Former visa officer Yvette Bansal explains that most Indian F1 visa applicants are denied due to 214(b), which means the visa is denied for any of the following reasons: whether you will use the visa category appropriately, whether you have the ability to fund your education, whether you are a bona fide student. “It’s not a permanent ban. It’s a denial that another visa officer can choose to overturn, but the denial will be on your record forever,” Bansal said on the podcast.
What will the visa officer write when rejecting a visa?
Bansal, who worked as a visa officer at the Mumbai consulate, said the visa officer writes a note when rejecting an application and the note is also retained in the record. Depending on the severity of the annotation, the applicant may be granted an F-1 visa again. “It’s like the softer ‘I’m not sure about this person’ versus the harsher ‘This person straight up lied to me.’ These rejections show that there is indeed a long way to go,” Bansal said, adding that in some cases these rejections are difficult to overcome.“If you feel your case is strong but the officer didn’t give you a fair chance or you were really tight during the window, you can try again. But if the officer took 8-9 minutes to check your finances and you tried your best, the rejection may be a little harsher, so you should strengthen your case before applying again,” Bansal said.
B1/B2 and F1 have different country connections
Bansal explained that the “connection to the country” is different for tourist visa applicants and student visa applicants. For B1/B2 visa, the officer will check if you own property here, but for F1 visa, the officer will check if you are well educated here so that you will not face the risk of becoming an illegal immigrant in the United States. If a student has a family business, it’s also a connection – the more you lose if you become an illegal immigrant in the United States, the more connections you have to your home country.
What should I do if my F1 visa is rejected?
Bansal said consular officials do not have access to your scores, so better colleges will show your abilities, but he added that only better colleges will pass the interview. The entire story must be cohesive—your current degree, your future degree, and what you plan to do. “In India, you have to wait for a year before you can get an F-1 visa again. Therefore, rejected applicants should improve their skills, look for internships and, if there is a job, seek a salary increase,” Bansal said.
