The last step before receiving your F-1 student visa is an interview conducted on site at your United States Embassy or Consulate. The interview is quick roughly lasting about 4 minutes. To help you prepare for your F-1 visa interview, we have a list of sample questions for your F-1 Student Visa interview that will help you practice commonly asked questions. While the questions vary by individual depending on your background, this is a guide to organize your thoughts and prepare you for what you may be asked. Feel free to take these questions and practice with a friend or family member.
Consulate officers are looking to see:
- Who you are
- What your intentions of studying in the US are
- How you intend to financially support yourself in the US
They want to ensure that you are coming to the US to study and – the most important part – that you intend to return back to your home country.
Think of yourself as a lawyer in training – you have to prove to the officer that you will be coming back to your home country. So think, what would you need to present in order to proof this? Obviously, there is no such document that will actually prove this. Instead, you will have to think about how you can state your case with a well thought out plan.
When you go in for your interview, which lasts only a few minutes, think about how learning English will help you when are home. Do you have a job offer in your home country? Be sure to consider your current educational goals and what you want to do with your newly gained knowledge. Be honest, courteous and prepared. It is also important to consider your appearance by dressing business formal and when you speak with the officer, you make eye contact, smile, and speak clearly.
Below are common sample questions for F-1 Student Visa Interview:
General Sample Questions –
- Why did you choose the US as opposed to studying at home or in another country?
- Have you traveled to the US before?
- Why do you wish to learn English in the US?
- What do you know about the US?
- What do you expect to do when you return to your home country?
- Do you plan on working in the US?
- What proof can you provide that you will come back?
- Does anybody from your family stay or study abroad?
- How many years do you intend to stay in US?
- Do you know anyone in the town your English language program is located in?
- What will you do if your visa is rejected?
- Will you come home during summer?
- Why have you chosen this English language program?
- Do you have any family members in the US?
- What are your hobbies?
- Where does your family reside?
- Do you have any brothers and sisters – where do they live?
- Where do your brothers and sisters study?
Financial Sample Questions –
- How are you going to pay for your program and living expenses?
- Did you get any scholarship?
- Do you have a sponsor, if so, who?
- What do your parents do? What is their income?
- What is the cost of your English language program?
- Do you have any current loans?
Academic/Career Sample Questions –
- Where did you hear about this school?
- What schools did you apply to?
- Why are your exam scores low?
- What do you know about the education system in the US?
- Why are you applying for an English language program only?
- Why do you want to study in the US?
- Do you plan to study in a university after your English language program?
- What do you want to study?
- What are your career goals?
- What is your current grade point average/percentage?
- Tell me more about the English language program.
- Why are you leaving your current job?
