F-1 student visa timeline

[Boiler 43,464]

What Course are you looking to do?

[Tarvos 0]

I'm an Electronics and Telecommunications engineer.

I'm applying for a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering, so that would cover several courses in 2 years, but my main focus will be on Signals Processing. I've delivered all required documents regarding my thesis and desired disciplines I wish to pursue during my studies, and was accepted at my university accordingly.

I haven't really been asked about any of this during my so-called interview. It was a complete rush job and I highly doubt they'll ever look into my case again at this rate, since I wasn't given a fair chance to display my strong ties to my country.

[MalaysianGirl 26]

I have a Malaysian guy friend who was in AP for six months, if I am not mistaken. I guess that happens pretty often, and I'm sorry

[Tarvos 0]

Thanks... I really need to know more about how much it CAN take for someone...

[Bsze 50]

Any news?

[Tarvos 0]

Nope, not really, the visa status page has yet to change from 'send us an email'. My last email wasn't even replied to.

I thank you for asking, I really appreciate it. I wish more people who applied for Student Visas can let me know what they went through until they actually got them... it's really frustrating how there's absolutely no way to find anything out anymore about this.

[Boiler 43,464]

Have you looked at doing the course in another country?

[Tarvos 0]

I definitely will when time runs out and my mailed documents expire, but that's still to come in the far future. I can wait two more semesters at most, but this is still ridiculous.

[Bsze 50]

I'm so sorry to hear that you are still waiting. AP is a black hole. I collected my student visa the day after my interview.

[Tarvos 0]

When/how long was your interview for your student visa?

[Bsze 50]

The interview was in late 2007 and it took less than half an hour. AP is rare for non-Muslim women though.

[Tarvos 0]

Ah, 2007... that explains some.

Do you think political relations may affect this? Or is it on a more personal level, with factors such as common names and such delaying the process?

[Bsze 50]

I think it's a little bit of both. Malaysia is not a high fraud country and while we are not a VWP country, our B-visa denial rate is below 7% (for a country to qualify for the VWP, the denial rate has to be 3% or lower). Egypt's B-visa denial rate, on the other hand, was almost 30% in 2009. This indicates that there could be a higher level of visa fraud in your country and that can make the visa process harder for people like you who have legitimate intentions. Additionally, having a more common Muslim name can also hold up the visa process because name and background checks are made more complicated. Men experience this a lot more than women and I think we all know why... Unfortunately, the only thing to do is... wait. The embassy has no obligations towards you and no incentive to go out of their way to help you because you are not a US citizen. Sad, but true.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Bsze

[Tarvos 0]

That's the most sensible thing I've heard in this thread so far. I fully agree with you regarding that matter; I have a very clear idea about most of what you said regarding Egypt but... can you tell me what 'Visa fraud' constitutes? Is this related to the Embassy passing out fraudulent visas, or is this related to overstaying in the US/abusing your visa without following your stated intentions?

To be honest, the fact they rushed everything with me without verifying my integrity more thoroughly kind of keeps me depressed now because the most I could hope for is another interview. Would a second interview be required for someone like me who had the application and interview rushed the first time?

[Bsze 50]

Visa fraud would refer to an individual using the visa for any purpose other than the intended one. That includes overstaying or trying to immigrate on non-immigrant visas. My close friend works at her college's International Student Office and has had students enter the US and promptly disappear without showing up to school at all.

If a CO rushes an interview, it usually suggests they've already made up their mind. Since you were approved, it seems to me that the CO saw no problem with your case, otherwise you would have been denied outright. It also seems that AP might be a routine procedure at the Cairo embassy and that in your particular case, it is taking A LOT longer than they, and you, anticipated. At this point, a second interview might not change the outcome because you would run into the same problem with AP again.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Bsze