F-1 visa news: An Indian student who recently went for F-1 visa interview at US Embassy in India has shared his experience on Reddit. He got rejected despite having strong academic credentials and prior international travel. His post titled, “That’s how they leave you clueless”, has started a discussion on the platform about how consular officers assess student visa applicants.
Strong Academic Profile, But Visa Denied
He got admission into Iowa State University for Aerospace Engineering with a mix of scholarship and his father’s financial support. He also had prior travel history to France, Switzerland and Italy which he thought would help his case.
Describing his interview, he wrote:
“Me – Good Morning Sir
VO – Your I-20 and Passport please
Me – Here you go sir
VO – Hmm, why this school
Me – I chose Iowa State University as it has a highly reputed program to study Aerospace Engineering. It is also home to one of the most advanced spacecraft simulation Laboratory. On of my favourite professors in the orbital dynamics domain teaches here (his name) and along with him, Iowa State also has a wonderful environment for innovation given their in-house make to innovate program.
VO: Sorry, No Visa for you today.”
Reactions on Reddit: “Sounded Rehearsed”
The student expressed disappointment, adding that even if he reapplied, there was little he could change apart from deferring to spring and possibly securing more scholarship.
Redditors weighed in with their perspectives. One user commented, “Sounds like a rehearsed answer. Why this school? Because I got accepted into their aerospace engineering program with a scholarship. I’m very excited, it’s an amazing opportunity. Lot’s of great people teach there. You know, like a normal person.”
Another offered a broader view of how visa interviews work, “My initial reaction was the – ‘the answer sounded too good to be true’. Not say it is a ‘correct’ perception, just a reaction. However, these interviews are not really about content of your answer IMO, but more about ‘credibility’ assessment. That has oodles of subjectivity baked into it – covered up in a seemingly objective veneer of criteria, and qualifications et. Bottom line – you have to make the person on the other side ‘like’ you and ‘trust’ you I think.”
Larger Discussion Around F-1 Visa Interviews
The post highlights the unpredictability of student visa outcomes in the US, even for applicants with strong academic records and funding. Many users agreed that beyond documentation, interviews often hinge on the applicant’s ability to appear natural, credible, and trustworthy in the short span of questioning.
Disclaimer: This story is based on a post shared by a Reddit User. The details, opinions, and statements quoted herein belong solely to the original poster and do not reflect the views of Financialexpress.com. We have not independently verified the claims.
