At the Embassy September 30, 2014

So you have decided to study in the United States. You picked a language school, filled out the application, arranged the dates of your classes, and made a payment. And after few weeks, you received your I-20 form. Now it is time to go to your embassy and apply for the F1 (student) visa. Please remember, neither PCTECH nor any other language schools can guarantee that you will be granted a student visa. It all depends on you, on documents you provide, and sometimes on an official who will interview you. One of my friends once told me that the process is like a lottery: you can’t predict the result.

However, the more you prepare, the more opportunities you will have for success. I remember my interview at the embassy. Before my visit there, my travel agent had given me a list of questions I could be asked and carefully checked all my documents. I studied all the questions, and prepared an answer for each of them. My documents seemed to be in good order. Basically, your documents have to prove that you will return to your country after the completion of your program. As for the questions, the most common included regard the length of your program and your decision to study in the United States.

            Also, being nervous before the interview is absolutely normal, even if you have prepared very well. I was very nervous before my interview. My parents and I came early because we were told that it might be very crowded. And yes, it was very crowded. People were standing outside hours before their scheduled interviews. I had to wait for two hours before I was called. To my surprise, the official who interviewed me asked me only two questions: “For how long a time am I going to be the U.S.?” and “Where am I going to stay while I am there?” Altogether I spent about three minutes in front of him before I was granted a visa. I was surprised and, of course, very happy.

However, I want to warn you that my example does not mean that the process of getting your visa is very easy. It was so in my case, but your experience may be completely different. So be prepared, study the questions, and make sure you have all the required documents.

PC TECH: English Language School in New York City