10POINTSTOREMEMBERwhenApplyingforaNonImmigrantVisa

1.TIESTOHOMECOUNTRY.

UnderU.S.law,allapplicantsfornonimmigrantvisasareviewedasintendingimmigrantsuntiltheycanconvincethe
consularofficerthattheyarenot.Youmustthereforebeabletoshowthatyouhavereasonsforreturningtoyour
countrythatarestrongerthanthoseforremainingintheUnitedStates."Ties"toyourhomecountryincludethe
following:family,job,financialassetsthatyouownorwillinherit,investments,etc.Ifyouareaprospective
undergraduate,theinterviewingofficermayaskaboutyourplansforfutureemployment,familyorotherrelationships,
educationalobjectives,longtermplansingeneral,andcareerprospectsinyourhomecountry.Eachperson'ssituationis
different,ofcourse,andthereisnomagicexplanationorsingledocument,certificate,orletter,whichcanguarantee
visaissuance.

2.ENGLISH.

AnticipatethattheinterviewwillbeconductedinEnglishandnotinyournativelanguage.Onesuggestionistopractice
Englishconversationwithanativespeakerbeforetheinterview.IfyouarecomingtotheUnitedStatessolelytostudy
intensiveEnglishbepreparedtoexplainhowEnglishwillbeusefulforyouinyourhomecountry.

3.SPEAKFORYOURSELF.

Donotbringparentsorfamilymemberswithyoutotheinterview.Theconsularofficerwantstointerviewyou,notyour
family.Anegativeimpressioniscreatedifyouarenotpreparedtospeakonyourownbehalf.

4.KNOWTHEPROGRAMANDHOWITFITSYOURCAREERPLANS.

IfyouarenotabletoarticulatethereasonsyouwillstudyinaparticularprogramintheUnitedStates,youmaynot
succeedinconvincingtheconsularofficerthatyouareindeedplanningtostudy,ratherthantoimmigrate.Youshould
alsobeabletoexplainhowstudyingintheUnitedStatesrelatestoyoufutureprofessionalcareerwhenyoureturn
home.

5.BECONCISE.

Becauseofthevolumeofapplicationsreceived,allconsularofficersareunderconsiderabletimepressuretoconducta
quickandefficientinterview.Theymustmakeadecision,forthemostpart,ontheimpressionstheyformduringthe
firstminuteortwooftheinterview.Consequently,whatyousayfirstandtheinitialimpressionyoucreatearecriticalto
yoursuccess.Keepyouranswerstotheofficer'squestionsshortandtothepoint.

6.SUPPLEMENTALDOCUMENTATION.

Itshouldbeclearataglancetotheconsularofficerwhatwrittendocumentsyouarepresentingandwhattheysignify.
Lengthywrittenexplanationscannotbequicklyreadorevaluated.Rememberthatyouwillhave23minutesof
interviewtime,ifyou'relucky.

7.NOTALLCOUNTRIESAREEQUAL.

ApplicantsfromcountriessufferingeconomicproblemsorfromcountrieswheremanypeoplehavestayedintheUnited
Statesasimmigrantswillhavemoredifficultygettingvisas.Statistically,applicantsfromthosecountriesaremorelikely
tobeaskedaboutjobopportunitiesathomeaftertheirstudyintheUnitedStates.
8.EMPLOYMENT.

YourmainpurposeofcomingtotheUnitedStatesshouldbetostudy,notforthechancetoworkbeforeorafter
graduation.Whilemanystudentsdoworkoffcampusduringtheirstudies,suchemploymentisincidentaltotheirmain
purposeofcompletingtheirU.S.education.Youmustbeabletoclearlyarticulateyourplantoreturnhomeattheendof
yourprogram.IfyourspouseisalsoapplyingforanaccompanyingF2visa,beaware,thatF2dependentscannot,under
anycircumstances,beemployedintheUnitedStates.Ifasked,bepreparedtoaddresswhatyourspouseintendstodo
withhisorhertimewhileintheUnitedStates.Volunteerworkandattendingschoolparttimearepermittedactivities.

9.DEPENDENTSREMAININGATHOME.

Ifyourspouseandchildrenareremainingbehindinyourcountry,bepreparedtoaddresshowtheywillsupport
themselvesinyourabsence.Thiscanbeanespeciallytrickyareaifyouaretheprimarysourceofincomeforyourfamily.
Iftheconsulargeneralofficergainstheimpressionthatyourfamilymemberswillneedyoutoremitmoneyfromthe
UnitedStatesinordertosupportthemselves,yourstudentvisaapplicationwillalmostcertainlybedenied.Ifyourfamily
doesdecidetojoinyouatalatetime,itishelpfultohavethemapplyatthesamepostwhereyouappliedforyouvisa.

10.MAINTAINAPOSITIVEATTITUDE.

Donotengagetheconsularofficerinanargument.Ifyouaredeniedastudentvisa,asktheofficerforalistof
documentsheorshewouldsuggestyoubringinordertoovercometherefusal,andtrytogetthereasonyouwere
deniedinwriting.

NAFSAwouldliketocreditGeraldA.Wunsch,Esq.,1997,thenamemberoftheConsularIssuesWorkingGroup,anda
formerU.S.ConsularOfficerinMexico,Suriname,andtheNetherlandsandMarthaWailsofIndianaUniversityfortheir
contributionstothisdocument.NAFSAalsoappreciatestheinputoftheU.S.DepartmentofState.

11.IMPORTANTADDITIONALPOINT:BEFAMILIARWITHMSUANDMONTANA.

SpendtimeonMSU'swebsitesothatyoucanspeakintelligentlyabouttheuniversity,BozemanandMontana.Itis
commontobeaskedaboutwhyyouchoseaspecificuniversityandaboutitslocationintheU.S.