F-1 Visa Document Requirements

Before we share the list of documents required for the F-1 Visa interview, we would like to reiterate that you
would not be asked for any documents other than your application/ appointment letter. However, being prepared
is always advisable and you should keep these documents handy for that one in a million chance of the
interviewer asking to see any document.

Also, file them neatly so that they are easily accessible. In addition, your original passport should be readily
available, as you would be requested to submit the same.

Set 1: Personal Information

 Passport (current and all the previous ones)
 MRV Fee Receipt
 Visa Interview Appointment Letter
 DS 160 Confirmation Slip (with the bar code clearly visible)
 SEVIS Fee Receipt
 Passport Size Photograph (as per regulations mentioned)
 CV
 Admission Letter, I-20, GTA Offer Letter

Set 2: Educational Documents

 Academic Transcripts like Class 10th and 12th Certificates and mark-sheets
 GRE/GMAT/SAT scorecard
 IELTS/TOEFL/PTE scorecard
 Bachelor’s Degree/ Provisional Degree Certificate or course completion certificate or mark-sheet for all the
years as well as the consolidated mark sheet (if applicable)

Set 3: Work-related Documents (if applicable)

 Joining Letter
 Salary Slips (last six months)
 Relieving Letter
 ID Card

Set 4: Financial Documents

 Loan Approval Letter (if applicable)
 Saving Bank Account Statement (recommended: last three years’)
 Fixed Deposit Certificates (recommended: last three years’)
 Tax Returns for the past three years
 Property Documents (residential, commercial, ancestral and/or farmland)
 You might be interested in these free downloads

Once you have all the documents ready, you need to start preparing for the visa interview. Remember to arrive a
few minutes ahead of your scheduled time with all the documents and receipts. To know more about F-1 Visa
interview preparation tips, read Interview Guide for F1 Student Visa for USA.
COMMON F1 VISA Q&A’s
NOTE:
Questions marked with ‘*****’ are generally asked to try and trap the applicant. Be wary of these questions.

1. What course are you applying for? Why?

Answer to the point. For ‘why’ you can answer as one of the following:

I am passionate about that *subject* and want to gain more knowledge in it.
There are not many experts in this *field* in India, the knowledge I gained while studying in *college name* will
help me stand out once I return to India.
This is an upcoming field, there is a shortage of experts in this field in India, so this will help my career once I
return.

2. Why are you switching fields? (If you are)

3. Why did you choose this university?

Do some research on this, List out the pros of the University.
What do you know about USA, about Nevada, Reno?

For example:
Their CS department is very reputed; they have many international publications.
I am a big fan of *this professor* (list out his achievements), I am excited to learn from him.
*this university* is well known for research in *your field*.

4. What about scholarships? Did you get any?

Answer to the point. Yes or No.

5. Did you contact any professors? What are their names?

Be honest, don’t lie. It’s good to know names of your professors, even if you haven’t contacted them.
You can reply as follows: I know *professor name*, he is an expert in *field*, he has many publications. I
haven’t contacted him personally, but I am excited to learn from him.

6. Have you been to the U.S before?

Answer Yes or No.

7. Why don’t you stay back and study in Nigeria?

Again, it’s good to do a little research on your university, course, and professors. You can answer as following:

For example: *University* has a well-known *dept name*, They do a lot of research and have a lot of
international publications. I feel this is a great opportunity for me to learn from these professors. Wanted to get
global exposure. Course work for *your field* is far superior in *your university*, compared to what’s available
here in Nigeria.

8. What are your plans after graduation?

Never mention: I want to stay in the US and look for a Job.

You can answer as following: Will come back and take up a job, my degree will help me stand out, and it will be
easy for me to get a job here.

9. How many admits did you get? Which universities?

Answer to the point

10. What was your GRE/TOEFL score?

Answer to the point

11. Why is your score low (if you have a low score)?
You can answer as following:

For example: My undergraduate course was very heavy for the final 2 years, so I found it hard to focus on GRE.
My focus on *mention project*, this was a great learning experience for me, I was dedicated my entire time to it.
This affected my preparation.

12. Who is sponsoring you?

Answer truthfully.

13. What is your parent’s annual income?

Answer truthfully.

14. What is your income (If you are working)?

Answer truthfully.

15. How much money will they be providing you with?

Explain your finance, how much of it is the loan and how much of it is your parents/personal money.

16. If your father spends most of his savings on your education, what about your family’s expenses in India?
You can mention: Apart from the bank balance, your parents have other assets such as property, policies, etc.

17. Your bank statement shows that all the entries have been made recently. Where did these funds come from
suddenly? *****
Answer truthfully.

18. Why does your passbook have only 1 page filled? Is this a new account? *****
Be honest; You can tell this is the first time you are traveling abroad.

N/A
19. What is your tuition fee of the University you want to join?
Answer to the point.

20. What about your living expenses and accommodation fee?

Your i20 shows the entire amount for one year i.e., course fee plus living expenses. You should have arranged for
this money to be in your bank statement before your interview either from your parents or bank loan.

21. Do you have relatives in the U.S? Who?

Answer truthfully.

22. Where is your University located? How will you reach there?
Answer to the point.

23. What about your accommodation?

Answer to the point.

24. Do you plan to work in the U.S while you study, may be on-campus? *****
You are legally allowed to work for 20 hours on-campus. You are not allowed to work off-campus.

You can answer as following:

I am not keen on an on-campus job. I want to focus on my course work. I would like to try for a TA or GA.

25. How many members of your family? What do they do?

Answer to the point.

26. So how come you decided to become an Engineer?

You can mention what you like about engineering and people who inspired you do become an engineer.

27. Considering the current U.S economy, why do you want to go there?
US job market doesn’t have an effect on me; I am only going there to study. I apply what I have learned here in
India.

28. Most applicants like you turn out to be potential immigrants. What about you? Do you plan to come back to
Nigeria once you finish your course?

29. Tell me about your grades in your undergraduate course in Nigeria?

The answer to the point. Be truthful.
30. If you run out of money in the U.S, what will you do?
I have enough money to cover my course fee and living expenses. So, this situation won’t arise.

31. Will your relatives in the U.S give you dollars to help? *****

32. Why do you seem scared and nervous?

Be confident. There is nothing to be scared off.

If they ask you this question, you can answer as follows: No, Officer I am not scared or nervous. I am an
introvert, don’t talk much, maybe that’s why I came across like that.

33. Are your parents supportive of your decision to study in the U.S?

34. What is your opinion about the U.S?

They have great universities, some of the best research is done here. The best place to study.

35. Will language/communication be a problem for you?

No, English was taught to me since I was 5 years old. All my courses are in English. I also scored well in my
TOEFL.

36. Have you visited/browsed through websites related to this interview? *****
I came across several websites, but since U.S travel docs declared that it’s the official website for visas, I
followed the rules of only that website.

37. Once back, what kind of job will you get in Nigeria?
Do your research. Check which jobs you are qualified to get.

38. What salary will you get?

Mention a good salary, say of 1-1.5 lakhs per month.

39. But in U.S you will get more, why don’t you think of taking up a job there after your education? *****

40. Where are you planning to travel and what locations would you like to visit in the U.S? *****

Top reasons why visas get rejected

1. Not intending to return to your home country once your course is over.
2. Insufficient finances to support your education and living expenses

Visa Interview Tips

1. Be as NATURAL as you are.
2. DON’T talk with an accent. Just talk how you normally talk. The interviewer will understand.
3. The Following Q&As are only to give you an advice. DO NOT memorize by-heart and repeat.
4. Dress Well. It’s an interview after all. Don’t over dress. Since you are a student, dress like one. Don’t go in a
business suit! Don’t go in a shorts and tee as well!
5. Be on time. Be early if possible.
6. Keep all your documents in order and neatly filed.
7. Read all about your university and your course. If the interviewer asks you something about it, it’s nice if you
can answer instead of saying ‘Umm I’m not sure.’
8. EAT FIRST! Don’t go without eating. The process is going to take a while.
9. Eat well the previous night too. Don’t consume alcohol for at least 24 hours before the interview.
10. BE CONFIDENT! Don’t bite your nails or fidget around. Stay calm.

Commonly Asked F1 Visa Interview Questions with Answering Tips

F1 Visa Interview Questions and Answers.
We cannot say it often enough – every interviewer is different and there are no set questions he/she might ask.
However, the intent of the interview is simple enough.
 One, to understand your intent – whether it is to settle in USA or to study and come back
 Two, and more importantly, to assess whether or not you can afford your stay in USA
Based on the simple understanding, here are a few sample questions that might be asked and tips on how to
answer them.

Q. Why have you chosen this specific University?

Tip: You should go through the website and handbook of your university carefully. Pen down some highlighted
features such as World ranking, the research facility, the faculty profile, Alumni profile etc. Visa officer wants to
know the reason behind joining the particular University. Also, reason like – because I only got admit from that
University is not acceptable. Choosing the university should not come out like it did not matter which university
you got through. You should be excited about going to that particular university.

Q. Which all universities did you apply to (both admits and rejects).
Tip: Visa Officer wants to know if you are really serious about your education. Even if you applied to 4 and were
accepted in 1 and got 3 rejects, honesty is the only way. Be honest about which all Universities you chose. Be
confident about the selection process you followed and in as short a statement as possible, suggest how you were
really happy with the accept. For example,

On the basis of my specific course requirement, I had shortlisted and applied to four universities. This was
amongst my top two choices and I was lucky to get an admit from the same.

Q. Where did you complete your bachelor's?

Tip: Mention the name of the course and the university. If the university has a high ranking or some specific
feature, mention that too. Keep it crisp and to the point.

Q. Who is sponsoring you?

Tip: If you have scholarship to study in USA, say that. Else mention the name of your sponsors, you may add that
your father and mother are supporting you for your higher education as per the financial documents.

Q. What does your father/mother do?

Tip: The Visa officer basically wants to verify the financial capability of the sponsors. You are advised to go
through the Income Tax Returns (ITR), and supporting documents of your sponsors carefully. Have a good idea
of the income source of your father, mother and any other person who is sponsoring you. Also, do not simply
suggest that he/she is in business or service. Be very clear about the nature of their work and their specific role

For example:
He is the Senior Branch Manager with SBI, Patiala Branch.
Or She is a Professor at Hyderabad University; she teaches Mercantile Law.

Q. What is your father's/mother’s/sponsor’s Income?

Tip: Visa Officer wants to know if your sponsor’s annual income is sufficient enough to meet your expenses of
studying abroad. They think that money can be put into banks, but annual income is a proof which they heavily
rely upon to decide the student's sponsor’s capability to meet his/her educational expenses. You should mention
the annual income as per IT Returns filed and submitted to the University for your I-20.

Q. How many brothers and sisters do you have?

Tip: Such kind of questions is basically to verify whether your family has other members for whom your parents
may have to raise fund later on. Basically, such questions are asked to evaluate the balance of income and
expenses of the family.

Q. Do you have any relatives in USA?

Tip: Be truthful at this instance. Visa Officer will have a full record of this (about your brother/ sister/ mother/
father) with them. If your distant aunt or uncle stays there, then you don't have to say about them. All that matters
is your immediate relatives i.e., own brother, sister, father or mother. Any of your relative overstaying their legal
permitted stay in USA is not favorably considered.

Q. Why don't you do this course in your country?

Tip: You should know what difference the course would bring to you if done from USA instead of Nigeria. If the
course is not available in Nigeria, you can tell the Visa Officer that it is not offered in India. If the same course is
available in Nigeria, highlight the differences in the quality of education and the course structure in India and
USA. You should convince the Visa Officer that doing this course from USA will add value to your profile. Talk
about a few pieces of research being conducted in that field. Technical words work out when other things don't.

Q. What will you do after completing MS/MBA/UG? Tell me how can you prove that you are going to come
back?
Tip: If you intend to work after completing your course then say so. Tell them you are looking forward to working
with some companies back in Nigeria. It would be good to mention the names of the few companies. If you were
working, you could mention that you have an offer of joining your last organization back after completing your
education. If you are inclined towards continuing your education and pursuing research, mention the same as
well. But do provide a hint that your family continues to be in India and you would want to come back to them
once your academic pursuits are over.

Q. Why Study in the USA?

Tip: Visa officer wants to understand your intentions to go to USA. As you are applying for student Visa so you
should only talk about how USA offers quality education which would help you bring the best of the world to your
country. Focus on highlighting the infrastructure available, the research and the method of teaching. Instead of
the country, try to focus on the University and the course to highlight that it is only about education.

Q. Have you received any scholarship? Why has the University granted a Scholarship to you?
Tip: You should know how many scholarships you may get and probably the reason why a university is giving
scholarship to your Visa Officer wants to know if you are aware of the scholarship programs and financial aid.
Also, if you have submitted any Statement of Purpose for the scholarship then mention about that and carry a
copy of the same.

Q. Have you got any Loans? How do you plan on repaying your Loan?
Tip: Answer about the quantum of the loan you have applied for and from where you have received the same.
Also, as to repay the same, suggest that you are confident to find a good opportunity in India after you graduate
and you have all the intent to pay it off with your income. Do not suggest you would be paying off the loan by
taking up part-time jobs in the US.

Q. Will you come back to home during vacations/holidays?

Tip: Visa officer wants to assess your ties to your home country and family. You can say that you plan to come
back to meet your family and friends here in Nigeria. You should not say that you plan to work in USA as that
shows you are not financially strong and you are going there to earn money. This will make the Visa officer
believe that even after completing your education, you would like to take up a job in USA and try to settle there.

Apart from the above, the visa officer might ask you questions regarding your academic percentage, about your
sibling’s education and jobs as well as your current job. Remember, you need to be confident about your purpose
– which is education from USA and also is confident that you can afford it.

So, take a deep breath and smile... All the best!

Student Visa Questions

Part 1: College & University
In this part, the visa officer is going to ask you questions about the college or university you have applied to.
Please note those are just example questions, but they will help you to get prepared.

Q1. What is the name of the college or university you are planning on going to and why did you choose to go to
this specific university or college?

Q2. To how many universities did you apply to and why?

Q3. What are the names of the universities you have applied to?

Q4. Did you get accepted by all of them?

Q5. What are the names of the universities you got accepted to?
Q6. What is the name of the university where you completed your undergraduate or graduated degree, and where
is it?

Q7. Do you know your undergraduate Academic GPA or Percentage?

Q8. Let us know more about your university: Where is it, which degree did you study or which degree are you
planning on studying?

Q9. Tell us the name of the professors you are in contact with from the US university.

Q10. In what year did you get your Bachelor’s degree and from which university?

Q11. What are the reasons for you coming to study in the United States?

Q12. How long are you planning to stay in the United States?

Q13. Why did you apply to this university and not to another one? And how do you know about this university?

Q14. Tell us more about your academic background.

Q15. Are you also planning to study a Ph.D. in the US after having completed your master’s degree?

Q16. The major which you are taking is also available at other universities, why did you decide to go to this
university and not to one of the others?

Student Visa Questions

Part 2: Bank & Finance
This part is a really important one and you have to be prepared for all of these us f1 visa interview questions. The
visa officers want to know if you will be able to financially support your studies in the United States, as we all
know to live and study in the United States can be overwhelmingly expensive. It is very important that you
answer all of the questions in a way that visa officers are expecting. For this part, you need to bring your bank
statements, transactions, passbook, latest transactions, and other finance-related documents.

Q1. Who is paying for your education?

Q2. How are they able to pay for it?

Q3. What is their professional background?

Q4. Tell us more about your father’s/mother’s job and income and how long they have been working for the
company.

Q5. What is the monthly income of the person who is going to sponsor your studies?

Q6. Apart from that, tell us more of your sponsor’s annual income?

Q7. How much does your university cost for a year?

Q8. Does your sponsor pay for all of it or did you also get a loan?

Q9. Please show us your current bank statement.

Q10. If you are planning to stay for two or three years, how will you finance your education and your living?

Q11. On your bank statement, we can see large portions which only have been deposited recently. Please explain!

Student Visa Question

Part 3: Relatives & Family Members
For this part of the student visa interview, you need to remember the answers you have given in form DS160. For
example, if you have relatives in the United States, tell them that you have relatives there – don’t lie about it.
Lying only makes things worse and can cause you a lot of trouble. The following questions are ones you can
expect in the part of relatives and family members:

Q1. Do you have brothers and sisters? If yes, how many?

Q2. Are any of them living in the United States or do you have any other relatives who live in the United States?

Q3. Does your mother/father work? If they don’t, what do they do for a living?

Q4. Why does your brother/ sister live in the United States? What do they do here, do they work or study here?

Q5. What is your brother/sister doing in in the United States and where? Would you also like to stay in the US to
work?
Q6. Did your parents/brother/sister complete any studies? Which ones?

Q7. In which country and in which city do your parents live?

Q8. As we can see you have brothers and sisters, will your parents be able to afford your education abroad in the
United States?

Q9. Do you have any relatives studying at the same university you are planning to go to?

Q10. Are you in a relationship?

Student Visa Questions

Part 4: Work & Job
These questions also give an idea about your lifestyle and whether or not you might be going to the US to stay for
longer.

Q1. If you work, why do you plan to leave your current job in order to go abroad to study?

Q2. Please show us your CV or any other paper which shows your work experiences.

Q3. What is your salary at the moment?

Q4. Do you also have savings?

Q5. Once you have finished your studies, do you plan to stay in the United States to work?

Q6. Do you plan on working while studying?

Student Visa Questions

Part 5: General Questions
Here you can find a mix of all kinds of questions. Apart from the above mentioned they will ask you general
questions in between. Here are some:

Q1. What are your reasons to study in the United States, why didn’t you choose to go to Canada or another
country?

Q2. Tell me some positive things about the United States, why do you like the United States as a country?
Q3. What are your expectations after having completed your studies and returning to your country?

Q4. Why do you want to do a Master’s or Ph.D. degree?

Q5. Can you tell me why your GRE/TOEFL scores are so low?

Q6. I think you want to immigrate to the United States, or are you planning on going back home?

Q7. Tell us everything you know about the education and the education system in the US.

Q8. Why did you apply for a summer semester and not for the fall semester too?

Q9. What are your plans after having completed your studies in the US?

Q10. How can you prove to us that you won’t stay in the US after the completion of your studies?

Q11. Is it your first time to the US or have you visited before?

Q12. What are your career goals back home after your studies? Or are you planning on going somewhere else?

Q13. As you choose this specific university, do you happen to know anyone who studies there?

Q14. What are your plans if your student visa is not approved?

Q15. Are you planning to go home during your summer vacation?

Q16. We can see you got a scholarship, why do you think they gave it to you?

Q17. Why don’t you want to study in your home country?

Q18. Can you explain to us why you changed your field or career?

Q19. Why should we give you the possibility to study in the United States?

Q20. Do you think you deserve to get an F1 visa?

It is an exhausting list but it encompasses the possible us student visa interview questions you might be asked in
your interview.