In a heartwarming incident at a US Consulate, a student applying for an F-1 visa stepped up to assist an elderly woman struggling with her B-2 visa interview, leaving a lasting impression on the visa officer — and possibly earning himself an approval in the process. The student shared the details on Reddit.
The applicant, who chose to keep the consulate location anonymous, had arrived early for his scheduled F-1 visa interview. While waiting in the queue, he observed an emotional scene unfolding at a nearby counter. An elderly woman, appearing unable to speak English, was attempting to convince the consular officer to approve her B-2 visitor visa so she could visit her daughter in the US. However, she was struggling due to the language barrier.
Moved by the situation — and realizing she was from his hometown — the student offered to translate. Initially denied by facilitators, he was eventually invited to the counter by the visa officer, who appreciated the gesture. Unfortunately, the elderly woman had overstayed a previous B-2 visa by two years and lacked sufficient documentation to justify it. The officer gently explained that current immigration laws were strict and advised her to reapply with proper translation assistance next time.
After assisting her, the student returned to his queue, but the visa officer called him back and began his F-1 visa interview on the spot. During the casual conversation, the officer expressed admiration for the student’s choice of universities — Stanford, Berkeley, and UT Austin — and complimented him for his kindness. Before concluding, the officer asked for his passport and I-20, and told him that he will get backt o him in a week.
