There is exciting news about U.S. visa interviews this year!

According to Mandy Feuerbacher of Argo Visa - a Chai & Coaching-approved partner!

• the U.S. Department of State is putting a big emphasis in reducing visa appointment wait times around the world
• In FY2022, Consular Officers issued 6.8 million temporary visas like B1/B2, J-1, H-1B, L-1, etc. (compared to only 2.8 million visas in FY2021!)

Despite the focus on getting visa appointment wait times down, you will still want to plan early if you need to apply for a visa this year. For a B1/B2 visa for tourism or business, current wait times can be as long as 575 calendar days in India, 693 days in Mexico, and 512 days in Brazil. (You can look up the wait time for a U.S. visa interview in your home country here).

Even if you don’t get an appointment that is as early as you would like, booking an appointment is the first step to being able to request a visa interview expedite.

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One thing that is not known, however, is that 1 out of every 4 visa applicants are denied their U.S. visas at the visa interview stage. If you’re applying for an F-1 visa for studies, the number goes up even higher—1 in 3 students will be denied or face administrative processing delays.

Here are some top tips for success at your upcoming U.S. visa interview:

1. SPEAK WITH CONFIDENCE: Don’t give short, one-word answers, but also don’t ramble on about irrelevant information. Make sure your answers are direct, truthful, and highlight the strengths in your visa application.

2. BE PROACTIVE: At every opportunity, offer positive information about your case to the visa officer.

3. SHARE HONESTLY: If you have a complicated visa history, address it during your visa interview. Visa Officers are always looking to see how forthcoming a visa applicant is to determine whether or not they can be trusted with an approved visa.

4. PREPARE WITH AN EXPERT: If you’ve been denied a visa, the first step is to write a transcript of every question you were asked at your visa interview, as well as the responses you gave. Step two is to work with a former Visa Officer who can help you understand why you were denied in the first place so it can be addressed. Do not go into another visa interview without preparing with an expert—it will be very likely that you will be denied again!

5. GET CREATIVE: If you can’t find an available visa appointment in your home country, consider applying in another country, but be aware that you will need additional preparation to be successful for this type of “third-country national” visa interview.

Mandy and her team at Argo Visa focus on helping international citizens prepare for the visa interview to set them up for success, and many C&C clients have worked with them to great success.

Book a Call with Argo Now!

Your friend,

Rob

P.S. Check out the Visa Interviews playlist to get all your visa questions answered!

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Most Common Reasons For Visa Denial From US Visa Officers