This web page will give you a detailed idea of what to expect at the visa interview and how to prepare for it. This document is composed assuming that the applicants are parents or parents-in-law of persons already in the US.

Visa interview has personal and consequently unpredictable factors involved in whether your visa application gets accepted or rejected.

Please have all documents ready as per this website. It is very important that applicants understand what each document is meant for.

Visa officers are quite skeptical about many Indians as they have understood, based on their vast experiences, that lot of Indians lie and produce fake documents to get visa. Lot of Indians goes to USA on tourist or business visa and many do not come back. They either change their status, stay longer than promised originally, try to become permanently by marriage or other relative green card petitions, or just stay illegally. Many of their relatives also help these people. Many students try to enter US with no intention of studying and work illegally in stores/motels. Many fake marriages also go on for getting green card. Because of all these reasons, many consular officers keep applicants under lot of scrutiny and if they have even little bit of doubt, they simply reject the application.

Person should make consular officer sure that whatever visa category he is applying for, he is qualified for. If he is going for tourism, he should know what all places he is going to tour. If you are going on business visa, you should be working in that company for at least one year, and be experienced, otherwise, why they would spend so much money and resources. Students should know proper English; have enough financial resources (and also legal money on which their parents have paid proper income tax). Applicant must understand the complete procedure and what each document is for.

Consular officers would really like to see that applicants are honest, stay for the authorized duration and come back promptly after that. They would not want anyone to stay illegally in US. Even though US are a country of immigrants, it does not mean that anyone can enter the country for any reason.

Consular officers are fond of asking questions of type 'What if...'       

 

 Examples are:

·   What is the purpose of your trip?

·   Which place you going to?

·   Who is sponsoring you?

·   What is Your Company's profile?

·   How long you wish to stay?

·   Are you married?

·   Do you have any relatives in the US?

·   If Yes, What he/she is doing?

·   Who will pay for your trip?

·   What is your father's annual income?

·   What would you do if you win jackpot in Las Vegas casino?

·   What if someone offers you job in US at very high salary?

·   What if someone offers you partnership in his business?

·   What if some beautiful proposes you for marriage?                      

Consular officers may ask such questions to scrutinize the applicants. If you give answers such as I will buy house in US and stay there after winning jackpot, I will accept job offer or partnership and start working or get married to beautiful US citizen girl and settle there, your visa will be rejected. When you are applying for tourist visa, you are just supposed to tour the country and not just stay there forever because of one or another reason. It is very important to thoroughly prepare yourself before applying for     visa. Many people write details in the visa application form whatever they feel are convenient for them. If their application is rejected, they apply again and write some other details according what they feel would get them visa. Many people don't even keep the copy of first application. (But consular officers do keep the copy and compare against earlier application.) There should not be any spelling mistakes in the application. Some times, people don't even care to fill the application themselves and ask travel agent to fill it up for them, and after that, don't even care to double check what travel agent has filled for them. Travel agent does not really care much, as he is primarily interested in selling air tickets to you. But you could be in trouble in future if you write any wrong information in the application. If you are caught providing any fake information, you might be barred from applying for any US visa benefits in future.  Many people don't know basic rules. Many people are not aware of the penalties of breaking the rules. If you get business visa, it does not mean you can go to USA and start your business over there.  If you get 10 year multiple entry visa does not mean you can stay in USA for 10 years. 10 years multiple entry visa means you can go to the U.S. anytime within next 10 years. For each visit, your actual stay will be determined by the date stamped in I-94 form at the port of entry. It is usually 6 months. You can extend your stay up to another 6 months.  Many people complain that visa officer did not even ask any questions nor looked at any documents and rejected their application, which is not fair at all. It is not like that in reality. Visa officers are experts in their profession and they are appointed in consulates in foreign countries after extensive training. Due to their vast experience, visa officers, many times, can figure out true intentions of applicants just by looking at them. They can even figure out whether information provided in the application and/or documents may be true or fake. They don't need to talk to applicants in many cases.  You may be surprised to know what all-possible things they may know, such as value of property in a given area, income/income tax ratios, and many other things.

While there is a definite luck-factor involved, your chances of success will greatly increase if you prepare yourself thoroughly for the interview. The preparation consists of the following:

 

1.      Knowing the visa officer's concerns and strategically preparing convincing points to satisfy his/her concerns.

2.      Practice a list of anticipated questions (provided below) and practice answering them again and again. It is good to take some time out and sit quietly in a room imagining that you are in the interview and that the consulate office is asking you questions. Practice answering the questions aloud. Repeat this entire drill 3-4 times until you have mastered the answers to all the questions. The interviewer will specifically ask some questions to the man and some to the woman and each one will be expected to answer those questions by them. So, both should do this practice.

3.      Prepare perfect documents, especially your family photographs, property documents, bank statements, income tax records, and consultancy documents. Make sure your documents are perfect and that nothing is missing. Arrange the documents properly in a thin folder and memorize their arrangement, so a document can be instantaneously pulled out when needed.

At the interview:

1. Do not get nervous. Be confident. You will be more confident if you have prepared thoroughly
2. Be there little early. You don't want to miss your interview just because you got stuck in traffic
3. Wear formal clothes as if for a formal business meeting. The interviewing officer will always be an American (the interpreter if required may be Indian). If possible the man should wear a tie. Americans always appreciate formal attire, so they will not find you over-dressed if you wear a tie
4. Both candidates should greet the officer with a smile and a "good morning", as soon as you enter the interview booth
5. Both candidates should have a confident posture and look at the interviewing officer straight in the eyes throughout the interview.
6. Be confident in your answers, whatever you say. Make short, clear, to-the-point replies, in loud and clear voice. Do not tell anything that is irrelevant or not asked. By mistake, you may give some unnecessary information that may lead to your rejection
7. Be polite, do not argue and do not ask unnecessary or unrelated questions.
8. Often times you might not understand what the interviewing officer is saying because of his/her American accent and/or the microphone system. If you do not understand one of their sentences do not feel afraid to say, 'beg you pardon; I did not understand you.' If he/she repeats the question and you still do not understand, that is not a problem, do not panic. Calmly and confidently say, sorry sir/madam. I still did not understand you. Could you kindly repeat what you said
9. If you know English, it is preferable to have interview in English so that you and consular officer can understand the thoughts of each other.  Interpreters mess up sometimes
10. Consular officers are very smart in their profession. They can figure out true intentions of applicants most of the times because of they’re trained and experienced. Some of them also may know regional languages of India.
11.  If officer asks the questions of type 'What if', don't give answer immediately without thinking through it. If officer suspects that your intention may to stay in US and/or work there, your visa may be rejected.
12. Be honest during the interview and while preparing the documents. Consular officer is not your enemy and he is just doing his duty.
13. For every question asked, when you are saying your answer you should be prepared to simultaneously put forth a document supporting your answer, and refer to the document in your answer. E.g. if the interviewer asks you what are your ties in India, for which you will return to India after your visit, and if one of the components for your answer is that our only grandchild is in India, you should simultaneously present photographs of your grandchild and your family to the interviewer to strengthen your answer
14. Purpose of the tour is vacationing, visiting   friends/family. Some of you call your parents   because your wife is pregnant. Never mention that   she is pregnant. They will say all the facilities   are available in the United States to take care of that and your relatives don't need to come to   the United States just for that reason. They will   think your relatives would want to extend the   visitor's visa to do the baby-sitting and   eventually never leave United States.   Of course, if the officer asks whether your daughter   or daughter-in-law is pregnant during the interview, you have to answer   truthfully and you cannot lie. Also, if officer asks you whether   you have grandchildren, answer truthfully.