Maste

Hi all new here!

I am applying for my F1 student visa to study a masters in the USA this fall. I am in my mid 20's. I am going to be open and honest here, and in my interview of course! My interview is this coming Monday and therefore I'm worried and nervous as heck! I have a few questions to ask. Will give a short summary first, apologies for the long post in advance.

SHORT SUMMARY: I have a USC girlfriend, I will live with her. This is just a bonus as the course is perfect for me. Girlfriend does PhD. Upon completion she will pursue Post Doc/work in UK, I'll go back and work in UK. Only have family ties and a car. Got a scholarship from university I will attend. Funding all covered.

My main worry is this, I have a USC girlfriend, and the plan is to study at the school nearby to where she lives, which offers the perfect course for me to advance in my career. I have always wanted to pursue an education in the USA and now I finally have the chance, I am excited! Living with the girlfriend is just an added bonus and will be a great experience, not a means to an end, and makes the living costs a lot cheaper. I obviously have visited a few times in the few years we have been together. Is this an issue that will be questioned by the CO? I know the visa is nonimmigrant, and I have no intention of breaking the visa rules whatsoever. She is doing her PhD (biomedical student) at a different school in the city, and will pursue a post doc / job in the UK. She will finish up around the time my course ends. Is this going to raise questions/cause issues should the CO find this out?

I have my I20, and have all my documents ready. The school are giving me a scholarship which pays for 1/3 of my fees. Will this help my case in the interview if I present my scholarship letter? The other 2/3's of my fees will be in the form of a loan from my grandparents, who I shall pay back when I come back home and get a job. My own money will be for living costs and insurances, etc. My issue is my ties to home country? I have a very close knit family (All living within 30 mins of each other) who I could never leave behind for too long, 2 years will do me! I will be keeping my car in my grandparents garage, but those are my only ties? What else can help my proof of ties side of the interview?

I have read online that interviews for low risk countries such as ours don't usually get grilled too much and are given chances to explain situations. Is this true?

Any final advice for me in advance? Anything else I should take along with me to the embassy? I am so nervous!

Thanks in advance,

Maste

fbf2006

Congratulations on gaining admission and getting a scholarship!


Are you going to be paying rent where you live? They say to only answer questions that you're asked. I personally wouldn't flat out say that I intend to live with my girlfriend unless the question was asked. On your I-20, doesn't it indicate the cost of both the tuition and room & board are covered by the scholarship and personal funds? In that case, you provide the scholarship letter as well as proof of the personal funds (bank statements, etc) that cover the cost of the program for its duration. I don't really think they'd ask where you intend to live.


You're from the UK, I highly doubt they'll grill you on ties to your home country. Many people in their early 20s on an F1 visa don't really have any more special ties than you have. Ties are the fact that your whole family lives there and are not destitute. Just take as much documentation as you can.

Maste

Thank you so much!

I won't be paying any rent - my girlfriends parents are going to buy a house, let us live rent free, then when we come to the UK in a couple of years, they'll rent it out. I did offer to pay rent of some kind but they flat out refused this! Even if the CO asked where I intend to live, my answer right now 'I don't know yet' anyway!

It does indeed indicate total feels on the I20 form. My scholarship isn't on there as they didn't offer me the scholarship until after the I20 was sent to me, so I'll take my scholarship letter with me.

I will absolutely only answer what they ask. I won't go in detail on anything unless they decide to divulge any deeper into my answer. I'm just thinking they'll find out about my relationship since I've visited the USA often in past few years, and always the same place!

I'm just nervous and worried, as I really would love to study in the USA. It's been a dream of mine since I worked at a summer camp on a J1 visa and now it's a possibility! Will my previous J1 have any bearings on my application?

Thank you for replying.

Noorah101

Previous J-1 will have no bearing.

Rene

Maste

Thank you for that. I guess it would have had a bearing if I'd overstayed, which I hadn't! I was hoping my previous experience on a nonimmigrant visa would work for me! Oh well!

Maste

I am taking with me:

- Passport (with previous visa in it)
- 1 US visa size photo
- I-901 receipt
- DS160 confirmation page
- MRV receipt
- Form I20
- Acceptance letter
- Scholarship letter
- Affidavit of support & bank statement
- Previous degree transcript & transcript review

Have I missed anything I should/might take with me?

I was going to bring my car V5 form but I figured it's not a good strong tie to home. My only strong ties to home is a close knit, big family on my mums side. I am also the only person involved in my grandparents life on my dads side so I would eventually be caring for them one day! I am also the main beneficiary in their will as a result of no contact with my dad. Would that be worth mentioning as a strong tie?

ian-mstm

To clarify - you have a USC girlfriend, and you'll be staying with her. The F-1 doesn't allow you to live in the US. Semantics, perhaps, but important nevertheless. Since you now know that you won't actually be living with her, your situation becomes easier.


Not likely.


Not likely.


Yes.


You're coming to the US to study - perhaps for years; ties to your home country aren't really a consideration when you have an F-1 visa.

Ian

md95065

While it is sensible to be prepared for any eventuality you most likely will not need anything other than the I-20 and whatever else you were told to bring (passport, photograph etc).

Most F visa interviews seem to take less than 2 minutes and only consist of a few very simple and straightforward questions. The school already verified that you met the financial requirements before they issued the I-20 and, in most cases, that seems to be good enough and you won't even be asked about it.

Expect to be ask basic questions like the name of the college where you will be studying, the subject(s) that you will be studying, how and why you chose that particular college and, probably, not much else.

Assuming that all of the paperwork is in order and that neither you or the school have any "issues" it should all be very simple.

Maste

Now I think about it, you're right. One suggests intent, one doesn't. Thank you for the little heads up on using the correct phrasing! If, for some reason, the girlfriend came about, would I just explain quickly our situation like I have done here?

I feel a little more relaxed now, I appreciate it! I'll bring everything the embassy asked for, alongside my financial evidence stuff, admissions letter and scholarship letter.

Much appreciated. I'll also bring finance and school supporting docs to be on safe side. If asked why I'll come back, I'll just mention my family and career aims, briefly. That should be okay, I'd assume.

ian-mstm

One of the biggest problems that people have at the border, is verbal diarrhea... a sudden, overwhelming urge to volunteer all sorts of information not specifically asked about. In a nutshell, it's unlikely to happen. Why? You're coming to study. If asked where you intend to stay, give an address!


See above! It's unlikely to happen. Why? F-1 visas are usually stamped D/S (Duration of Status) which means that as long as you meet the requirements of the visa, you can stay in the US indefinitely. Everyone has family and career aims!

Ian

Maste

Thanks, I was talking more about at the embassy if it somehow came about. I guess the same thing would apply though?

I have plenty of experience at Point of Entry. Often times I have been asked "Do you know where you're staying?" and I only answer yes, because that's all I've been asked. They then have to actually ask where, but I have always been taught to only ever answer what you're asked!

I'm more at ease and less worried now. I had been reading horror stories online (I know, seek and you will find!) but then I realised these were from countries such as Philippines, Nigeria, India, etc, where I imagined it's tougher to get these kinda of visas? so I ended up here asking my own questions, for my own situation, with people who have been in a similar boat.

Noorah101

What are you referring to when you say "affidavit of support"?

Rene

md95065

The OP mentioned that his grandparents were giving him a loan to cover some of his expenses while he is studying in the U.S.. Since the college is required to verify that the prospective student has sufficient funds to cover the cost of their course and their living expenses while in the U.S., the OP will have had to provide the college with evidence of his financial assets and this will most likely have included both his and his grandparents bank statements and a statement or affidavit from his grandparents indicating the amount of financial support that they intend to provide. The "affidavit" doesn't need to be anything more sophisticated than a simple statement of the amount of money that they will be providing, signed using the standard "magic language" declaring that it is a true statement.

Noorah101

Ok, I just didn't want it to be an I-134 from the USC girlfriend.

Rene

Maste

Exactly this! Thank you for explaining in detail!

As mentioned by the poster above you!

It's an affidavit of support that the university require any persons supporting you to go to the school fill in. It's on university headed paper and has a statement saying they're willing to support for the duration of my studies, and their signature, along with a copy of there savings account. That's what I will be taking, not whatever a I-134 form is!