The United States has emerged as the most preferred destination for Indian students seeking higher education overseas. Indian student enrollment in U.S. universities surged by 35% in 2022-23, making it the second-largest source of international students after China. However, the US student visa rejection rate is at a record high and getting an opportunity to live and study in America is getting harder for students.
In 2023, consular officers denied visas to nearly a quarter of a million foreign students, when a record 253,355 student visas were rejected. While there could be several reasons for student visa rejections, is the ‘interview process’ a big enough reason for such denials to visa issuances?
The Cato Institute’s associate director of immigration research, David J. Bier, in a study highlights the importance of visa interviews.
Bier in his study writes – The bigger issue here is how Consular Affairs handles visa interviews. The head of the Consular Affairs division in India is Don Heflin. Heflin explained how student visa interviews work in April 2022:
Bring [bank statements] just in case the vice consul asks, but we are looking at this less than we used to. We know Indian families usually find a way [to pay].… Mostly it’s about explaining why this school and this curriculum makes sense to you.
It’s what in American English we call the Elevator Pitch.
You’ll have a minute and a half to tell us why this [school] makes sense to you. Don’t walk up and recite something from memory about the campus, the student body, and how old the school is.… Listen, I have a lot of Indian friends. I know that your father may have told you where you were going to go to school and what you were going to study. That’s fine. Tell us what he told you. Show us that it makes sense for you.
Bier goes on to say – “This absurd method of adjudicating student visas explains why India has a much higher than average student visa refusal rate even though Indian students are extremely successful in the United States. The United States should not pass on tens of billions of dollars in economic activity from these students just because they memorized their “elevator pitch” on why they want to study computer science in Kansas. It’s irrelevant. The administration needs to increase transparency about student visa denials and adopt a fair and uniform policy for reviews.”
The secret to crack the US Visa interview may still not exist but here are a few things that you may stick to. Prepare to articulate your university choice, career goals, and degree program’s effectiveness. Make the interviewee feel your commitment to education and your dedication to your career.
The consular officers are seeking diligent and dedicated students who have the potential to excel in the United States. The visa interview is not a test, but a consular officer’s assessment of a student’s potential for success in the US, determining the best interests of the student, university, and the nation – USA.
Recently, consular officers have been authorized to continue to waive in-person interviews on a case-by-case basis for certain first-time or renewing applicants including Students (F and M visas). A successful US visa interview for an international student applying for an F-1 student visa requires thorough preparation. The process of studying and pursuing a job in America is a lengthy and complex journey that has no shortcuts.