A lot of athletes are currently getting ready to head to the United States for the start of their college career. The last step in the process before taking your flight to America is typically getting your student visa. After having completed all the administrative steps and having booked a visa interview appointment, students then have to go to the US embassy in their respective home country for their visa interview.
Now, while this can be a nerve-racking experience for some, you really should not have much to worry about. In almost all cases, the visa interview is just a formality and should not take more than 10-15 minutes. Immigration officers typically have numerous of these student visa appointments each day and getting them done quickly is usually their main goal. However, it is totally normal to be a bit nervous as it is a unique experience and not something that teenagers are faced with very often. As mentioned above, we can reassure you that there should not be anything to worry about, as it should really not take longer than a few minutes and very often the immigration officer will only ask you a couple of questions before he or she then hands you your documents. However, here are some quick tips from our end on how to best navigate the interview so that it goes smoothly and quickly:
- Make sure to bring all necessary documents, including your passport, your I20 and any other supporting documents that show that you will be a student in the US
- Be yourself! There is no reason to lie about anything. You are coming to America to study and nothing else. So if the officer asks you why you are applying for a US visa, the answer should always be very clear and show the officer that you are coming to be a student.
- Of course, you can mention that you will be a student athlete and that you are on a sports scholarship. But remember, you are a student first and you are applying for a student visa, not an athlete visa.
- One question that the officer might ask is what you are planning to do after your studies. The reason they ask this is because a student visa is a temporary visa, meaning that you are expected to return to your country after your student visa expires. So make sure you are clear that your intention is to return home after you finish your studies in America.
- Another question that sometimes gets asked by the officer, is who is paying for your studies over here? Again, you should always be honest in the interview! In most cases the costs will be covered by your scholarship and/or by your parents. So make sure that you have supporting documents to prove that if needed.
As mentioned above, don’t worry, in most cases the officer will not even ask these questions and you will be out of there quicker than you think. And always remember to be yourself and to tell the truth! As always, if you have any fears, concerns or questions, we are there to help you every step of the way and you can always reach out to us for guidance and reassurance!