Tomorrow's interview for F-1 Visa (Well prepared)

[matiman]

Hello guys, I will have F-1 Visa Interview tomorrow morning in the US Embassy. Even if I am prepared for the different kinds of questions that may arise by the VO, I may panic while at the interview. I dont have any false documents. But something that makes me afraid of the interview is that, I have uncle which is just 30 min away by car from the university, and on the DS-160 form I filled I have an uncle but I will live around the University. Do you think this will be a problem? Should I have said I will live with him? My answer for this question is real and the truth: it is His wife and I are not that much close, so I dont want to be burden to him.

The other problem is, I am just a senior undergraduate student studying Computer Science. But since i dont want to be an employee (this is still the truth) I started a "little" company with only one of my friend with some cash. So do you think this reason will be enough to have a tie with my country?

Another question is that I want only to attend CPT(Curricular Practical Training, it is allowed for students to work while they are learing)but i dont want to attend OPT(Optional Practical Training, which allows students to work in the USA only for 1 year immediately after they graduate) because it will take one another year. Do you think the VO will suspecious about that?

I have prepared for more than a week, taking videos of my self and searching all the available questions. What I am afraid is I dont want to panic in front of the VO. Please help me how to increase my confidence, if I do this, I know I will answer the questions properly.

Plz plz help me guys, Remember it is tomorrow and I just found the webstie today.

Thank you.

[fuzzylogician]

I think that you are seriously over-thinking this.

The F1 interview is very short, usually the only thing that you will be asked about is how you are planning to fund your stay. You should be able to either show that you will be funded by the university, or that you have sufficient funds of your own to afford your studies without working. You should also be able to explain what school you will be attending and what you'll be studying.

As for your questions: I will be very surprised if any of them came up in the interview.

Generally the best policy is to tell the truth. If you're not staying if your uncle, don't say you are. I'm not sure why you think that will help your case anyway. If anything, i would think that having ties to family in America will make you likelier to stay there after you graduate than if you had no ties to America. But in any event I don't think that it's anything to worry about.

A startup company that you are leaving behind is probably not going to count as a strong tie to your country. Friends and family might. But keep in mind that your interviewers are aware of the fact that you are going away for a prolonged period of time to study, so you're bound to have less ties to your home. That's pretty much expected, and you're not required to show the same kind of ties that someone applying for a tourist visa is. Maybe some of the advice you've been reading online pertains to that situation and not to the one you're in?

I don't see why wanting to take advantage of your CPT option should make anyone suspicious. What's more, I imagine that if you say you don't want to stay an extra year for OPT that can only make you seem like less of an immigration risk. However, it's very unlikely that it will come up in conversation, and you shouldn't bring it up yourself.

You sound very stressed, but there's nothing to worry about.

Stay calm, answer what you've been asked and don't volunteer any information. Don't say you want to stay in America after you graduate, either to work or stay with family. If anyone asks for your plans, say that you will go home and get a job. Really, more than anything, your nerves could trip you, so don't overthink or worry too much.

Good luck!

Edited July 6, 2010 by fuzzylogician