For this form you need to provide documentation for the estimated funds (as specified by the university) required to pursue your intended course of study and corresponding living expenses. Normally you are required to furnish proof of liquid assets* for the first year. Liquid assets include, but are not restricted to, scholarships, assistantships, bank loans, savings accounts**, checking accounts**, company sponsorshipetc.

*Usually Fixed Deposits, shares, other investments (jewelry) are not considered as liquid assets but some universities do accept them to be so. Note that Visa authorities strictly do not accept FDs to be counted as liquid assets and they definitely do not want you to show shares as liquid or any other assets since their valuation is very uncertain and prone to a lot of fluctuations.

**Documentary proof of bank accounts (savings or checking) is a computerized bank statement or pass book with an accompanying letter from a bank official on the bank letterhead stating the equivalent in USD, the applied exchange rate and the period for which the account has been held.

Second year funding can be shown in the form of liquid or fixed assets. Fixed assets include but are not restricted to, FDs, property***, jewelry, Provident Funds, Mutual Funds, National Savings Certificates (NSC), National Savings Scheme (NSS) etc. You could also include proposed savings from your sponsor’s (your parents, close relatives etc.) current year’s income as proof for the next year’s funding.

***The valuation of property needs to be one by authorized chartered engineers/ property surveyors. The document should state the owner, the location of the property and the market value.

In case you have a sponsor you need to include an affidavit of support which should ideally be notarized by a Notary Public. The affidavit of support should state that the sponsors are willing to fund whole or part of your education as the case may be. Finally you need to get a chartered accountant to summarize all your assets/sources of funding (self and sponsors’) on his letterhead. This not a requirement but it easier for a university official to understand your varied forms of funding if accompanied by this document.

Once you send the university this documentation, you should get your I-20 within a span of 4-6 weeks. If your documentation is not complete, you will lose valuable time since the university would get back to you after the 6-week period asking you for further proof.

The I-20

The I-20 is a set of 2 pages (each double sided), which you will need to go through thoroughly before applying for a visa. One is marked “school copy” and the other is marked as “student copy”. Universities do tend to make mistakes, and if uncorrected, you could have your visa rejected or at the port of entry in the US you could run into some trouble. Make sure you look for the following:

1) Has the university spelled your first name and last name correctly?

2) Is your date of birth correct? (It is written in the order MM/DD/YY)

3) Is your major of study correct?

4) Is the duration of time for which you will be at the university, correct? (E.g. for a master’s degree it will be 3 years -- however you must make sure that it is clearly mentioned that the normal period of study is two years with an additional year as grace period. If this line is not typed/mentioned clearly then you might have to show funding for 3 years as opposed to showing funds for 2 years if it is clearly specified when you apply for your visa.)

5) There have been cases where, even though students have no dependents accompanying them, the same has been wrongly included in the I-20.

6) If you have received any kind of financial aid (Teaching Assistantship, Scholarship, Fellowship, Research Assistantship, Tuition waver etc.) make sure it is mentioned on the I-20.

Applying for your Visa

You should not apply more than 90 days before the registration date noted on the I-20. Keepin mind that June, July, and August are the busiest months in most consular sections, and interview appointments are the most difficult to get during that period. You need to plan ahead to avoid having to make repeat visits to the Embassy. To the extent possible, you should bring the documents suggested below, as well as any other original documents that might helpestablish your ties to the local community. (This is not an exhaustive list):

Mandatory:

1) Visa Application form (OF-156) -- answer ALL questions and sign at the back (Blank forms are available without charge at all U.S. consular offices) (If your sponsor is an American citizen, you need to fill the Form I-134 as well. This is an affidavit of support.)

2) Valid passport (it should be valid for at least six months beyond the date of application;

3) Draft for visa application (subject to change. Refer to the consulate website for details.)

4) Draft for visa issuance (subject to change. Refer to the consulate website for details.)

5) Admission letter from the university you intend to attend.

6) I-20 (signed by you and the school official)

7) Degree certificates, diplomas and transcripts

8) GMAT/GRE/TOEFL original score reports

9) Financial evidence that shows you or your parents who are sponsoring you have sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living expenses during the period of your intended study. For example, if you or your sponsor is a salaried employee, please bring income tax documents and original bank books and/or statements. If you or your sponsor own a business, please bring business registration, licenses, etc., and tax documents, as well as original bank books and/or statements. Student visa applicants must establish to the satisfaction of the consular officer that they have binding ties to a residence in a foreign country which they have no intention of abandoning, and that they will depart the United States when they have completed their studies. It is impossible to specify the exact form the evidence should take since applicants' circumstances vary greatly.

9) One photograph 1 and 1/2 inches square (37x37mm) for each applicant, showing full face, without head covering, against a light background.

Recommended:

1) Statement of purpose (This is not compulsory but it will put into perspective why you need to pursue education in the US, the reason for choice of university, program of study and its relevance to your future career plans.)

2) Letter from current employer/other prospective employers indicating potential employment in country of residence on completion of your program of study.

3) Updated resume

4) If you are married, carry your original marriage certificate and other forms of proof like pictures of the ceremony and the wedding card.

5) If you have got an admit from more than one University, make sure you carry all the admission letters to be able to make an impact on the official. You should also have a sound rationale for choice of specific university from the available options.

To allow time to overcome any unforeseen problems that might arise, you should apply for your visa several weeks before you plan to travel. It is important to remember that applying early and providing the requested documents does not guarantee that you will receive a visa. Also, because each student’s personal and academic situation is different, two students applying for the same visa may be asked different questions and be required to submit different documents. For that reason, the guidelines that are provided are general and can be abridged or expanded by consular officers, depending on each student’s situation.

Consulate addresses and links

Chennai:

Address: 220 Anna Salai, Gemini Circle, Chennai 600 006
Telephone: 91-44-811-2000;Fax: 91-44-811-2020
Web site: http://usembassy.state.gov/chennai/
Consulate Hours: The visa entrance opens to applicants beginning at 6:00 a.m., Monday through Friday. Any applicant arriving before 9:00 a.m. will have their visa applications processed the same day.
Email: chennaic@state.gov

Calcutta:

Address: 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Calcutta 700-071
Telephone: 91-33-282-3611; Fax: 91-33-282-2335
Visa Hotline Number: 91-33-282-2048.
They also accept case-specific telephone inquiries from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM only, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday. Call 91-33-282-3611.
Web site: http://usembassy.state.gov/calcutta/
Consular Hours: 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM Tuesdays (students only)
Email: ConsularCalcutta@state.gov

Mumbai:

Address: The American Consulate General, Lincoln House, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai 400 026
Telephone: 91-22-3633611; Fax: 91-22-3630350
Web site: http://usembassy.state.gov/mumbai/wwwhvisa.html
Consular Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00AM to 11:00 AM
Email : MumbaiNIV@state.gov

How to prepare for the interview

Typically, the idea for an interview is that you are able to convince the visa officers that you have every intention to return after you have graduated from the university you are heading to and not use the visa to become an illegal immigrant.

The questions they normally ask are:

1) Why have you chosen to go to the US for this particular program?

Why have you chosen this university?

3) (If your undergraduate program is different from the intended masters specialization) Why are you switching your field of interest?

4) What steps have you taken to ensure that you will be able to perform well in the new field you wish to change to?

5) What do you intend to do after you graduate?

6) Do you plan to live in the US? Under U.S. law, all applicants for non-immigrant visas are viewed as intending immigrants until they can convince the consular officer that they are not. Overall you must be able to show that your reasons for returning home are stronger than those for remaining in the United States. The law states that you must demonstrate sufficient economic, family, and social ties to your place of residence to ensure that your stay in the United States will be temporary.

Economic ties include your family's economic position, property you may own or stand to inherit, and your own economic potential when you come home with a U.S. education. The consular officer will be impressed to see evidence of your career planning and your knowledge of the local employment scene.

For family and social ties, the consular officer may ask how many close family members live in your home country, compared to those living in the United States. What community or school activities have you participated in that demonstrate a sincere connection to your town or country? What leadership, sports, and other roles have distinguished you as a person who wants to come home and contribute your part?

7) How will you apply your education in your home country?

8) How are you going to pay for your education in the US? If you are being sponsored by your family or by an individual, how can you show that your sponsor is able to finance your education? Your chances are improved if your parents are sponsoring your education. If anyone other than your parents is sponsoring you, you should explain your special relationshipwith this person, justifying a commitment of thousands of dollars to your education. Provide solid evidence of your sponsor's finances, especially sources and amounts of income. This assures the consular officer that adequate funds will be available throughout your four-year college program. If your sponsor's income is from several different sources (such as salary, contracts, consulting fees, a farm, rental property, investments), have the sponsor write a letter listing and documenting each source of income.

9) Do you have a brother / sister, or any other relative already at this university?

10) Official scores and grades.

Show the officer the documents that he asks for. Make sure that you organize your documents in a manner such that you are able to access the information that the officer requires without wasting his/her time. You have only 3 minutes to state your case. Be Confident. Be prepared! Be honest/sincere. It helps. Ask a friend to helpyou with a mock interview session. Dress smartly - look simple and neat. Given this, you should have your visa in no time!

Visa refusals

If your application is refused, the consular officer is required to give you an explanation in writing. However, this is often a standardized reply and is unlikely to go into the details of your specific case. You do have the right to apply a second time, but if you reapply, make sure to prepare much more carefully; the consular officer will need to see fresh evidence sufficient to overcome the reasons for the first denial.

If you get rejected the second time over as well, then you cannot apply personally for two years. You will have to send in your application by mail. It will then be thoroughly reviewed and a decision will be taken on the basis of all the documents you have provided. The process is called a ‘mail review’. For this process you need to collate copies of all your documentation for the last two attempts and send it to the consulate, addressed to the American Consulate along with a cover letter explaining the turn of events from the very first time you applied for a visa. They will get back to you within 2-3 weeks.
© 2000 Ruchika Joshi.