The Visa Experience...

I got done with my visa interview and appointment on the 20th of June, 2008. It was definitely a unique experience. Imagine a nail biting 5 hour wait doing nothing but imagine and think of all the possible paths the interview can take and have a 15 second interview, which essentially just consisted of exchanging pleasantries =D, and being granted a visa. I guess given the amount of time to think, you must be surprised that I didn't think of it =P!

Anyway, I got the chance to see people getting grilled at the visa counter, so here's some free advice.

If you would have gone to many "overseas-studies consultants", they would have dumped you with tons of documents, and asked you for a lot of money.. Well, mine did and they were absolutely useless. They made me take the following documents

1. Affidavit of Support: A document that was notarized by a practicing attorney employed with the Government of the state in which you are residing stating that the sponsor would be supporting you in all your finances abroad.
2. CA Summary of Financial Holdings: I paid INR 5000 apart from what I paid the consultant (INR 7000). This was considered apposite by the consultant. It provided a summary of all the financial resources you are using to prove to the US Consulate that you can finish your studies in the USA.

Packing all your original marksheets, your X, XII certificates, originals of all the communication with the college, the financial resources proofs, and the aforementioned documents, you would have a Mahabharatha in your hand by the time you reach the consulate.

Now, there's a concept within the US Consulate called the "Pre Registration", where in an embassy representative asks for the following documents

1. DS forms
2. Original HDFC Bank Receipt
3. Original SEVIS Receipt
4. Your GMAT&TOEFL scores
4. Original Degree certificate
5. Passport

According the consul officer who has been issuing visas for the past 17 years in over 40 countries, this Mahabharatha is NOT going to help your cause.

According to him, the visa officer makes up his/her mind within the first 20 seconds of the interview. The only thing that is going to help you is your first impression. So, here's the tip

1. Smile and say Hello/Hi (DITCH THE VARIOUS OTHER SALUTATIONS LIKE MA'AM or SIR VISA CONSUL OFFICER and other crap)
2. Give your documents, where it says you should put it
3. DO NOT PUT ANYTHING ELSE INTO THE PRE-REGISTRATION FOLDER other than what the first embassy officer decided to put in. (They have grounds to reject your visa as you tried to commit fraud by adding/subtracting any documents to/from the pre-registration folder)
4. It is OK to be nervous. Many people offer advice that you should be confident and answer them. Great!! But when you are telling a lie / trying to pass off as someone you are not, then you are going to muddle up and the visa officer is trained to catch on to such signs of weaknesses, so IT'S OK TO BE NERVOUS!!
5. The important thing is that you give only what you have, do not try and commit any form of fraud, as they may issue a visa, but have you arrested as soon as you reach the USA. Then you just get mothered =P!

Anyway, that's all from my observations, which I did aplenty while I was waiting for 5 hours @ the Embassy in Chennai. My passport should be given back to the VFS guys in the evening on Monday. I hope to get it back in the next couple of days