Hi guys,
I’m going to give a full brief of my interview at the New Delhi consulate.
Me: Good morning!
VO: Pass me your I-20 and passport
VO: Tell me about your program
Me: It’s an undergraduate liberal arts program at ___ college. The college has a unique curriculum which made me apply to this college. Under this open curriculum, I have the ability to draft my own curriculum. I plan on studying…
VO: How many colleges did you apply to and where all did you get in?
Me: I applied to 15 colleges but this college was my first choice so I applied as an early decision applicant. So when I got in here, I had to withdraw from other schools in January.
VO: So where all did you apply?
Me: Gave a few names
Then I was handed over the letter stating that I had been rejected under 214(b). I wasn’t given the opportunity to explain that I’m an only son in a business family and that I’m compelled to come back to take care of my parents.
I received a $53k aid from this college and I have worked hard for it. I have reapplied. Where do you guys think I went wrong and how shall I improve?
There are reams of possibilities, and no way to tell which one (even if we knew more about you/your history/etc)
Given that you got massive aid, the argument that “I’m an only son in a business family” doesn’t make it look as though there are strong economic ties to come back, leaving just the good son coming home to take care of parents (vs trying to get a better paying job in the US and sending the money home) explanation.
If you get another interview, I wouldn’t faf about with ‘I get to do anything I want’- I would go for something sharp and focused. For example, ‘my program involves me doing x & y, which links to my role in the family business in this way’. If you get asked the question about how many/where, etc., go straight for it: 'I applied to 15, including a, b, and c, got accepted by my first choice (a), put my deposit on that one and withdrew the rest. Be ready for the ‘what has changed since the last time you applied’ question- it will certainly come up.
Based on your brief outline in the original post in this thread, the official did not approve of the college for some reason as he did not even ask about strong ties to your home country. Which school ?
Maybe because he is unfamiliar with Grinnell College or because he didn’t believe that a liberal arts degree would be reasonable in your case. It is obvious to me that the official thought that you would not return to your home country & suspects that you just used a generous school to get around the financial ability aspect of the visa requirement.
@Publisher Okay. I applied to the college as I was familiar with it since 10th grade and loved the open curriculum approach. A relative of mine is an alumni of the college. He came back and resides in India.
Probably would have been fine if you stated that you were going to study biology or computer & information sciences. When you told the officer that you were going to “draft” your own major, he probably thought that that was a joke.
Right, but telling the visa official that you were going to design (“draft”) your own major might arouse suspicions regarding the seriousness of your plan to get a degree & then to return to India.
Economics is fine; designing your own major at an LAC is suspicious under these circumstances.
When asked about your major you MUST state whatever the I20 states. Period. If you don’t, the officer can consider either you or the I20 lie.
(A similar story happened to an advisee. He started to wax poetic about the liberal arts. The officer frowned and said “why does the I20 state x major then?” The advisee had the good sense to remember my advice and see the officer was about to turn him down so he quickly said he wanted to major in x, for which z college was well-known but he was also appreciative of the American style of education - of course his primary goal was to study X so he can return home and make a good living in his hometown where he knew exactly where he’d work thanks to this degree. The officer visibly switched whatever he was about to do, stopped drowning, and said the visa would be forthcoming.)
Email Grinnell about it. Ask for their advice - it s not the first time it’s happened.
Non-Immigrant Visa rejections, based on Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, may be based on many reasons, the majority of which are listed in this helpful article:
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Link deleted. Not allowed.
Not knowing your personal circumstances makes it very difficult to advise. I would not assume that your response in terms of an open curriculum at your intended College has been the one and only deciding factor, if it has ben a factor at all, unfortunately. Best of luck!