Sample F-1 Visa Interview Questions
I’ve put together a comprehensive guide with sample F-1 visa interview questions and answers that has been prepared from various Telegram groups, Whatsapp groups and other Visa Interview Q/A documents. From personal information to academic goals, I have tried to cover all the bases.
Visa Questions
Q. Why are you going to the USA?
I am going to the US for my master’s in Data Science at Rutgers Camden.
Q. Tell me something about yourself.
I am a 2022 computer science graduate from _________ University. I am Math and Data Science enthusiast, currently working as a _________. And to explore more about this world of data I am going for my master’s.
Q. Why do you want to go to the USA?
While working as a _________, I realised that upskilling myself is the need of the hour. So I started looking for universities that have a strong data science program, and the world’s top universities for Data Science are in the US. Additionally, I believe that studying in a multicultural environment will broaden my horizons and help me develop a global perspective.
Q. Why this specific University?
Rutgers appealed to me because of the flexibility of the Data Science program. Out of the 30 credits for my program, only 4 courses of 3 credits are compulsory. The remaining I can choose from a huge pool of electives. Also, Rutgers has an excellent data science program with a curriculum that is aligned with the current industry requirements. And finally, it’s a very prestigious university being the eighth oldest university in the US.
Q. Why Data Science?
With the rise of big data, there is an increasing demand for professionals who can analyse and interpret large datasets and provide insights that can help organisations make better decisions. Additionally, I believe that a Master’s degree in Data Science will equip me with the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful in the field and help me advance in my career as a _________.
Q. Why choose the US/Why don’t you study in India?
Because for this specific course, there are very few universities that offer a decent program in India. And because of that, it gets very competitive. While researching online I realised that some of the world’s top universities for Data Science are in the US.
Q. What do you know about the university?
Rutgers University Camden is a public research university located in Camden, New Jersey, USA. It is one of three regional campuses of Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey. It offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in fields such as Business, Law, Nursing, Education, Arts and Sciences, and Engineering. The university has a diverse student population of over 7,000 students from all over the world.
Q. How did you come to know about your university?
I first came to know about Rutgers University Camden while I was researching universities in the US that offer Master’s programs in Data Science. I was looking for universities that have a strong reputation in the field of Data Science, and Rutgers University Camden stood out to me due to its excellent program curriculum and distinguished faculty. Plus I also spoke to some alumni regarding this program
Q. How many universities have you applied to?
I applied to 5 universities: _________ (Name those universities).
Q. Did anybody help you with the research of these Universities?
No, I researched them by myself.
Q. How many rejections/Admit do you have?
I have __ admits and __ rejects: Admits from _________ (Name the admitted universities). I received rejects from _________ (Name the rejected universities).
Q. Why not any other university?
Because while comparing my options I realised that Data Science at Rutgers will be the most promising and as I said, it offers a lot of flexibility in choosing the courses.
Q. Do you plan to work while studying/Do you want a part-time job there?
No, I want to focus on my academics as much as possible.
Q. What is there in your course curriculum which you liked the most?
There is a course called Statistical Reasoning in my curriculum which I like a lot because I love probability and statistics.
Q. Which is your favourite subject?
My favourite subject is Probability and Statistics.
Q. Do you plan to study PhD after your master’s?
No, I am just planning to do my master’s.
Q. Do you intend to work after your Master’s in the USA/What are your future plans?
No, I want to come back and continue my job at my current workplace and it also keeps me close to my parents.
Q. Why would you return back to India?
Because I want to work here for a few years and analyse the market before starting something of my own, preferably a platform as a service. Plus this way I get to remain close to my parents.
Q. Who is your sponsor? What is the financial status?
My parents are going to be sponsoring me. Both my parents work as PQR. My dad’s annual salary is _________ lakhs and my mom’s annual salary is _________ lakhs.
Q. What do your parents do?
Both my parents work as _________.
Q. What is the annual fee of the university where you want to go?
The tuition fee is 37000$ & including living costs and books and travel it’s 59000$ per annum.
Q. Mention the course duration.
The course duration is 2 years.
Q. How many siblings do you have?
I have 1 elder sister.
Q. What is the total amount of funds with your parents?
The total amount of funds with my parents in liquid is more than _________. And including our investments, everything else, its _________.
Q. Where did you do your internship during your bachelor’s?
I did my internship at _________ as a _________.
Q. What kind of business does your father do?
My father is an investment consultant.
Q. Tell me about the subject studied in your bachelor’s degree.
Some of my favourite courses from my bachelor’s degree are Data Structures and Algorithms, Software Engineering, Cloud Computing, Data Mining etc.
Q. Will you come back during summer breaks to your family?
Yes, I’ll come back to my family during the summer break/I might explore the activities and clubs on campus.
Q. Will you stay off-campus or on-campus?
I am currently looking at housing options there. But most probably I’ll be living on campus.
Q. Your program is of how many credits?
My program is of 30 credits.
Q. Can you name a few professors in your department at the university where you are going to study?
I have mostly interacted with Erick Udogu, who is the Assistant Dean at Rutgers. Some other professors are Harry Kane and Rong Chen who is the department head there.
Q. Describe the course curriculum of the program that you are going to study/Name the subjects.
The total program is of 30 credits, out of which 4 courses of 3 credits each are compulsory. The remaining 18 credits can be chosen from a vast pool of electives.
The core courses are:
- Programming and Math Fundamentals for Data Science
- Statistical Methods for Data Science
- Data Management and Visualisation
- Applied Data Mining and Machine Learning
Some of the elective courses are:
- Database Systems
- Big Data Algorithms
- Data Mining
Q. Explain CPT, OPT and STEM.
CPT stands for Curricular Practical Training, OPT stands for Optional Practical Training, and STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
CPT is a type of work authorisation that allows F-1 students to work off-campus in a job or internship that is directly related to their field of study. CPT can be full-time or part-time and requires the student to be enrolled in a course that requires practical training as a part of the curriculum.
OPT is a type of work authorisation that allows F-1 students to work off-campus in a job or internship that is related to their field of study. OPT can be taken either during or after the completion of the degree program and allows the student to work for up to 12 months.
STEM OPT is an extension of OPT for F-1 students who have earned a degree in a STEM field. This extension allows the student to work for an additional 24 months, bringing the total duration of OPT to 36 months.
Q. Even in this condition of economic recession, you want to go to the US why?
The purpose of my visit is education and financially I am safe and sound. Hence the status of the economy or the job market there does not affect me.
Q. How many backlogs? Why?
I have no backlog.
Q. Tell me about your undergraduate project.
My undergraduate project was Social Media Sentiment Analysis. This project addresses the issue of sentiment analysis on Twitter, which is the classification of tweets based on the sentiment conveyed in them: good, negative, or neutral.
Q. What will you do if I reject your visa?
I believe in positive thinking because my intent is genuine so I am sure whatever will happen will happen for the best
Q. Did you get funding from the University?
Yes, I received a scholarship of 15000$ per annum.
Q. Are you looking for money in the U.S.?
No, my purpose is purely academic.
Q. Why Indian parents are spending so much money on education?
My parents value education a lot and they want to see me grow professionally as much as possible.
Q. Don’t you think you are over-ambitious?
I believe sometimes believing in yourself makes stuff happen, so that is the mindset with which I am going forward.
I hope that this F-1 visa interview guide has been a helpful resource for you in preparing for your upcoming interview.
Remember, practice makes perfect. So go over these questions and repeat the answers in front of a mirror until you feel confident with your responses.
If you have any lingering doubts or questions about the questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me on Medium or on Twitter. Also, if you think that some extra questions or changes need to be made, do let me know.
Best of luck to you in your visa application process!
To learn about the Biometrics procedure, follow this link. If you are looking for visa interview prep, click here. If you’re interested in reading about my Visa interview, you can access it here.
