Professional Documents
Culture Documents
VISA Documents
VISA Documents
VISA Documents
This is a list of things that many of us carried to the consulate for the VISA interview. We have taken tips from one
of our friends file that he uploaded on the ufl groups in the previous years.
1. How to carry so many documents?
A harmonium file/folder is the best to carry all the documents. This is a folder where you can arrange
documents in various sections and can use the small tag holder for every section. You can get it at any
stationary shop for Rs.100-200.
2. How to arrange the documents?
I arranged the documents in the following order in the harmonium folder, but you can arrange it in any order
according to your preference
Materials to be carried along
1) I-20(signed) and Admission Letter of the University you want the VISA for + AID Letter (if any)
I-20s and Admission Letters / Acceptance Letters / Rejection Letters of other Universities you
2)
applied to. (Usually rejection letters are not asked for, but keep it with you)
3) GRE & TOEFL Score Reports (Originals)
Bank Passbook of the SB or Current type account + Bank Certificate + Papers clarifying big entries
4)
in your PASSBOOK
INCOME PAPERS: IT return Statement of your sponsors (Form 16) /If your sponsor is into
5)
business..BUSINESS Papers + Agricultural Income Proof
6) CA Statement + Affidavit of Support
7) FIXED Deposits + (ICICI or RBI or else) Bonds + Private FDs
8) LIC + UTI + PF + PPF + Super-Annuation Papers of your sponsor
9) NSC + Indira Vikas Patra + Kisan Vikas Patra + Share Certificates
House Tax Bill + Land Papers (If showing agricultural income or immovable) + Factory Papers (If
10)
into mfg)+ Evaluation of Land &/+ House ( to show the value of your immovable)
11) Emails of correspondence with professors of your Univ + SOP + Biodata
12) Degree Certificate / Provisional Degree Certificate / Bonafide Certificate from your College
13) Original Marksheets of your Undergrad, HSC, SSC + Transcripts of your college
14) Attested Photocopies of all the documents(not required as such, but who knows)
15) PASSPORT + VISA Form + 37 mm x 37 mm VISA Photographs, with white background( 2 Nos)
Things to be kept in your mind while preparing the file and all the other document:
Take both copies of your I-20 (the School Copy as well as the Student Copy). SIGN both the copies.
Carry the original GRE & TOEFL Score reports and produce them when asked for your scores.
Carry the Bank Passbook/Bank Statement (Originals) of your sponsor...In Case of a distant Co-Sponsor,
you can carry the photocopies of these documents.
Originals of FDs of your main sponsor are required, whereas Photocopies of FDs of Co-Sponsor will
suffice.
Take IT return papers of last 2 years.
The VISA photographs are known to the Studio people, so you just go and tell them to get a VISA
photograph. It is a photograph, showing your face closely. It has a white background, and its dimensions
are 37 mm X 37 mm.
FINANCIAL QUERIES
1. What is a Summary Statement?
A - This lists all your assets and their worth in US Dollars and Indian Rupee. This is especially necessary for the
Consulate Office at Mumbai where the officers have openly stated that they dont value CA Statements.
4. Is a CA Statement necessary?
A - Not at all necessary for Mumbai Consulate. I know of a few cases where the CA Statement was just thrown aside
by the VISA Officer in Mumbai. I think other Consulates still value CA Statements.
Annual Income
Minimum : 20 % of the total expenses of your full period of studies
Maximum : As much as u can show
13. Which should have more funds? savings acc or fixed deposits?
A - Ideally, the amount should be in savings as indicated above. However, its ok to have an equal amount in both
savings and fixed deposits. But its NOT advisable to keep a small amount (2-3 lakhs) in savings and the rest in fixed
deposits. It would make sense to break your FDs and put the money in your savings. Its because they directly see the
entries in your Passbook as to what is the amount reflected by your current savings. They interpret the current
savings as the money that you have to spend for immediate expenses. So the bottomline is that whatever your fees
be, even if you have full aid, your savings account should reflect atleast 8 to 10 lacs.
15. What about the drafts that I am supposed to carry alongwith to the Consulate?
A- You are supposed to carry two drafts with you to the Consulate. All the drafts are to be issued in Indian rupee
equivalent of the fees. The first draft is the VISA Application fees and the original amount is 45 US$, and the second
draft is the VISA issuance fees and the original amount is 75 US $. The drafts or the pay orders have to be issued by
any nationalised bank....Co-operative banks wont do. The drafts have to be addressed to " American Consulate
General". They should be payable at the city you are appearing for your interview, I mean if you are appearing at the
Mumbai Consul, it should be payable at Mumbai. Write your name and address and passport number behind the
drafts.
Also carry the counterfoils of your drafts, just in case the officers suspect the genuinity of your drafts!!!!
VISA FORM
You are supposed to submit the VISA Form along with your passport and I-20 as soon as you enter the Consulate.
You have to be very careful while filling out the VISA Form, because apart some info the other info entered by you
is entered in their database or is used to check for your entries.
The security guards at the Consulate provide you with the VISA form. So you can fill it up at that time while
standing in the queue, but it is so illegible, that you have to have an idea as to what you are filling up. So its better to
get this form, if you are not allowed you can always put this as a reference and fill up the small one that they
provide. Stick your 37 mm X 37 mm VISA Photograph at the space provide on Page 2 of the Visa Form.
VISA Qs
1. How many universities did you apply to?
This is a very basic question, but linked to this is the second question that is shot at you.
15. What does your father do?What if my dad has taken the VR?
Well this does have a specific reply, but then you can put it as "Sir, My father is working with a German collaborated
company for the past 25 years as a Manager in XYZ department. The long reply helps over here. If your father has
taken a voluntary retirement, dont mention that he has retired. Well there are two approaches to this. One, say that
your father worked with this company for the last 30 years and now has his own consultancy dealing with(insert
some financial or technical terms). Two, Say that your father worked as Asst Mgr./Mgr./GM with some company for
the past 25 years, took a VR and now has a consultancy of his own. Never show him to be idle, coz that means your
income has drastically reduced and works as a negative point. Stating about the VR often helps coz then you can
assure him that most of the money you have shown is yours coz usually people get huge amounts on taking a VR. So
that does help on the financial grounds.
17. Your brother/sister is studying there too. How will your parents support both of you?
Now, you have your chance of taking the officer for a ride here. Even if your brother/sister doesnot have an
aid/scholarship, you can say he got a TA/RA there and so he neednot be supported by the family any more for his
educational expenses.
18.Why is your GRE score low ? (or any section score low)
This is the most preffered answer.I answered the first few questions incorrectly and I couldnt improve my score later
even after performing well later. (Low = <1800 Otherwise you can say that you think your score is average and on
the basis of that the university has given you the admission). You can also mention that "This score is considered to
be ideal for the Engineers(if you are one)..or according to what you are. You can always build up a story , saying
that the GRE Score interpretor sheet says that. Such as Engineers dont need to have an extra ordinary VERBAL
Score, If the toher sections complement it, you can show that the other sections are stressed upon by universities
while selection for admission(Say this only when you think the situation is getting tense).
If you have a low VERBAL score, but a good TOEFL score, you can always say that "Please look at my TOEFL
score Sir, I have done well at that". Besides GRE is just one of the many aspects that the universities look at for
admission(Say this line only when you think you are drowning).
22.You look like Potential immigrants OR I dont think you will come back to India
This is a real tricky question. Many get blue when they hear this and lose their senses as how to tackle this question.
Stay calm and think what all you can say like :"I am from a very well-to do family and money is not at all essential
for me. I stand to inherit a lot from my parents (say this if u have lots of property) so staying and working in the US
is not a criteria at all. The only thing i lack is this Masters (or whatever degree) which will make me a better
software professional. As far as opportunity is concerned, because of the recession most of the US Companies are
turning to the Indian companies for their software solutions. Most of the Indian companies have tie-ups with the US
Companies (give some examples). So I am certain that with my degree I will get an equivalent opportunity and pay
packet in India.
5. The steps
Once inside the main hall, after the security check is over you are supposed to stand in a line which directly faces the
Counters # 1 and 2, where you are supposed to submit your PASSPORT, I-20 and VISA FORM. You are given a
token, which you carry with you all the time, till you pay your VISA issuance fees. You are also asked to write down
your scores either on the back of the VISA Form or on the second half of the token, that they keep with themselves.
Tip!!!
Write the score that is comparatively higher than the other first. Also dont forget to mention
any other achievement, such as working for an Indian Govt. Org, or RANKED Student, or achieved international
scholarship etc.
From here, you have to move diagonally across the room to Counters # 13 and 14, either of where you are supposed
to pay your initial fees, VISA Application fees. Give your draft(2115 Rs rupee equivalent of 45$)to the person over
there, you also have to show your pink token here. He gives you two receipts One Yellow, the second white. Keep
them close to ur heart.