F-1 Visa Appointment: What To Expect?

[eddyrynes]

Hey everyone! I was wondering if people who've gone through the visa interview process can give some advice on what to expect during the interview at the US embassy/consulate. What kinds of questions are asked, and how soon do you get the visa after the interview? Thanks in advance

[catalysis]

My interview was literally 1 minute, the longest part was waiting in line (at 4 different lines) and security checks.

The officer just looked at my file and asked me "so you're going to do a PhD in chemistry at X university?" to which I answered yes, and he replied "ok, your visa is approved"
but obviously your mileage my vary, usually phd ones are easier because you're fully funded, while for a master's they might look more into your financial situation
it also varies for different countries

so my advice is: be prepared for everything, but also be relaxed... save the stress for the interview at the airport ? (that scares the hell out of me)

[AP]

Ditto.

Also, both times I did the F- interview (first time and renewal) they asked me what I intended to do after my PhD. Here you have a chance to say "find a job in my country". Remember an F-1 visa is a temporary permission to pursue postgraduate work so, when given the chance, show that you are aware of this temporality. 

They also asked me about the topic of my research. I do Latin American history so they tend to have a background in some sort of Latin American studies to work at my country's embassy.