Fall 2010: I-20 & F-1 visa for admits

MBA
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Hi puys, Starting this thread to discuss the visa issues. Now that a number of puys have been admitted for fall 2010, I guess the next step would be visa application. Has anyone received or been in touch with his/her respective universit…

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Hi puys,

Starting this thread to discuss the visa issues. Now that a number of puys have been admitted for fall 2010, I guess the next step would be visa application.

Has anyone received or been in touch with his/her respective university with regard to the I-20? By when can one expect to receive the I-20?

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Also, any info with regard to all the paperwork to be done, applying for interview dates, documents to be submitted, answering interview questions etc, would be great to discuss here.

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Hello,

Questions:

1) Could someone tell me whether a covering letter is required to be given along with the regular documents for g1 when submitting documents about 4 working days before the visa interview at Mumbai Consulate ? If a covering letter is to be given when submitting documents, what should the contents be ?

2) Do I need to get a letter from my parents that I will return to India after my studies ? Should this letter be notarized or be on the stamp paper ?

3) Can I tell them that I'm the oldest child in the family and have to return because I need to take care of my parents ?

4) My father has retired about two years ago and my mother is a housewife. My father cannot sponsor me for the second year of my studies. I already have money for the first year. Can I tell the VO that I will take loan when I come to India for a vacation after the completion of my first year of study ?

5) I have already lived in the US for 3 years for work on L1B and came back. Will this effect my F1 decision ?

6) How to convince the visa officer that I will return to India after the completion of my studies ?

7) Do they explicitly ask the candidate whether you are going to return ? How does VO pose this question ?

Since I have worked in the US for 3 years, I have all my savings in dollars in an American bank in the US. Can I show this bank statement for
issuance of the I-20 ?

9) Since I have worked in the US for 3 years, I have all my savings in dollars in an American bank in the US. Can I show this bank statement for
issuance of the visa to the VO during my interview ?

Please help !

Thank you

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Could someone please answer my questions ?


Hello,

Questions:

1) Could someone tell me whether a covering letter is required to be given along with the regular documents for g1 when submitting documents about 4 working days before the visa interview at Mumbai Consulate ? If a covering letter is to be given when submitting documents, what should the contents be ?

2) Do I need to get a letter from my parents that I will return to India after my studies ? Should this letter be notarized or be on the stamp paper ?

3) Can I tell them that I'm the oldest child in the family and have to return because I need to take care of my parents ?

4) My father has retired about two years ago and my mother is a housewife. My father cannot sponsor me for the second year of my studies. I already have money for the first year. Can I tell the VO that I will take loan when I come to India for a vacation after the completion of my first year of study ?

5) I have already lived in the US for 3 years for work on L1B and came back. Will this effect my F1 decision ?

6) How to convince the visa officer that I will return to India after the completion of my studies ?

7) Do they explicitly ask the candidate whether you are going to return ? How does VO pose this question ?

Since I have worked in the US for 3 years, I have all my savings in dollars in an American bank in the US. Can I show this bank statement for
issuance of the I-20 ?

9) Since I have worked in the US for 3 years, I have all my savings in dollars in an American bank in the US. Can I show this bank statement for
issuance of the visa to the VO during my interview ?

Please help !
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Hello,

Questions:

1) Could someone tell me whether a covering letter is required to be given along with the regular documents for g1 when submitting documents about 4 working days before the visa interview at Mumbai Consulate ? If a covering letter is to be given when submitting documents, what should the contents be ?

2) Do I need to get a letter from my parents that I will return to India after my studies ? Should this letter be notarized or be on the stamp paper ?
- Will not help. More importantly u need to convince the VO that you have ties to India eg. property, investments etc.

3) Can I tell them that I'm the oldest child in the family and have to return because I need to take care of my parents ?
- Yes you can

4) My father has retired about two years ago and my mother is a housewife. My father cannot sponsor me for the second year of my studies. I already have money for the first year. Can I tell the VO that I will take loan when I come to India for a vacation after the completion of my first year of study ?
- No do not make this mistake. Get a loan approved beforehand even if you plan to use your own funds.
6) How to convince the visa officer that I will return to India after the completion of my studies ?
- Good job prospects in India, emerging economy, own venture etc. etc., not much affected by the recession etc...blah blah


7) Do they explicitly ask the candidate whether you are going to return ? How does VO pose this question ?
-Yes, "What do you plan to do after graduation?", "Do you plan to work in India or US after graduation, if India....why ??"
Since I have worked in the US for 3 years, I have all my savings in dollars in an American bank in the US. Can I show this bank statement for
issuance of the I-20 ?
- Not advisable, it may be construed by the VO that someone in US is sponsoring you and you may also be a possible immigrant.

Hope this helps :cheerio:
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Since I have worked in the US for 3 years, I have all my savings in dollars in an American bank in the US. Can I show this bank statement for
issuance of the I-20 ?
- Not advisable, it may be construed by the VO that someone in US is sponsoring you and you may also be a possible immigrant.

Hope this helps :cheerio:


I would disagree to this. You can show your US funds along with the salary statements. This should not be a problem at all.
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Got my Visa today......any ques do let me know.!!

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It was pretty short, hardly 2 mins, no documents were asked.

VO: Why do u want to go to US?
Me: Higher studies

VO: What Univ?
ME: XXX Univ, XXXCourse

VO: Whats ur level of education?
ME: Bachelors, BE

VO: When did u pass out?
ME: XXXX

VO: What were u doing till now?
ME: Working at XXXX, as XXXX

VO: Ever been to US been to us before?
ME: yes

VO: What do ur parents do?
Me: XXXX

VO: Your Visa has been issued, you will get it in 5 days.!!

Congrats, Zack.

Please share your experience and the questions that you were asked during the interview.
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From what I've read on other websites, a GA/Schol is taken very positively by the VO. There are four major reasons a visa is rejected.
1. Lack of funds
2. Potential immigrant
3. Insufficient documentation
4. Poor academics/ test scores and admit to a not-so-well known univ.

Your case definitely takes care of the 1st point.

PS: Sure you can PM me.

Wow! that was short-and-sweet, Zack. Hope mine is as smooth as your's was.
Btw, does a GA, which included full tuition waiver, Stipend and med. insurance by the B School, makes the visa app look better?

I have a few more questions. Please let me know if it's okay for me write to you private message?

Thanks!
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For all applicants going to the US Consulate in Mumbai, the following are the required documents:

Application packet to be submitted to VFS
- Copy of the first and last page of your current valid passport. If you have any observations on your passport please submit a copy of the observation page also. You are recommended to have passport valid for travel for at least six months beyond your date of entry into the U.S.
- One photograph as per specification
- DS-160 Confirmation Barcode printout.
- Original, valid HDFC Bank visa fee receipt. (Embassy copy)
- Original interview appointment letter.
- Copy of Form I-20.
- Proof of payment of SEVIS Fee Receipt I-901, if applicable
- Dependant applicants must submit a photocopy of their respective Form I- 20along with the principal applicant's Form I - 20 and their visa copy.
- Visa renewal applicants must submit a copy of the previous expired US visa stamped on their passport


Additional Supporting Documents required at the time of interview
Principal Applicant

- Copy of interview appointment letter, DS-160 Confirmation Barcode printout and Original, valid HDFC bank visa fee receipt (Applicant's Copy).
- Original I-20 and Sevis Fee Receipt.
- Evidence of financial resources: proof of liquid assets sufficient to pay for the entire first year of education and living expenses as well as proof of readily available funds to cover the remaining year(s) of studies.
- Proof of your relationship to the sponsor (such as your birth certificate), the sponsor's most recent, original tax forms, and the sponsor's bankbooks and/or fixed deposit certificates
- Original degree certificates along with mark sheets.
- Original Bachelor degree transcripts or high school diploma along with mark sheets from previous institutions attended.
- Relevant test scores, e.g. TOEFL and SAT, GRE, GMAT or LSAT


Source: https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/USIndia/student_mumbai.html

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Applicants applying at the U.S Embassy, New Delhi / U.S. Consulate Chennai, Hyderabad or Kolkata need to carry the following documents at the time of the interview
Mandatory Documents

- Valid original passport. You are recommended to have passport valid for at least six months beyond your interview date.
- One photograph as per specification.
- CEAC Barcode printout.
- Valid HDFC Bank visa fee receipt. (Embassy copy)
- Original interview appointment letter.
- Original form I-20 or DS-2019 as applicable.
- Form I-901 (Sevis Fee Receipt)

Additional Supporting Documents required at the time of interview
Principal Applicant

- Evidence of financial resources: proof of liquid assets sufficient to pay for the entire first year of education and living expenses as well as proof of readily available funds to cover the remaining year(s) of studies.
- Proof of your relationship to the sponsor (such as your birth certificate), the sponsor's most recent, original tax forms, and the sponsor's bankbooks and/or fixed deposit certificates
- Original degree certificates along with mark sheets.
- Original Bachelor degree transcripts or high school diploma along with mark sheets from previous institutions attended.
- Relevant test scores, e.g. TOEFL and SAT, GRE, GMAT or LSAT


source: https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/USIndia/student_NCHK.html
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Thanks Jamiroquai! This is really helpful.

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doctord Says
Thanks Jamiroquai! This is really helpful.


Ur welcome! I noticed that a lot of old posts about the requirements had tonnes of people differing in what documents they actually carried out there. One guy had carried every financial document you can get your hands on. Seeing the enormous lists really stressed me out.

In fact, there are a lot of "guidance counsellors" out there who recommend that you carry a whole lot of documents that are not really required. So i decided to share this information that I chanced upon on the VFS site.

Good luck, everyone, with your F1 visa!

Also: you guys can say "Thanks" by clicking the "Thanks" button
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Hi All.

When we are talking of 'proof of liquid assets', does it necessarily mean hard cash in the bank account or even the 'loan approval' document equivalent US currency from the bank can be considered as the liquid asset proof ?

The reason I am asking this question is that for example someone's school starts in Sep. And that person tries to proceed with the visa application in June ( to make it conveniently in case re-app is required , worst case. I am sure not everyone applies for visa in July as the schools start in August. People start applying for Visa from May itself. ) So will he have to take the loan and put the cash in his bank account and show it to Visa officer and then pay interest for 3 extra months that he doesn't need money for ?

Thanks

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Hi All.

When we are talking of 'proof of liquid assets', does it necessarily mean hard cash in the bank account or even the 'loan approval' document equivalent US currency from the bank can be considered as the liquid asset proof ?

The reason I am asking this question is that for example someone's school starts in Sep. And that person tries to proceed with the visa application in June ( to make it conveniently in case re-app is required , worst case. I am sure not everyone applies for visa in July as the schools start in August. People start applying for Visa from May itself. ) So will he have to take the loan and put the cash in his bank account and show it to Visa officer and then pay interest for 3 extra months that he doesn't need money for ?

Thanks


No. Loan sanction letter is good enough.

Secondly, a bank generally doesnt deposit the loan amount into your account. Once the disbursement procedure is done, they make a cheque directly in the name of your school. Think about it, if they had been giving you the money, an I-20 would probably be the easiest way to get some big bucks from the bank.
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No. Loan sanction letter is good enough.

Secondly, a bank generally doesnt deposit the loan amount into your account. Once the disbursement procedure is done, they make a cheque directly in the name of your school. Think about it, if they had been giving you the money, an I-20 would probably be the easiest way to get some big bucks from the bank.


Not necessarily. By definition, a loan is a liability. To the true definition, an asset is something you own - like a chair or a bed in your house, for example (Accounts 101).

Liquid Assets, when mentioned as such, indicate assets in the form of Fixed Deposits, Gold, Marketable Securities (Shares that you could sell on the exchange), Mutual Funds, Bank Balances, etc.

However, the schools may allow for some leeway in the interpretation. Some schools may allow you to use the bank loan letter to show financial support. However, other schools, such as Cornell may not allow you to even value and show your gold. Therefore, I recommend that you clarify with the admissions committee as to what kinds of instruments classify as liquid assets as per their definition.
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maverick2407 Says
...So will he have to take the loan and put the cash in his bank account and show it to Visa officer and then pay interest for 3 extra months that he doesn't need money for ?...


As rishvish accurately pointed out, loan disbursements are done directly to the payee (the school). You may show the Visa Officer the loan letter as part of your financial support documentation.
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Thanks.

I wanted to know only about the Visa interview. Would loan approval letter be sufficient there ? I was referring to the checklist above from the Visa office mentioning 'proof of liquid assets' and thats when the question came to my mind..

Showing proof of funds to the school for generating I20 is a different deal altogether.

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maverick2407 Says
...I wanted to know only about the Visa interview. Would loan approval letter be sufficient there ? ...


For that you need to show both your liquid assets as well as your loan letters (if you have one) showing the sufficient condition to fund your education. Do note that F1 visas have been turned down for people who show an almost total dependence on loan funds. It is recommended that you show as much as possible of your owned funds.