Times of India

Bangalore, Feb 28: Ian Hopper, deputy chief of the Non-Immigrant Visa section at the American Consulate in Chennai, advised students exploring educational opportunities in the US, not to get misguided by self-proclaimed agents and consultants, who might make false promises and provide fake documents. He said the consulate staff are trained to detect such fake documents during visa interview. 

Hopper’s suggestion came during an information session on US student visas held in Bangalore recently by Yashna Trust, the USEFI Satellite centre, in association with USEFI, Chennai. 

Hopper’s advice is pertinent since bank documentation and evidence of liquid funds are crucial to determining the student’s ability to pay, which is one of the focus areas during the visa interview. 

Proper evidence of liquid funds is required for at least one year of study. One’s ability to fund the remainder of the education can be shown via projected income: an indication of how the money will be raised in the future. 

Hopper provided concrete examples of acceptable documentation, but stressed that there are no “right” answers, and it depends on the family’s personal situation. 

During the session Hopper fielded a number of questions from the large number of students who attended. He provided information on the visa application process and discussed guidelines used in visa issuance decisions. He said students should directly answer questions during the visa interview, as it may last only a few minutes. 

Besides the student’s ability to pay, the other focus area during visa interview is the student intent, which can be demonstrated by grades, standardized test scores, a logical progression in terms of field of study and a clear idea of why they need that education. Students are allowed to carry documents to the extent that it helps them demonstrate their student intent and ability to pay. 

Hopper suggested that students should apply for a visa only when they are absolutely sure of which university they want to attend. A student must also enrol at the university that is mentioned in the visa stamp. A student may apply for a visa up to 120 days in advance of the intended date of enrolment but can enter the United States only a month in advance. 

Hopper said the US welcomed international students and that the highest numbers of them on US campuses are from India. The consulate at Chennai processes the majority of the visa applications in India.