My US Visa Interview Experience
Hey there!
I am Kartikey Sharma, an incoming graduate student at New York University (NYU). As a student, you are in the F1 category of visa types.
I have done my undergraduate in Electrical Engineering, and I am switching my major to Computer Science. This is a story for a different article :)
My Visa Interview Profile
- University: New York University
- Major: Computer Science (Masters)
- Consulate: New Delhi (OFC and VI)
- Interview Time: 9:50 am
- Visa Attempt: First
- Result: Approved!
- Counter Number: 14
Entry and Verification
I live in New Delhi and reached the Consulate at 9:10 am. There was a big line, and upon asking a guard outside, the line was actually for people having time after 10 am. I told him I was supposed to interview at 9:50 am, and he let me in the main queue, which was smaller.
Checkpoint 1: Passport Scanner
This was right outside the Embassy building. An Indian man was scanning the appointment confirmation behind the passport (A sticker is put on the back of your passport once during your Biometric (OFC) appointment. I then stood in a queue and, after waiting for approx. 20 mins, I was let into the building for frisking.
Checkpoint 2: Frisking and Waiting Lobby
Upon entering the building, we were frisked first and asked to place all leather materials and documents in a scanner box (similar to airports, you get the view).
Then we were asked to wait in the waiting lobby, where each row was allowed to enter one at a time. There was a counter to buy food and a vending machine to buy a soft drink (Note: Carry some cash handy in case you want to buy something as you can carry nothing else)
After ten more minutes, it was time for my row to enter the main embassy building. There were all type of VISA applicants there, F1, B1, M1 and H1B were some common ones.
Checkpoint 3: SEVIS and DS-160
These two forms were checked on this counter by an Indian man. He also scanned the sticker on the passport to verify my information.
Checkpoint 4: Biometric Confirmation
An American woman in her mid-30s asked me my name first. I then placed my four right fingers on the biometric scanner, and after a few seconds, she allowed me through.
Endgame: VISA Interview
After this, there was a queue to be interviewed by the VISA officers. There are a total of 20 counters at the New Delhi consulate. However, only 12 were open.
While in the queue, you can start hearing the conversation between the applicant and the VISA officer. It seemed a bit intimidating at first, and seeing a few rejections was not a pretty sight.
I was interviewed at counter number 14. The officer was a blonde American female in her mid-30s. Here’s how my interview went.
Interview Details
Me: Good morning, officer!
VO: Hi! Pass me your I-20 and passport. *looks at the I20 form*
VO: So what are you doing now?
Me: Officer, I recently graduated from college and am enjoying time with my family. *I didn’t expect this question*
VO: That’s nice. What was your final year project, then?
Me: I build a Stray Welfare app. It’s an Android app seeking to connect NGOs and animal enthusiasts in the state of Goa to prevent animal cruelty.
VO: *she was in a good mood* That’s a good initiative. How do you plan to fund your education in the USA?
Me: *talks about my education loan, parents are sponsoring and scholarship from NYU*
VO: And what do your parents do?
Me: *told her, along with specifying their net annual income*
VO: Your VISA is approved. Congrats!
Me: Thank you so much, officer. Have a great day ahead!
VO: *smiling* You too!
I was beaming once I left the embassy. My father was standing outside, soaking from the heat and worrying. I rushed to tell him, and we later went to South Extension, and I got myself a Real Madrid jersey xd.
My insights and some tips
Don’t be afraid. The VISA officers are there to give you VISA only :) You just need to showcase that you are an eligible candidate with sufficient funding and don’t want to immigrate to the USA.
Try to greet everyone you meet, be it the guards, helpers, or the staff at each checkpoint. It will surely help you exude confidence and be prepared mentally for the interview interaction.
All the best for your interview!
I am active on Linkedin and Twitter. You can contact me if you have any questions about MS preparation or switching majors. You can learn about my past experiences on my website. ❤
If you have read the entire article and are reading this, I genuinely wanna thank you, and do let me know about the content you would like me to discuss.
