<p>Well, my experience is upon graduation, many students from India <em>do</em> intend to stay in US looking for a job. That's cool with me (especially in the tech industry) But, that's something, based on what I read here, the US Embassy in India hopes to discourage. Obviously, one better learns how to answer this particular question "truthfully": "What do I want to do after my education?"</p>
<p>They discourage the mediocre ones, but if you go to a top school, they're likely gonna want to keep you simply because you generate $$$</p>
<p>"they're likely gonna want to keep you simply because you generate $$$"</p>
<p>^that's what many people say!..</p>
<p>Hypothetically, OP tells the visa officer that his goal is to pursue Econ @ Chicago (great!) and later pursue a career in Wall St (oops!) and reside in US. Will he get the visa?</p>
<p>The visa interview (I'm already in the US on an F-1) was the biggest waste of time in the entire process. Travel for five hours, wait for three, wham bam thank you ma'am done in under 2 minutes. Of course, I was applying with a citizenship from a country with strong welfare, so I can imagine the pressure being much higher for Indian citizens. Still, arrgh, so pointless!</p>
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<p>Nope. There's 'intent to immigrate' written all over that answer.</p>
<p>Just tell them you'll go back.</p>
<p>You cannot simply say "I'll go back after college" in one sentence. You need to elaborate on it and tell them what exactly you plan to do.</p>
<p>Dallas808,
Thats my whole problem. In all honesty, after college I want to stay on in the US for grad school but I don't think I would want to say that at the visa interview. My only option is to say I'm coming back.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I want to pursue Econ. at UChicago then come back and work in India. Don't know how realistic it sounds. Do I have no plans for further education? Do I simply want to work in India with a Bachelor's?</p></li>
<li><p>I want to pursue a broad undergrad curriculum and am unsure of what I'll major in. In spite of that, I hope to come back to India and work after that.
Yeah, right!</p></li>
</ol>
<p>badman89: Say something like how the Indian economy is booming and that how you can fit into the picture after you graduate. Don't just say "I'll come back", elaborate a little in some way. Be calm. Bring all the paperwork. You'll be fine.</p>
<p>badman9, throw away that grad school plan, at least for now. So whatever you will be saying, it will be the "whole truth nothing but the truth". :) Honestly, people often change their plan, especially in a transformative place like Chicago. So you don't need to stick to whatever you will say during the interview. But whatever you say should be as truthful as possible. </p>
<p>I think you want to be genuine in your answers. Having trained as an interviewer, I can tell a prepared answer and a genuine one from miles away. So I bet those in the Embassy have heard the same lines hundreds of times - the question is whether they will give you the benefit of doubt. </p>
<p>If I were you, I will say that I want to go to best place in the world to study econ and return to start a microcredit institution like Grameen Bank in your area. Sound cool, huh?</p>
<p>Obviously, you shouldn't use this line anymore since Google will find it (about 38 minutes from now) and hundreds will probably use it in the Embassy tomorrow. :) If you are Chicago-smart, you will figure out something better.</p>
<p>I'm glad I live in Europe, it's all easier here.</p>
<p>Yeah, that was my initial plan and it sounded like a great idea to me (obviously I wont say Grameen Bank, but something else).
But the problem is - I'm not at all interested in studying Econ. Although I don't really know what I'm going to major in, Econ. is an extremely unlikely option for me; I'm thinking something along the lines of math or physics at this point. Thats why I'm not too sure if its a good idea to say I want to major in Econ. and come back to the booming Indian economy.
Now which of the two options do you think is a better idea:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I say that I want to major in Econ, then come back to the booming Indian economy. (Although this is not true, I could probably pull it off)</p></li>
<li><p>I say that I don't know what I want to major in but I'm thinking something along the lines of Math/Physics. After that I want to come back to India and .....?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>are you sure about 38 minutes?</p>
<p>"1. I say that I want to major in Econ, then come back to the booming Indian economy. (Although this is not true, I could probably pull it off)"</p>
<p>That sound like a publicity campaign, doesn't hold much water in my opinion. (Oh! and if by any chance your interviewer turns out to be a regular reader of the economist, then he</a> would correct you ;))</p>
<p>"2. I say that I don't know what I want to major in but I'm thinking something along the lines of Math/Physics. After that I want to come back to India and .....?"</p>
<p>Simply say that you have a family business and you want to help your father.</p>
<p>pearfire: Ppl going to top universities have it easy too in India, badman just seems to be a cautious-man.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Simply say that you have a family business and you want to help your father.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's what I'm going to say. :D</p>
<p>Cautious or overly-cautious?</p>
<p>I called the US embassy some days ago and they told they don't care 'bout the college. It could be Harvard or SUNY, it doesn't matter as u have ur I20!..</p>
<p>i think that the more nervous you are about this whole interview, the worse it'll turn out for you. just answer exactly why you applied to the states in the first place (better job/career opportunities and wider scope on the world are my 2 reasons) and then forget about the rest. i think that the interviewers can tell if youre being genuine or if youre trying to live in the us. hopefully its the same as how they can tell if youre just being nervous or you have a bomb strapped to your chest.</p>
<p>"I called the US embassy some days ago and they told they don't care 'bout the college."</p>
<p>And you actually believe them? A Yale student I know went there and once his interviewer knew that he's going to Yale, she got very excited and even advised the student about stuff he should do in New Haven. Trust me, there's stuff ppl say and stuff ppl do.</p>
<p>pearfire: did your Yalie friend apply in Europe or India? I think the real difficulty is in India. The more I read the more it seems US Embassy @ India is trying to discourage/stop local students who intend to seek employment upon graduation (I know many do as my former employer hired them). As long as you have a good reason why you would want to return to India (the booming econ seems like a weak reason for me), that should cover the base.</p>