Former visa officer Yvette Bansal explained that most F1 visa applicants in India are being rejected on 214(b), and this means that the visa is rejected on one of the following grounds: will you make appropriate use of the visa class, are you able to finance your education, are you a genuine student or not. “This is not a permanent ban. This is a denial that another visa officer may choose to overturn, but the denial will always remain on your record,” Bansal said in a podcast.
What do visa officers write during refusal?
Bansal, who works as a visa officer at the Mumbai Consulate, said that visa officers write a note on refusal of a case and that note also remains on record. Depending on how harsh the note is, the applicant may get another chance at an F-1 visa. “It’s like the soft ‘I’m not sure about this person’ versus the hard ‘This person is straight up lying to me.’ These denial notes go a long way,” Bansal said, adding that in some cases these denials are difficult to overcome.Bansal said, “If you think your case is strong, but the officer did not give you a fair chance or you got really nervous at the window, you can try again. But if the officer spends 8-9 minutes with you to know about your finances, and you have tried your best, then the denial may be a bit harsh, and hence you should strengthen your case before applying again.”
Relationships vary by country for B1/B2 and F1
Bansal explained that the ‘ties to country’ are different for tourist visa applicants and student visa applicants. For B1/B2 visa, the officers check if you have property here, but for F1, the officers check if you have a lot of education here, which you will not put at risk in the US by becoming illegal. If a student has a family business, this is also a tie – the more you stand to lose if you become illegal in the US, the more ties you have to your home country.
What to do after F1 visa refusal?
The consular officer doesn’t have access to your grades, so a better university will show your qualifications, Bansal said, however, a better university alone may not pass the interview. The entire story should be coherent – your current degree, your future degree, and what you plan to do. Bansal said, “In India, you have to wait for a year to get another chance for an F-1 visa. So applicants who have been refused should better themselves, look for internships and ask for a raise in salary if they are working.”