21 Most Common F1 Visa Interview Questions Answered + tips in 2024 (Easy!)

hi welcome to my first video my name is shaiu the goal of this channel is first to help students get admission and funding into schools abroad secondly to help student get their visas approved and finally to help students navigate through life in a foreign country if any of these interest you consider subscribing to the channel so that you don't miss any of my future videos I intend to post two long videos every week I have been living in the US for the past 8 years helping so many students with the stud abroad journey I have never been denied a Visa in fact I got the first Visa approved in 2016 for my first master's degree in the US and then I went for the visa interview again for the renewal in 2019 this was during my second master's degree in 2022 I used the Visa waiver option to get my Visa approved without leaving the US I've coached so many students get their visas approved since 2017 so if you are preparing for your visa interview I can confidently say that you are in the right place in this video I want us to look at 21 of the most repeated F visa interview questions with sample answers I would also love to read your answers to any of these questions or if you have gone for your Vis interview recently kindly share your experiences in the comment section below you can also follow me on my social media account I have a WhatsApp group I created for the subscribers of my old YouTube channel so feel free to join and you can find the links in the description all right let's get [Music] started before getting into the questions I want you to understand that your answers don't have to be too long long or Too Short you need to try to have a balance such that you can provide only the relevant details the interview is just about 3 minutes and so you don't have all the time in the world to say whatever you want and also two short answers don't help so you always have to get the right balance first question what is the purpose of your trip to the US so here the Visa officer wants to know why you are traveling to the US a sample answer is I'm going to the US to pursue a masters in applied economics at ABC University question two why do you want to study in the US a simple answer is I want to study in the US because it has some of the best universities in the world and offers excellent opportunities for academic and personal growth the education system in the US is highly regarded and I believe that studying there will prepare me for my future career as a professor in fact most of the Nobel winners in economics are from the US and that inspires me a lot it is also possible that the program that you want to pursue is not offered in your home country and so that is your reason all question three what are you planning to study here you have to tell the Visa officer your program of study and possibly some research interest so a sample answer is to say I am planning to study a master's degree in economics at ABC University with research interest in inflation and exchange rate issues all right question four why do you want to study a master's degree in economics so here the Visa officer wants to know what you hope to learn from the program and what the program will do for you in future so example answer is to say pursuing a master degree in economics will allow me to gain more technical knowledge enhance my research skills and enable me find more opportunities in life some of the skills I will acquire from the program include how to collect analyze and make meaning from data using Advanced statistical software such as python R and S which are taught in the program the program will be a great step towards my future career as a researcher and a professor question five which classes are you taking in the first semester so here you are expected to have an idea of the classes you are going to take in your first semester so a sample answer is I am taking econometrics statistics microeconomics and microeconomics question six what is the difference between microeconomics and macroeconomics so here the VIS officer wants to know if you are a legitimate student and so you are expected to have some knowledge about the classes that you'll be taking in the program so example answer is microeconomics and macroeconomics are two branches of Economics that focus on different levels of analysis microeconomics examines the behavior in decision- making of individual economic agents such as households firms and the government while microeconomic studies the economy as a whole focusing on agre variables such as national income employment inflation and economic growth question seven how many different universities did you apply to here it might be strange to the Visa officer if he apply to just one school normally student apply to between three and eight schools so example answer is I appli to three universities and they are ABC University EFG University and hi University question a which universities gave you admission ideally you should print all the admission letters for each of them you may not be asked for this but it's always a good idea to have all these documents with you sample answers are I got admission into all of them or I got admission into ABC University and EFG University question n which universities are you planning to attend and what will you be studying so here the VIS officer wants to know which university you'll be attending and what program of study you have chosen you can also add a brief reason for your choice so example answer is to say I am planning to attend ABC University located in Acra Illinois because it is one of the universities that stood out to me in my research for a program with professors that have research work in development economics I mean of course there is nothing like a know I just made that up I'll be pursuing a masters in economics degree question 10 why do you choose this particular University or college this is where you give detailed explanations of your choice of school so a example answer is I chose this University because its economics program has a good reputation it offers a comprehensive curriculum and has renowned professors who specialize in the areas that I want to explore which is development economics professor no names research focus on Africa is really interesting to me Additionally the university has a strong support system for international students which I believe will enhance my overall learning experience I believe it will be easy for me to get help when I need one question 11 how did you hear about this University so this is a tricky question if you say you heard about it through a friend in the school you may be Den denied because the answer is not detailed enough it has to be about your personal reasons and what the school will do for you it's okay to know somebody in the school but you must have done your research as well aample answer is I was looking for a masters in economics program where there is a professor who has research interest in development economics so I did a research on many schools and compiled a list of them ABC University is one of the universities that stood out to me it is the best fit for my career aspiration as a development Economist Professor no names research focus on Africa is really interesting to me and I would love to learn from him question 12 why did you choose ABC University over XYZ University here you cannot cite funding as your main reason that will mean that if you lose your funding you know at some point for any reason you cannot continue your education so a good answer will be well I compared both options but ABC University was my first choice this is because my research interest is in development economics and the economics program at ABC university has many professors with specialization in that area for example in ABC University there is Professor no name whose research focus is on Africa I believe I will gain a lot from his tutoring and his research work the program at ABC University also teaches Python Programming which is not t at XYZ University moreover ABC University gave me a better funding package question 13 what is your GPA so here straightforward example answer is I had a GP of 3.8 out of 4.0 and studied Bachelor of Arts in economics question 14 tell me more about your academic background here the Visa officer wants to hear a little bit more about about about you what Drew you to that particular field you know from High School to the university the answer has to be a little bit more detailed all right so example answer is I completed my high school education at AAA High School in Cape Coast in 2016 economics was my favorite subject as I was fascinated by how the economy worked Concepts such as demand and supply and macroeconomic issues such as inflation and GDP were fascinating to me as a result I decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in economics at the University of cap Coast After High School I worked very hard and graduated with a GP of 3.8 out of 4.0 I now want to pursue a master's degree in economics so that I can specialize in development economics Ghana is a developing country and I believe the knowledge and the skill that I will acquire from the program will be useful to my country question 15 why did you not take the gr now many graduate programs require the gr and so you must explain why you did not take the gr a sample answer to this question is gr was only recommended for admission at ABC University before applying I contacted director of the program who said my good GP and my good academic background are enough for admission and that I do not need a gr all the other schools did not require the gr as well question 16 how will you finance your education or did you get any scholarship or who is sponsoring you they are just same question and this is one of the most important questions during the visa interview here the Visa officer wants to know how you plan to pay for your education and so you have to be prepared to provide information about any assistantship scholarships or other funding sources that you have have secured as well as any personal or family funds that you'll be using some people use a loan when they applying for the Visa but you have to very careful when you are using a loan there are situations where it's a bad idea to use a loan and I have a video coming up very soon that explains when it's a good idea to use a loan and when it's a bad idea so watch out for that video all right so in this case a sample answer is to say yes I was awarded a graduate assistantship of 20,000 my dad will also be supporting me financially with the remaining amount and all other expenses I have financial documents that show that I have sufficient funds to cover my tution and my living expenses so question 17 what is the job of your sponsor now if you're applying for the Visa without full scholarship from the school you are likely to be asked this question you know as a followup and so you have to be ready to answer this question correctly because this is very very important if you get it wrong your Visa will be denied now before you go for the visa interview you have to make sure you have an idea of your sponsors profession and their income sources and when you are asked you have to clearly outline the nature of their work and their commitment to paying for your education now going for the interview with some assistantship or some funding from the school really helps when it comes to this question now the following are things that you have to take note of first their job must not be a low paying job second you should have an idea of their job and how much they earn and you have to be certain that they can sponsor you before you use them as your sponsor third you have to make sure you have credible bank statement to support whatever you say now a credible bank statement has to show more more than the amount required on your I20 and must have lot of transactions in the last few months and also was issued by a bank you have to very careful of bank statements that are forged it may prevent you from being approved for several years it also helps if your sponsor has their own company or is the head of a company or an institution now being sponsored by a company or an institution really helps a lot so in this case a sample answer is to say my uncle is the CEO of ABC limited and he earns an annual salary of $150,000 now if you enjoying this video or if you are getting any value from this video I will appreciate it if you give this video a like And subscribe to the channel uh sharing this video with your friends will also be greatly appreciated question 18 do you have any relatives in the US now some believe that having close relatives in the US can affect your chance of being approved this because you are unlikely to return home after your studies also if your relative has overstate his or a Visa then that is a red flag that when you also go you are unlikely to return after your studies and so you have to be very careful in situations like that also if your school is located in a city where there are many of your compatriots it can be a red flag that you may not return after your studies in my opinion you have to be truthful with your answers and regardless of how you answer this particular question if you have answered all the other questions very well you will still be approved so a sample answer is no I do not have a family in the US there was someone who was denied a Visa for answering not to this particular question but it is possible that he wasn't convincing with his answer hence his answer was interpreted as you know a lie it is also possible there was another reason for the denial of his Visa all right question 19 do you plan on working while studying in the US as an F1 student you'll be able to work parttime on campus for a maximum of 20 hours during the semester and a maximum of 28 hours during academic breaks but during the interview that is not the kind of answer that is expected from you your focus should be on your studies so that you can learn as much as possible in order to get a good job in your home country after studies so example as answer is no sir or Madame I am aware it is illegal to do so I just want to focus on my studies in order to make good grace this will enable me find a good job when I return home after my studies question 20 can you demonstrate your ties to your home country or why do you think you will return home after your studies this is one of those questions where you have to prove that you are simply going to the US to study and then you will return home after your studies so aample answer to this question is all my family is in Ghana I think 2 years is a long time away from them and so I would love to be back home after my studies to see them my degree will equip me with Advanced skills such as understanding the complex workings of the economy and how to make meaning from data these skills will make it easy for me to find a job here or depend on your circumstance you can say I have a promise of a research assistant job by the economics Department of the University of cap Coast you can also talk about having a fian that you want to return home to marry and that you don't want to break her heart or even disappoint her family so question 21 what is your your plan after completing this degree a good answer is to say after completing my studies I want to come back to Ghana I was a teaching assistant at the University of cap coast and my supervisors were impressed with my work and so when I got this opportunity they advised me to work hard and assured me that with a higher degree from a US institution I will easily qualify as a research assistant at the department this is a wonderful opportunity for me as this will take me closer to my dream of becoming a professor all my family members are in Ghana and I will want to be with them after my studies here too you can talk about the fact that you have a fiance that you want to return home to marry and that you do not want to break a heart so these are all the questions that I have for you today please remember to be honest confident and prepared to answer questions about your academic background your finances and your ties it is also a good idea to practice answering these questions with a friend or a family member to help you feel confident and prepared for the interview so that's all for today's video feel free to join my WhatsApp group and you can also follow me on social media I'll see you in my next video [Music]

Channel: ShaiGuides

Views: 7,822

Keywords: f1 visa interview, visa interview, study abroad, visa interviews questions and answers, f1 visa

Id: usdwAhtcHOg

Length: 14min 40sec (880 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 26 2024