F1 Visa Interview for Fall 2012 – Direct PhD – US Embassy, Nepal

I am from NEPAL. I gave my f1 visa interview at Kathmandu on 14 May 2012. – Sudeep

F1 Visa Interview Experiences Fall 2012

• undergrade in mechanical engineering
• undergrade % 71.34
• 10th grade = 78%
• 12th grade =74.9 %
• GRE =306 TOEFL = 89 ( 2 months work experience. )

I had contacted a professor there at the UC merced.

My research field is THERMAL SCIENCE AND ENERGY CONVERSION.

• My I20 reflects expense —> $44k and fund from school —-> $53k annually
• LEVEL -  direct PHD

my visa interview went like this:

VO – hey ..gud morning

ME – hi ..gud morning .. how r you ?

VO – i am fine … So which UNIVERSITY ?

ME- UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA , MERCED

VO – so mechanical engineering ??? right??

ME- yeah sir .

VO – why this UNIVERSITY ?

ME – It’s the 1st research based university of USA in 21st century, and i have contacted the professor and he liked my academic background .. we had a skype session ( and then he interupts me … )

VO – (looking my i20 ) so you got pretty good funding eh? ( he was kind of smiling ..i think he praised my funding .. it was looking like that )

ME – (smiling back ) yeah sir.

VO – so wats ur plan … are u coming back to NEPAL after ur research??

ME – yeah sir. i have a plan to come back here in NEPAL and work as a post doc researcher in the energy institute(center) who promotes ALTERNATIVE ENERGY like AEPC (alternative energy promotion center) and GRID NEPAL, where i think my research would be very helpful for the success of the institute and ultimately NEPAL. ( when i told him the first sentence he was not lookign me …. and for the 2nd sentence we had a great eye contact with each other and i saw in his eye that he was convince with my answer or like was appreciating my plan … he kinda moved back from the eye contact we had for few seconds )

VO – so you married??

ME – no sir. not yet .

VO – so you have plan to marry in near future?

ME- no sir.

VO -(sarcastically ) i mean now you have a good funding from the school n ur going to usa .. any NEPALI girl ll be willing to marry you .. wont they ??

ME – haha .. no sir .. not before my phd . that may be the case but i have no intention of marrying b4 my research.

VO – (types sumthing on the computer for like 20 secs and then ) OK sir … you can pay ur 200$ bill for the visa issuance .. at counter no 10 .. HAVE you brought the money now?

ME- yes sir .I HAVE IT NOW .

VO – OK UR VISA HAS BEEN APPROVED .. CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK..

ME – have a nice day sir .. thanks a lot .. bye

it WAS LIKE AT MOST FOR 2 MINS …. THE VO WAS COOL .. I WAS REALLY NERVOUS BUT WENT WELL … I HAD EXPECTED A LOT MORE QUESTION BUT THAT WAS IT FOR ME .