Useful Visa Tips

The most important thing to keep in mind is that when a student is applying for a visa, he/she must prove to the consular officer that he/she is NOT going to stay in the US after graduating.

In other words, the consular officer views the student as a potential immigrant and it is up to the student to prove that this is not the case.

在申请签证时，重要的是:

  • Project an image of maturity and independence: look the interviewer in the eye and speak in a very articulate manner.

  • Explain very clearly why they chose to enter such-and-such program and why it is necessary to do so in the United States! One of the questions that the officer will be asking him/herself is: why does this person need to go to the US to study this subject

  • When possible underscore what plans the student has upon returning home. Many of us don't know what we wanted to do when we graduated from college, 但为了这次采访的目的, 学生必须尽可能地超前思考.

  • 申请非移民签证需要记住的10点:

1. TIES TO HOME COUNTRY. Under U.S. law, all applicants for non-immigrant visas are viewed as intending immigrants until they can convince the consular officer that they are not. You must therefore be able to show that you have reasons for returning to your home country that are stronger than those for remaining in the United States. "Ties" to your home country are the things that bind you to your hometown, homeland, 或目前居住地:工作, family, 你拥有或将继承的财务前景, investments, etc. 如果你是未来的本科生, the interviewing officer may ask about your specific intentions or promise of future employment, 家庭或其他关系, educational objectives, grades, long-range plans, 以及你在本国的职业前景. 每个人的情况都不一样, of course, 没有神奇的解释或单一的文件, certificate, or letter, 哪一个可以保证签证发放.

2. ENGLISH. Anticipate that the interview will be conducted in English and not in your native language. One suggestion is to practice English conversation with a native speaker before the interview. If you are coming to the United States solely to study intensive English, be prepared to explain how English will be useful for you in your home country.

3. SPEAK FOR YOURSELF. Do not bring parents or family members with you to the interview. 领事官员想要采访的是你，不是你的家人. A negative impression is created if you are not prepared to speak on your own behalf. If you are a minor applying for a high school program and need your parents there in case there are questions, for example, about funding, 他们应该在候诊室等着.

4. 了解这个项目，以及它如何符合你的职业规划. If you are not able to articulate the reasons you will study in a particular program in the United States, you may not succeed in convincing the consular officer that you are indeed planning to study, rather than to immigrate. You should also be able to explain how studying in the United States relates to your future professional career when you return home.

5. BE CONCISE. 因为收到了大量的申请, all consular officers are under considerable time pressure to conduct a quick and efficient interview. They must make a decision, for the most part, on the impressions they form during the first minute or two of the interview. Consequently, what you say first and the initial impression you create are critical to your success. Keep your answers to the officer questions short and to the point.

6. 附加的文档. It should be clear at a glance to the consular officer what written documents you are presenting and what they signify. 冗长的书面解释不能快速阅读或评估. Remember that you will have 2-3 minutes of interview time, if you are lucky.

7. 并非所有国家都是平等的. Applicants from countries suffering economic problems or from countries where many students have remained in the United States as immigrants will have more difficulty getting visas. Statistically, applicants from those countries are more likely to be intending immigrants. They are also more likely to be asked about job opportunities at home after their study in the United States.

8. EMPLOYMENT. Your main purpose of coming to the United States should be to study, 不是为了毕业前或毕业后的工作机会. 然而，许多学生在学习期间在校外工作, such employment is incidental to their main purpose of completing their U.S. education. You must be able to clearly articulate your plan to return home at the end of your program. 如果你的配偶也在申请F-2签证, 请注意，F-2家属不能, under any circumstances, 在美国工作. If asked, be prepared to address what your spouse intends to do with his or her time while in the United States. Volunteer work and attending school part-time are permitted activities.

9. 留在家中的受养人. If your spouse and children are remaining behind in your country, be prepared to address how they will support themselves in your absence. This can be an especially tricky area if you are the primary source of income for your family. If the consular officer gains the impression that your family members will need you to remit money from the United States in order to support themselves, 你的学生签证申请几乎肯定会被拒绝. 如果你的家人决定晚些时候和你在一起, it is helpful to have them apply at the same post where you applied for your visa.

10. 保持积极的态度. 不要和领事官员争论. 如果你的学生签证被拒, ask the officer for a list of documents he or she would suggest you bring in order to overcome the refusal, 试着把你被拒绝的原因写下来.

This document was produced by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. NAFSA感谢Gerald A. Wunsch, Esq., 1997, then a member of the Consular Issues Working Group, and a former U.S. 驻墨西哥领事官员, Suriname, and the Netherlands and Martha Wailes of Indiana University for their contributions to this document. NAFSA也感谢美国农业部的投入.S. Department of State.