation and the passport. Next, they stamp your DS160 and attach a barcode sticker to your passport. After that, you are assigned a booth to record your fingerprints and photograph. That is all, and the entire process takes about 5 to 10 minutes, aside from waiting in line for another 15 minutes.

Edit 2: Several individuals are asking me via PM why I suggest early dates. Sometime back, I read that the Secretary of State released a memo instructing visa officers to implement stricter screening and guidelines to cap the number of interviews per day. I simply thought that if they decide to limit student numbers, they might enforce heavier scrutiny closer to June or July. This is merely my perspective, and I am not trying to induce any panic. I am simply stating that if you have the required documents and your university is finalized, there is no reason to delay.

Edit 3: People are inquiring about the documents I brought along: Passport, I20, DS160, appointment letter, SEVIS receipt, GRE/TOEFL scores and all admission decisions, undergraduate degree certificate, work experience certificate, bank balance statement, 1 year of ITR plus 3 months of salary slips, property valuation report, EPF passbook (online printout only), and 6 months of online bank transaction statements, property deed records, resume.

However, I was not asked for anything besides my passport and i20. Just maintain your confidence and be ready to discuss your finances. They do not have time to review documents; while one person is being interviewed, two other candidates are standing right behind them. Therefore, just answer confidently and the officer will not request any paperwork.