Should I mention my US girlfriend in my F-1 visa interview?

[aengelhardt101 2]

Hi,

My biggest worry about the visa interview is that I'll be rejected based on the fact that they believe I will not be there to study but rather immigrate in the future.

My girlfriend and I have been together for about a year now and I want to move to the US to study and to spend more time with her.

What should I mention during the interview? How much harder will this make my application?

Thanks

[Transborderwife 4,666]

It may be asked if you have any relationships in the USA. Absolutely disclose then

[HFM181818 750]

if you try to avoid answering, your application will be denied at just under the speed of light....how old are you, and what is it that you propose to study?

[aengelhardt101 2]

if you try to avoid answering, your application will be denied at just under the speed of light....how old are you, and what is it that you propose to study?

I'm currently 19 years old and I will hopefully be studying Economics at Middle Tennessee State University.

[canadian_wife 1,823]

Student visas are non immigrant visas. You will be asked for ties to your home country (I was). What can you that you do not intend to permanently move to the US girlfriend or not?

good luck

[HFM181818 750]

and you chose this university....why?

[Darnell 8,478]

I'm currently 19 years old and I will hopefully be studying Economics at Middle Tennessee State University.

Since Dad is footing the bill on this one, what's his input about your USA girlfriend ?

[aengelhardt101 2]

and you chose this university....why?

The honest reason? It's probably the best university for me in terms of my grades that suits all of my needs. It's got an amazing culture and the quality of the Economics program through the professors who have a lot of expertise in the area of economics which I want to study which is International Economics, something that a degree from the schools in Australia wouldn't provide for me.

Since Dad is footing the bill on this one, what's his input about your USA girlfriend ?

Dad's perfectly fine with everything! He's very happy that I'm happy and he's more of a "as long as it won't get in the way of you completing your degree" kinda guy than anything else.

[HFM181818 750]

....which just happens to be three blocks from your girlfriend's house........what an astonishing coincidence...

[aengelhardt101 2]

....which just happens to be three blocks from your girlfriend's house........what an astonishing coincidence...

Very helpful advice. I'm so glad you were able to assist me today!

Have a good one.

[Chris and ZhiJia 146]

The honest reason? It's probably the best university for me in terms of my grades that suits all of my needs. It's got an amazing culture and the quality of the Economics program through the professors who have a lot of expertise in the area of economics which I want to study which is International Economics, something that a degree from the schools in Australia wouldn't provide for me.

Dad's perfectly fine with everything! He's very happy that I'm happy and he's more of a "as long as it won't get in the way of you completing your degree" kinda guy than anything else.

Ok, so I am going to punch some holes in your reasoning for studying at MTSU. First I live 25 miles from that college, second MTSU is the college in Nashville that locals go to if they don't have any better options. If your true intent for getting a F-1 Visa to study was to actually pursue a degree in Economics you should be looking at Belmont and Vanderbilt, both of which have Nationally accredited Ph.D programs in Economics, and both have great programs for international students to come and study. Vanderbilt is ranked 27th in the country for MBA programs, MTSU doesn't rank.

Your F-1 visa for studying is a little bull, I suspect your true intentions are just to be with your girlfriend, and felt that the F-1 was your easiest option.

Oh and final note. The University of Melbourne in Australia is ranked 11th in the world for best Economic programs.

Edited January 23, 2016 by Chris and ZhiJia

[TBoneTX 45,522]

Very helpful advice. I'm so glad you were able to assist me today!

His questions and "convince me" situations are those that a consular officer would pose. If you can't answer them very well here, think of the result during the stress of an actual visa interview.

[aengelhardt101 2]

Ok, so I am going to punch some holes in your reasoning for studying at MTSU. First I live 25 miles from that college, second MTSU is the college in Nashville that locals go to if they don't have any better options. If your true intent for getting a F-1 Visa to study was to actually pursue a degree in Economics you should be looking at Belmont and Vanderbilt, both of which have Nationally accredited Ph.D programs in Economics, and both have great programs for international students to come and study. Vanderbilt is ranked 27th in the country for MBA programs, MTSU doesn't rank.

Your F-1 visa for studying is a little bull, I suspect your true intentions are just to be with your girlfriend, and felt that the F-1 was your easiest option.

Oh and final note. The University of Melbourne in Australia is ranked 11th in the world for best Economic programs.

I can clearly see why you would assume that and I wanted to provide an explanation as to why you're actually wrong about most of that.

First of all, my grades are not very good. I applied to the University of Melbourne and I did not make it into any of those courses, including UNSW and University of Sydney, also top colleges in Australia - I am well aware of the caliber of courses available in Australia but I just don't fit them, the US has a lot more options in terms of courses.

I looked at Vanderbilt and unfortunately my grades do not meet the requirements that they need and I missed the application deadline (I'm not prepared to wait 1 1/2 years to begin college)

Secondly, I have applied to Belmont university and that's my first choice but they have yet to accept me or indicate anything that they might but MTSU seems to be the university that will accept me with my grades without a doubt, they don't need SAT scores. In addition, even as a "second choice" college, MTSU does have a program that will suit my needs. My main intention is to go to Belmont and if they accept me then no doubt that's where I will go. It sounds stupid but my things with Belmont is that they require you to stay on campus until you're 21 which is what made me go with MTSU. I don't deal well with shared rooms because of various conditions (anxiety)

Also MTSU has more of a typical college feel to it which is really what I want from a school. Big campus, college football and all that cheesy stuff that people think goes down in the stuff.

I do appreciate you picking holes in my reasoning which is why I came here in the first place to get a response. I won't deny it, I do want to be with my girlfriend to a certain extent but my main goal is to go an American university. If I want to study international economics in the future then I just feel like personally that America would be a good option because of well firstly, it's in a different country and studying elsewhere will provide a large amount of experience to use in the future. I feel like it would look good to future employers.

Please do understand my points. I completely agree though. If I can't actually convince some stranger on some internet page that my intentions are truly to study then I'm going to have no chance in the interview. Especially if I'm not going to have the chance to explain it in detail like I just did here.

Thank you

His questions and "convince me" situations are those that a consular officer would pose. If you can't answer them very well here, think of the result during the stress of an actual visa interview.

Oh yeah without a doubt I'm well aware of that, from my research on the topic I know that I would get rejected right now because my arguments aren't strong enough.

i would have just appreciated a more forward approach like the guy above me saying that there's too many flaws rather than the sarcastic approach, it doesn't sit well with me.

Thanks!

[TBoneTX 45,522]

Good candid answers.

The seemingly sarcastic participant in the thread just might be a retired CO who has conducted thousands of NIV interviews and has "heard it all" -- his pointed observations might be geared toward getting you to think, and certainly to focus on what might be in a busy CO's mind during a visa interview. Same goal as the detailed approach, but different tactics.

[HFM181818 750]

MTSU's entrance requirements: (a) the future student's check cleared the bank

(b) the future student managed to fog a mirror

© if the above criteria are met, welcome to MTSU!

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the excuse for choosing a certain university (even a community college!) is that the course(s) I wish/need to take are not available in my country (Australia??? really?), that the entrance requirements met my situation (see above) and though I flunked out of college in my own country, now I plan to be a 'serious' student (living three doors down from my American GF)....and of course, return promptly because Australian businesses will be jumping over fences to employ me....in fact, lookee here...I have a job letter for 5 years from today! (often written by their uncle)

Now, you may prevail during the interview - hard to say.....but I can see enough holes in what you presented here to be fairly confident that returning to Australia after graduation is low on the list, that this is probably the usual 'F1 in lieu of K1' visa request, that the plan is to marry before the end of the first semester. In fact, I would ask you these questions....and watch your face while you try to answer. That would tell me a lot.

The bottom line: the odds that amongst hundreds of universities, the 'only' one that fulfills some vague or nebulous criteria is the one that is within shouting distance of your American GF is about the same as finding life on Mars.....and therein lies the biggest flaw in your visa application.....because the odds of you (a) graduating and (b) returning to Australia to become their Economic Minister (or whatever you think you are going to do) is around zero.

I imagine that since you and the GF have figured out that the K1 process will take too long and arriving in the US on the VWP with 8 pieces of luggage will arouse suspicions about your intent to 'visit' for two weeks, either she or some immigration attorney (or both) offered this route instead.

I cannot answer for any current COs, but I've seen this one at least 10,000 times....it is one of the most common reasons for an F1 visa request, to circumvent the K1 process, show up for school on day one, run to the courthouse to marry on day two.

But who knows....maybe you'll get a newer CO who lacks the experience to see through it all....now, I am not saying that you are some sort of 'bad person'; only that just from what little you have posted here told me just about everything I would need to know to make a decision....I would throw a few more questions at you that would connect the dots and confirm what I already believe...and your body language would likely be the final indicator.

Anyway, it's up to you now, not me nor anyone else on this site. You've told your story (though not all of it, by any means) and the rest will be up to you (and no, a letter from some congressman that your GF contacts, stating that he or she is 'fully confident that you intend to study, then return to Australia' would be a joke....the congressman doesn't even know you, and moreover, opinions from someone who churns out dozens of these 'character reference' letters every day have no more veracity than an opinion written in beach sand.

I've said enough. Who can say what the outcome will be?

Edited January 23, 2016 by HFM181818