Second F-1 visa

[virtua]

Hey guys,

As I left my previous uni(didn`t complete my studies, didn`t earn the degree) after 1 year and got admitted to a new one, I`ve applied for a new F-1 visa in my country. Now, I`m kind of worried about the interview, I wonder, can anything be different this time? And if yes, what? I mean, can my interview last shorter than my 1st time? Or on the contrary, the officer will ask me more questions? Or they will ask some additional documents?

[DogsArePeopleToo]

It is my understanding that when you transfer, you don't necessarily need a whole new F1 visa, just a new I-20. But if your F1 expired while you were studying and you went home, you need a new visa to re-enter the US.

Generally, you shouldn't have any problem during the interview for your second F-1. You have demonstrated that you're not a flight risk (you've returned home) and that you are a bona fide student with all the necessary means to continue your education for at least the first year of the program.

The length really depends on who is interviewing you. In my case, I was going from F-1 to an H1B. The visa counselor asked me a few short questions, approved my visa, then sent me to an assistant (local national) who grilled me about my life since high school...where I had lived, what schools I had attended, what my field of study was, etc. But this seemed like a formality; my visa had already been approved.

Another time, the visa counselor asked me, "Tell me about your court appearance in Michigan. You didn't appear before a court? Well, tell me about your visit to Michigan. You didn't visit Michigan? Well, were you ever charged with anything in connection with an incident in Michigan?"

This was the scariest experience, and the best explanation I can have for it is that the counselor thought my profile was similar to someone on some list, or they were trying to trip me. Whatever the reason, my visa was approved.

This is a long way to say, whatever happens, you're well placed to receive your visa as long as all your documents are in order. Don't worry. It'll sort itself out

[virtua]

1 hour ago, DogsArePeopleToo said:

It is my understanding that when you transfer, you don't necessarily need a whole new F1 visa, just a new I-20. But if your F1 expired while you were studying and you went home, you need a new visa to re-enter the US.

Generally, you shouldn't have any problem during the interview for your second F-1. You have demonstrated that you're not a flight risk (you've returned home) and that you are a bona fide student with all the necessary means to continue your education for at least the first year of the program.

The length really depends on who is interviewing you. In my case, I was going from F-1 to an H1B. The visa counselor asked me a few short questions, approved my visa, then sent me to an assistant (local national) who grilled me about my life since high school...where I had lived, what schools I had attended, what my field of study was, etc. But this seemed like a formality; my visa had already been approved.

Another time, the visa counselor asked me, "Tell me about your court appearance in Michigan. You didn't appear before a court? Well, tell me about your visit to Michigan. You didn't visit Michigan? Well, were you ever charged with anything in connection with an incident in Michigan?"

This was the scariest experience, and the best explanation I can have for it is that the counselor thought my profile was similar to someone on some list, or they were trying to trip me. Whatever the reason, my visa was approved.

This is a long way to say, whatever happens, you're well placed to receive your visa as long as all your documents are in order. Don't worry. It'll sort itself out

Thanks a lot for your reply and sharing your experience! The last story was actually scary  

My previous visa and SEVIS are expired, so I`m obtaining a new visa.

I really hope that the officer will think the same way about the flight risk. I also hope I won`t be burdened on the interview by too many questions like why I left my previous uni, why I`m going to the new one and etc. 

Also one of the things which I`m worried about is that this time I don`t have some kind of cover letter. For my previous visa interview, my advisor wrote some letter for me describing the research plans, which I brought to the interview, but I wonder if that letter matters.

[DogsArePeopleToo]

17 hours ago, virtua said:

Also one of the things which I`m worried about is that this time I don`t have some kind of cover letter. For my previous visa interview, my advisor wrote some letter for me describing the research plans, which I brought to the interview, but I wonder if that letter matters.

I have been through about 10 visa interviews, some of them for F-1, one for H1-B and some for B1/B2 visas. I always bring supporting documents, including letters of the type you mentioned. The visa counselor has never seen any of them, even when I tried to show it to them. They either tell me that they don't need them, or they respectfully take them and return to me at the end of the interview without having seen them.

Not sure what your experiences have been with these letters, but I think you'll be fine without them  You might actually need the acceptance/enrollment letter from your new university more than the letter.

And chances that the visa counselor will think you're not a flight risk are quite high. If your I-20 and everything is good, they will presumably have no reasonable doubt based on which to deny you a visa. Good luck!

[virtua]

1 hour ago, DogsArePeopleToo said:

I have been through about 10 visa interviews, some of them for F-1, one for H1-B and some for B1/B2 visas. I always bring supporting documents, including letters of the type you mentioned. The visa counselor has never seen any of them, even when I tried to show it to them. They either tell me that they don't need them, or they respectfully take them and return to me at the end of the interview without having seen them.

Not sure what your experiences have been with these letters, but I think you'll be fine without them  You might actually need the acceptance/enrollment letter from your new university more than the letter.

And chances that the visa counselor will think you're not a flight risk are quite high. If your I-20 and everything is good, they will presumably have no reasonable doubt based on which to deny you a visa. Good luck!

Oh, thanks very much! Your post comforted me. Yeah, I have both acceptance and offer letters and I will bring them, I hope everything will be okay