<p>So I was reading the 'tips' my university sent me for my student visa interview. The embassy seems quite adamant that I must not have any reason to stay the US after graduation.</p>
<p>I'm a UK citizen, but I have two half-sisters who are US citizens. I put this information in my DS156 form, and now I'm really worried they'll take this as reasons for me to overstay my visa. What if they ask me why I have two half-sisters who are American? I'll have to say that they've growned up there with my grandparents (who are American citizens, too): FURTHER reasons for me to overstay my visa.</p>
<p>Ahhh, am I worrying too much? Or does having many American relatives increase your chances of getting a visa denial??</p>
<p>Nah, if they ask just be truthful about having half-sisters/grandparents and talk about how you like it in the UK and just want to have adventures during university but still plan to return to the UK after graduation and you’ve been living there for X years and your family + all the friends are there and if you’ve visited them and are asked about it say like “it’s a nice place, but after seeing it I still prefer the UK because it’s my home and all my friends are here” etc. (you get the idea) Basically just don’t make it sound like <em>you</em> want to immigrate (e.g. careless comments about how you’ve “dreamed of living in the US since a young age” - not that you’d say that, just an example) and you should be fine. I’ve only heard of people being denied through the grapevine and they generally just made stupid comments.</p>
<p>Why would the embassy be so worried about internationals wanting to stay in the US? It’s pretty much impossible to do so as an international, so I’m wondering why they even ask/fear that you want to stay.</p>
<p>cdover don’t worry about it…it is unlikely you would be denied a visa…you are not from a third world country and assuming you are not muslim…you are golden</p>
Haha, absolutely. I knew a guy who didn’t shave before the interview, and he got denied. His college wasn’t all that well known (not 1st tier I think), so that might have been the factor, too.</p>
<p>As long as you can show that you have sufficient funds for your US college you’ll be just fine. That way they won’t be worried that you’ll be seeking illegal employment.
I have a brother living in the US and my family owns property in the US too and I have never been denied a visa (neither B nor F… and I’ve had like 7 of them already lol). Plus you’re from the UK and that’s a ‘good’ country in America’s eyes so don’t worry.</p>
<p>I have just been accepted to Duke University and they have sent me all of the Visa forms, which I have yet to fill in, I will do so asap. </p>
<p>However, I have to reply to my UK university offers by 5th March. My dad wants me to keep my offers in case I don’t get a student visa and then delete them later if and when I get a Visa. </p>
<p>However, Duke made it clear that we should not enroll at any other universities once we have accepted their offer (which I have), which makes it seem as though I cannot keep my UK places. Furthermore, although entirely possible, I’d rather not accept my places and then cancel them later - my career’s guidance person said it was pretty rude and doesn’t reflect that well on the school.</p>
<p>So, I guess the real question is, coming from the UK, is there any real likelihood that my Visa will be denied?
No one in my family or myself has any criminal record etc.
My brother is actually a US citizen because he was born there.
My parents used to live in Connecticut for 3 years for my dad’s work but moved back about 20 years ago.
I plan on saying I want to return to the UK immediately after my 4 year course - that’s where all my family and friends are and where I ultimately want to get a job etc. I just want the US college experience. </p>
<p>I’m wondering if any of these factors will affect my case? </p>
<p>Seriously, people who are hellbent on staying in the US unlawfully are going to find a way to get into and stay unlawfully in the US no matter what the embassy does. Especially given that the UK is a visa waiver country.</p>
<p>Chances are you will get a visa, but for everyone’s sake I wanted to point out that visa applications do get rejected. I was talking to my college’s Dean of International Students the other day, and she said that last year 3 (out of ~50) international students did not come because they could not get a visa.</p>
<p>So shouldn’t colleges then allow you to enroll at more than one college as long as they are in different countries? After all 3 out of 50 is small but not insignificant</p>
<p>If I were you, I would go ahead and save a spot at a college in my home country. You are right, visas do get rejected and it is important (in my opinion) to have a backup plan. I wouldn’t necessarily announce it to either college though.</p>
<p>I was lucky in that regard because in my country we don’t have to enroll anywhere until July, and by that time it was reasonably safe to assume that the US would go smoothly.</p>
<p>I was so nervous about my interview (I’m from Ireland). It was completely fine though. I just got asked about my school and why I chose it. I go to an all women’s college, so my visa officer was interested in why I chose it. He asked me what I was planning to do after graduation and I told him that I wanted to work at home, clse to my family and set up my own complany. Just make sure you are honest and make sure that you tell them that you will not work in the US because your visa doesn’t allow it. </p>
<p>I’m replying to this thread because I think the guy ahead of me did not get his visa approved. It was his third interview in about a month and it turned out that he was going to America for a year to take an internship with a company and had told a previous officer that he was hoping this company would give him a job upon graduating. I thought he was very foolish. Don’t say anything like this in your interview!</p>