Increase your Chances of Getting a Visa

Every visa official looks for certain factors, which you must satisfy to get a Visa. So, how do you convince him and increase your chances of Success? Here are a few points which you must keep in mind while going for your visa interview.

A. Legitimate Student:
Show that you have a coherent plan of study. e.g. B.A. English in undergrad in India then MS in Computer Science in US is not a coherent plan. B.E. Electronics & Communications then M S (Telecommunications) is very clearly coherent. Also, try linking the plan of study to India. There should be a connection between past study and future plan.

B: Reputation of School:
The better the ranking of the school that you finally choose, the higher your chances of getting a visa. Visa officials have actually been quoted saying that they never canceled the visa application of a Harvard or Stanford student (they don't even look at anything else if he has a Harvard offer). Of course, everybody doesn't get Harvard, but then if you choose an obscure university, your chances of a visa decrease correspondingly, as suspicion about your choice rises. The official thinks, "he's going there only to get to the US, there are better universities than this in India".

C: Exclusiveness of course:
If the course chosen is not offered in India, then it is a positive sign - as long as you can still show that it is logically related to your past studies. So you can't choose Evangelism after a BSc Chem. and then say, "it's not offered in India". Well, actually, you can but you have to show compelling reason why you want that subject.

D: Evidence of having researched all options:
Show all schools that you chose (say, printouts of web sites, Photostats of brochures), show clearly which ones you short listed and why, which ones you got offers from, which ones you chose and why. Basically, show yourself as a thorough student.

E: Proper documentation of previous study:
Have original copies of Board certificates, college degrees, diplomas, extra courses, etc. Also have original results of GRE, A-GRE TOEFL, TSE and other standardized tests handy.

F: Show proof of networking (if any) with professors:
If you have sent mails to(or written to) professors, have copies of the mails ready to show, to establish seriousness of intent to study and to show that you consider your education as an investment.

G: Multiple Offers:
If you have received offers from many universities, show that. Especially if you have a scholarship offer from a lower ranked university and are still going to a higher one, then attach proof of this with your application.

H: Be Systematic:
Carry a folder with the covering letter and all these papers in order, so that (a) you don't fumble around in front of the counter window looking for the right papers (b) you look systematic and thorough.

While going for your VISA, dress properly. Wear formals.

Best of Luck!