F-1 visa: A student recently shared their experience of getting an F-1 visa rejected during an interview at the U.S. Consulate. The Reddit post detailed how the absence of a job letter from the father led to the rejection despite having sufficient funds for tuition.
Visa Officer Questions and Financial Proof
The applicant, who applied to California State University, Northridge (CSUN) for a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, explained, “My parents are sponsoring me. My father works as a (his job description) and my mother’s source of income is (her source of income details),” when asked by the visa officer about sponsorship.
When asked why they chose CSUN, the student said, “I chose CSUN because it offers me a complete curriculum which includes basics of software development and engineering as well as advanced concepts like Computer Systems Architecture, Object Oriented Software Development, Agentic AI e.t.c. The location is also a big plus as LA, a tech hub is very close to the campus. I will get to attend guest lectures from some of the brilliant field experts and will be able to interact with like minded people,” according to the Reddit post.
Rejection Triggered by Missing Job Letter
The visa officer then questioned the financial capability, stating, “This is a-lot of money, do you have any letter/document from company in which your father works?” The student replied, “No, I do not have any such letter. But I do have my mother’s bank statement,” which was shown, but the officer only glanced at it before handing over the rejection slip.
The student admitted they were unaware that a father’s job letter could be critical. They added that multiple U.S. consultants had advised them it wasn’t necessary. “I asked this question from multiple U.S consultants earlier, if I should take any documents that justify the funds and every consultant said ‘no need’, ‘they don’t ask for it’. One even said that they don’t even ask for bank statement/ financial document,” they wrote.
The Reddit post has sparked discussions among aspiring international students, highlighting the importance of preparing all supporting financial documents, even when not explicitly mentioned by advisors