The United States is a country of dreams, films, technology, and opportunities. The United States is one of the ten most visited countries. More than 80 million people visit the United States per year for various reasons. We do not doubt that most of our readers have a dream to visit the USA. That is why we decided to talk about the US visa interview questions. In this blog, you will find answers to these questions: what are US business visa interview questions and answers, what are US student visa interview questions, what are the US visa interview questions, what are US tourist visa interview questions, and more.
Visa policy of United States
If the tourists aren't from a visa-free country, then they should apply for a visa. Depending on the purpose of the visit, there are more than 185 visa types. But, in general, we can divide them into two main groups.
- Nonimmigrant visa. It is for temporary stays such as for tourism, business, family visits, study, work, or transit.
- Immigrant visa. It is for permanent residency in the United States.
After applying for one of these visas, you will go to the interview (if your application will be successful). We advise you to prepare for US visa interview questions before the interview. It will help you feel more comfortable.
US visa interview questions and answers
After finishing the first part of the application, you will have an interview at the United States embassy or consulate in your country. Depending on the type of visa, you will need to answer various questions. Today we will talk about these visa interview questions:
- United States tourist visa
- United States student visa
- United States business visa
We will give several questions and answers as an example for each type.
US tourist visa interview questions
The first type of visa that we will talk about is a tourist visa. It is for those people who travel to the United States temporarily for tourism, pleasure, or visiting. You will need to apply for a visa to travel to the United States unless you are eligible to enter the United States visa free under the Visa Waiver Program, or you are a citizen of Canada or Bermuda. Depending on your nationality, it can be a single or multiple entry visas.
1. What is the purpose of your visit? We can say that you will hear this question almost in all visa types. It is a kind of warm-up question. It helps the candidate to adapt to situations and relax. Some of the answers that you can give are:
- Visiting historical places
- Going to Hollywood
- Going to music concerts
- Watching WWE live
2. Have you ever visited the United States? Actually, the questioner will have information about it. So, tell the truth and don't try to lie. Even if you have faced problems (such as deporting), you should say it. Just tell some general things about your visit.
3. Do you have any relatives or friends in the US? Even if you have faraway relatives that you only meet every three-four years or even less, tell the consular about them. Also, if you have friends that you have met several times, you should say it. Because if they found it later, it may cause problems for your application. The United States embassy is mostly scared that their visitors will try to remain in the US, and that is why hiding information.
4. Where will you stay? If you have booked a hotel or hostel room, give the details. If you stay in a friend's home, tell his (her) address.
5. Why did you choose this time to visit? Probably, this question will be easy to answer for you.
- "My friend's apartment is suitable only during this period"
- "The concert that I wish to go to will take place"
- or "Because of the special day (birthday, honeymoon)"
6. How long will you stay in the USA? It is another simple question. Tell just how many days, weeks you plan to stay.
US student visa interview questions
Studying in the United States of America is a dream of millions of people. To realize this dream, you should get an acceptance letter from one of the universities or colleges in the USA. After that, you will apply for a visa. There are two types of study visas in the USA, F and M. If you get an acceptance letter from these institutions (below mentioned), you must get an F Visa.
- University or college
- High School
- Private elementary school
- Seminary
- Conservatory
- Another academic institution, including a language training program
On the other hand, if you get an acceptance letter from these institutions, you must get an M visa.
- Vocational or other recognized nonacademic institution (not a language training program)
Let's say that you got an acceptance letter, and you want to prepare for the interview. You may see such kinds of questions.
1. Questions related to university choice. Most students apply for more than one university at the same time. The consular may ask questions such as below:
- How many universities did you apply to?
- How many institutions did you get admitted to?
- How many institutions rejected you?
- Do you know your professors at that university?
2. Questions related to academic capability. Undoubtedly, during the interview, you will get questions about your academic results. They can ask about your certificates, exam results, and more.
- Which certificates do you have (GRE, GMAT, SAT, TOEFL, IELTS)?
- What was your GPA (Grade Point Average)?
- How good is your English?
- Why do you want to get an academic degree in the USA?
- What do you know about US schools?
- Can I see your high school/college diploma?
- How will you handle the cultural and educational differences between your country and the US?
3. Questions about the financial situation. It is no secret that education in the USA is much more expensive than in most countries. It means that you must have enough funds to cover your education and life. Regardless of your academic skills, you will not be awarded an F1 student visa without the means to finance your education.
- What is your monthly income?
- What is the yearly salary of your sponsor?
- How much does your school cost?
- How will you meet these charges?
- Who is going to sponsor your education?
- What is the job of your sponsor?
- Do you have a copy of your bank statements?
- Did you get awarded a scholarship at your school?
- Can I see your tax records?
4. Questions related to your post-graduation plans. The F1 student visa is for students who plan to return to their home country after graduation. Of course, they have a chance to stay in the USA, but still, they should prove their ties to the motherland (family, property, job offer, and so on).
- Do you have family members or friends currently in the US?
- What are your post-graduation plans?
- Do you have a job or career in mind after you graduate?
- Do you plan on returning to your home country?
US business visa interview questions and answers
Another popular US visa is a business visa. It is a kind of nonimmigrant visa that allows people to stay and engage in business in the USA temporarily. During the validity duration of the visa, people can attend meetings, conferences, conducting or attending the training, conducting internal audits, installing equipment, or performing other temporary services for a client, local affiliate, or branch office. How much does it cost? US business visa fee is 160 USD for all nationalities. Applicants will pay the charge online when they register for an interview. Also, the average processing time for a US business visa is 3-10 calendar days. Of course, it depends on your visa application country.
The main purpose of a business visa interview is to be sure that the applicant visits the USA only for business purposes. To be successful in the visa application process, you will need to provide all documents and details and successfully take part in the interview. What kind of question can I get? Most questions will be about the purpose of your visit and your business plans. Some of the questions that you can get are:
- Why do you want to travel to the USA?
- What company do you work for?
- What do you do?
- What is your annual income?
- Have you ever visited any other country?
- Can I see your Business/visiting card?
- How many children do you have? Also, they can ask for more information about your family.
- Do you have any relatives in the United States of America?
- How long will you be staying in the United States of America?
- Do you have any plans to extend your visa?
- How can you assure me that you will come back?
- Do you have any special dates or plans related to business events or meetings?
As you can see, there are some common questions with the other two visa types. Such as in the previous types, we advise you to answer all questions correctly. As we mentioned before, the consular will have information about most of these. So, do not try to hide something on your behalf.
