Destination USA: Tips to ace your visa interview

You’ve been accepted at a US university and now it’s time for the visa interview. So you might be asking yourself: What makes for a successful interview? That’s what we are going to cover in today’s column, with five tips for the interview process. First, answer the question the officer asks you. If you are […]

You’ve been accepted at a US university and now it’s time for the visa interview. So you might be asking yourself: What makes for a successful interview? That’s what we are going to cover in today’s column, with five tips for the interview process.

First, answer the question the officer asks you. If you are asked why you want to study mathematics and you reply by citing university rankings, then the officer is going to react with some skepticism. And if you don’t understand a question, that’s okay. It happens to all of us. You can politely ask the officer to repeat the question.

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Second, be yourself. Tell us why you want to study in the United States. Show us your passion for your chosen field of study. Part of the officer’s job is to determine if you’re a bona fide student. There’s no better way to show you’re a real student than to show your sincere enthusiasm to study in the United States.

Third, explain why your course of study makes sense. If you have a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, but you want to do a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), that’s not necessarily a problem. But you’ll need to connect the dots between your past experience and how that lines up with your future educational objectives.

Fourth, be calm. It’s natural to feel nervous, but remember that consular officers were once students. So they know where you’re coming from. Just take a deep breath and share your story.

Fifth, you don’t need a consultant. Our consular officers have done thousands of interviews and they know when a student is reciting a memorized script. So you don’t need a coach. You just need to be yourself.

With Student Visa Day coming up on June 7th, we wish you luck as you explore the possibility of studying in the United States. And whether you come in for an interview on June 7th or some other time, we look forward to seeing you in person!

— US Consulate General Hyderabad